IOWA CITY- Lucille Howard. Clutier. was one of three University of Iowa students recognized at the inaugural First-Generation Student Awards and Recognition Ceremony staged earlier this month as part of the 2019 National First-Generation College Celebration.

The UI First-Generation Task Force established the awards to recognize first-generation student achievements as well as the outstanding advocacy and support efforts of faculty and staff. Each recipient received a plaque and $250.

The 1stGen@Iowa initiative works to support first-generation students-those who do not have parents or guardians who completed a four-year degree-in their academic and career endeavors. About 22% of students in the undergraduate Class of 2023 are first-generation students.

First-Generation Student Achievement Award

Lucille “Luci” Howard is a UI alumna and current medical student who is the first in her family to pursue higher education.

Howard graduated magna cum laude from the UI in 2014 with a degree in psychology. As an undergraduate, she served as vice president of First Generation Iowa, an organization dedicated to supporting first-generation students.

After graduation, Howard entered the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.

During the 2018-19 academic year, Howard moved to Baltimore, where she earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on women’s and reproductive health. Her capstone project examined racial disparities in quality of life among women diagnosed with breast cancer.

She became an outreach worker in southwest Baltimore, providing resources and support to individuals engaged in street-based sex work. Howard, who returned to medical school in June 2019, is applying for residency in obstetrics and gynecology.

Throughout medical school, Howard has been involved in the global health distinction track, traveling to Haiti to assist with cervical cancer screening efforts and rotating with the Oxford University Hospital in England. Her career goals include providing inclusive and equitable care to underserved populations and remaining involved with reproductive rights advocacy.