The Mary Plummer Memorial Scholarship

The College of Public Health Alumni Society is dedicated to raising money for the Mary Plummer Scholarship Fund. Mary Plummer was a greatly admired and respected public health professional at the time of her sudden death from a heart attack at age 45 in November, 1998. 

The idea of a scholarship fund in Mary's name grew out of the desire of Mary's friends and colleagues to permanently honor and celebrate her life. The fund will provide an annual scholarship to an incoming student enrolled at The Ohio State University College of Public Health who has an interest, as Mary did, in epidemiology.

Mary was the first part-time student to earn a Master of Science degree in preventive medicine from Ohio State, so it is fitting the Mary Plummer Memorial Scholarship is the first endowed scholarship fund in the College of Public Health.

During her 21 years in public service at both the local and state level, Mary was a tireless advocate for underserved and vulnerable populations. She began her career in her hometown of Canton working in the sexually transmitted disease program. After earning her Master's degree and joining the Ohio Department of Health, she produced numerous studies and data analyses on behavioral risk factors, physical activity, smoking, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and wrote the first public health section included in the State Health Resources Plan. Her process for monitoring arthritis and diabetes programs became a model for all preventive health and health services grants throughout the state. She played a key role in building a coalition to create the first county health profiles for Ohio. Mary was the definitive "go to" person for the data, epidemiological, and statistical advice and consultation at the Ohio Department of Health.

In addition to her consummate professionalism, Mary is remembered for her openness and candor, her positive and supportive attitude, an eagerness to assist others, and an unselfish dedication to teaching. She was an avid environmentalist, bird watcher, and advocate for population control.