Inaugural Bender Scholar Award recognizes top graduating B.S.P.H. student at Mississippi College

Congratulating Madison Morgan, center, for receiving the 2025 Danny Bender Scholar Award are Megan Ladner, left, Danny Bender's goddaughter, and Mary Ellen Stewart, chair of the Public Health Department at MC.

Madison “Maddy” Lea Morgan, a 2025 graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program at Mississippi College, has received the inaugural Danny Bender Scholar Award Honoring Academic Excellence in Public Health.

The new award will be presented annually to the Bachelor of Public Health (B.S.P.H.) graduating senior with the highest grade point average at Mississippi College. It recognizes outstanding achievement and dedication to the field of public health.

Established by Kaye W. Bender, professor of nursing and former dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the award honors her late husband, a visionary leader in health services who dedicated his life to improving the well-being of others. Danny Bender earned his Master’s of Health Services Administration at MC.

“The recipient of this award exemplifies the academic excellence, commitment to service and passion for improving health that Danny Bender championed throughout his life,” said Mary Ellen Stewart, MC assistant professor and chair of public health.

Stewart has known the Benders for years as esteemed mentors, beloved fellow church members and valued friends. Danny Bender gave Stewart her first job in the public health industry as a researcher for the Mississippi Department of Health; Kaye Bender later hired her as a nurse educator in the UMMC School of Nursing.

“When I was asked to assist with the new Public Health program at Mississippi College, the Benders were the first people I consulted,” Stewart said. “Kaye Bender continues to guide me as I begin a new graduate program and seek opportunities for engagement of students in public health in Mississippi and across the country.

“It seemed only natural to name the Public Health Scholar Award for Danny Bender, a public health leader and MC alum. With their dedication to the call of Christ and the evidence of excellent service to healthcare in Mississippi, it was fitting to have the Benders represented within the department.”

A resident of Mandeville, Louisiana, Morgan is a highly accomplished and dedicated student whose “academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to service distinguish her as an outstanding candidate for this prestigious recognition,” Stewart said.

Named to the President’s List, Dean’s List and Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll, Morgan holds numerous certifications and serves as a student project analyst in the Department of Surgery at UMMC, where she assists with financial management, annual event planning and social media operations for the Morris Center for Cleft and Craniofacial Research and Innovation.

She serves as president of the MC Public Health Association student organization, campus liaison for the American Public Health Association and youth camp health assistant at Pine Cove in Columbus, Texas. She has had internships at the Mississippi Department of Human Services and the Mississippi Department of Health.

“Madison exemplifies the MC mission of academic excellence and the call of Christ, living out her faith through service, leadership and academic achievement,” Stewart said. “She is a remarkable leader, scholar and servant-hearted individual whose impact on Mississippi College and beyond is undeniable.”

Morgan plans to continue her studies as a graduate student in the Health Services Administration Master’s Program – the same program Danny Bender once attended at MC.