Timothy Mikes, ’17, MPH ’23, was a College of Public Health graduate student committed to public health and a champion for the autistic community and students with learning disabilities. Thanks to a scholarship created in Timothy’s memory, future public health students will be able to follow in his footsteps.
Timothy’s parents, Gerri and Tom, created an endowment to establish the Timothy Mikes College of Public Health Memorial Scholarship in memory of their son, who unexpectedly passed away in January 2023.
He was a passionate advocate for learning disabled students, and he had an innate ability to connect with, understand and support others. His career goal was to become a public health professional in epidemiology and work in research, designing programs to address the increasing public health issues in the general population.
While taking undergraduate classes, Timothy worked for his family’s business conducting data-driven research and other special projects. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Public Health with honors in 2017. Following graduation, he worked as a counselor for autistic patients and as a ward clerk at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital while attending graduate school.
“Wherever he worked, he was acutely aware of other people’s feelings and made them feel at-ease and noticed. He had a personality that would light up a room and an off-the-wall sense of humor that would make people laugh. Everyone loved Timmy,” said Gerri Mikes of her son.
Sadly, Timothy passed away unexpectedly at the age of 31. He was awarded a posthumous Master of Public Health in May with his family accepting his degree.
“With the establishment of the Timothy Mikes College of Public Health Memorial Scholarship, the Mikes family has created the largest student scholarship at the college, and I am deeply grateful. I look forward to meeting future Timothy Mikes scholars and seeing their impact on public health for decades to come,” said Sonia Alemagno, dean at the College of Public Health.