Campus Compact is pleased to announce that Martha Carvour, MD, PhD, assistant professor of internal medicine (infectious diseases) and epidemiology in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and College of Public Health, has been awarded Campus Compact’s Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement. The award, presented in partnership with Brown University’s Swearer Center for Public Service, recognizes early-career faculty who practice exemplary engaged scholarship through teaching and research. Recipients are selected on the basis of their collaboration with communities, institutional impact, and high-quality academic work.
Carvour is recognized for her research focusing on improving health systems, building collaborations between academic centers and local communities, and reducing health disparities. She works closely with many student leaders, including students in the undergraduate, MPH, MS, MD, and PhD programs. She also serves as an associate director for the University of Iowa's Medical Scientist Training Program and the inaugural vice chair for Quality and Safety for the Department of Internal Medicine.
"Our partnership with Dr. Cavour has been transformative for the Pacific Islander Community in Storm Lake, and her work exemplifies the very essence of engaged scholarship,” said Berselynna P. Butler, founder of the Pohnpei & Pacific Islanders Alliance, in a letter supporting Carvour’s nomination for the award. “Her commitment to connecting University expertise and external resources with grassroots initiatives has strengthened our programs and empowered our community.”
"Dr. Martha Carvour represents the highest ideals of the Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement. Her work exemplifies sustained, reciprocal, and impactful collaboration between the university and the community,” said Nick Benson, executive director of the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Iowa, in a letter supporting Carvour’s nomination for the award. “Dr. Carvour’s work has become a model for how UI approaches statewide engagement—demonstrating that academic research and education can directly strengthen the health infrastructure of rural and underserved communities.”
“Dr. Carvour’s unwavering dedication to improving health systems is borne out by her community-engaged, academic research and its real-world application,” said Bobbie Laur, Campus Compact president. “We are proud to recognize her work with the Lynton award. Communities that have the pleasure of working with her will find a passionate, curious individual who values diverse thinking and collaboration. ”
The Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement is presented as part of Campus Compact's Impact Awards, which recognize the outstanding work of individuals and institutions in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education. Read more about the other awards and this year's recipients here.
The recipients of these awards will be recognized at Compact26, Campus Compact’s annual conference, which will be held in Chicago, Illinois, from March 16th-18th, 2026.