Awards

IU Indianapolis Spirit of Philanthropy Award - 2024

About Sharon Menachemi

Nominated by Dean Paul Halverson prior to his departure, the Menachemis are exemplar supporters of the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Sharon is a human resources professional who works at ROI Search Group as an executive recruiter. Nir, currently serving as the Interim Dean of FSPH, is also the Fairbanks Endowed Chair and serves as Executive Associate Dean and COO of the Fairbanks School of Public Health and holds the rank of Professor. From 2015 to 2022, he served as the Chair of the Health Policy and Management Department. Dr. Menachemi’s research and teaching focuses on the intersection of health policy, medicine, and business. During the pandemic, in partnership with the State, Nir led a team that generated breakthrough new knowledge about Covid that received national and international media attention. This work led to various awards including the H.S.R. Impact Award from Academy Health, the Service Excellence Award from IHEN, and the Healthcare Heros award from IBJ.

Originally from New York, the Menachemis were attracted to Indiana, specifically IUPUI, because of our mission working with the community and educating a diverse population of local students. In 2022, Nir and Sharon created the Menachemi Fairbanks School First Generation Scholarship to support undergraduate students at FSPH. Nir and Sharon share a passion for supporting first-gen students as they believe education is key for transforming the economic and health trajectory of individuals, their families, and their community. They hope that this scholarship will help spotlight the important relationship between education, population health, and economic well-being in society.