Nigerian Scholar Earns 10 Major Honours at U.S. University

Nigerian scholar Abdulmalik Lawal graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with 10 major academic honours for outstanding achievements in health communication, public health research, and science communication.

Nigerian health communication researcher Abdulmalik Lawal has graduated from University of Nevada, Reno with 10 prestigious academic honours for his achievements in research, science communication, and public health studies.

Lawal completed a Master of Arts degree in Media Innovation with a specialization in health communication. He was named the university’s Outstanding Graduating Student and Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher of the Year. He also received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the Reynolds School of Journalism, making him one of the few students to earn all three top distinctions.

His research on antimicrobial resistance in Nigeria earned him the Centre for Advanced Media Studies Thesis Award. Additional honours included the Rittenhouse and Hedges Journalism Scholarship for excellence in science communication and the Overall Best Research Poster Presentation Award across multiple university colleges.

Reacting to the recognition, Lawal expressed happiness over the achievements, stating that his work focuses on producing research that directly addresses real-life health challenges and helps people make informed decisions about their wellbeing.

He was also selected as an Investigative Reporters and Editors Fellow, received the National Association of Science Writers Award and Conference Fellowship, secured a Graduate Student Association Travel Grant, and participated in the Hitchcock Project for Science Visualization.

During his studies, Lawal published peer-reviewed research articles, presented at national and international conferences, and contributed to health communication studies at an eye-tracking media laboratory. He also worked on a state-funded opioid response communication project and collaborated on international research examining healthcare stigma in Nigeria and South Africa.

According to Lawal, many public health problems stem not only from medical issues but also from communication gaps influenced by social and economic conditions. He said his research aims to ensure health systems and information are designed to better serve underserved communities.

Lawal is expected to continue his education at the doctoral level after gaining admission to a leading university for advanced studies in communication and health behaviour. He is also the co-founder and director of the African Centre for Health and Crisis Communication, established in 2025 to promote health education, evidence-based communication, and crisis response initiatives across Africa.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, THE NATION