40 Under 40 list includes 3 from U of A Health Sciences

Three University of Arizona Health Sciences faculty and staff members were named to the newest class of 40 Under 40 honorees in the city of Tucson.

The 2024 class includes Rina Fox, PhD, MPH; Alaina F. Krone; and Nathan Lothrop, PhD. The annual awards recognize 40 Tucson residents under the age of 40 who have shown leadership and community impact. Winners will be celebrated at an awards breakfast on Dec. 10. The awards are presented by the law firm of Snell & Wilmer in cooperation with the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Daily Star.

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Lothrop, associate director of the WEST Environmental Justice Center and an assistant research professor at the U of A’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, said he was surprised by the award.

“Knowing the caliber of people who have won in the past, it is obviously a huge honor,” Lothrop said. “I’m humbled to be included with this group as they’ve done so much for Tucson in so many different and important ways.”

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Krone, director of clinical operations at the U of A Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Office, echoed Lothrop’s sentiments. She said it’s intimidating to look over the names of previous award winners, who are exceptional leaders.

“I have always felt I needed to do more and stand up with the likes of these men and women,” said Krone, who has worked at the Cancer Center for 14 years and is president elect of the Junior League of Tucson. “I am hopeful that this award continues to inspire others to continue working hard at the things they are passionate about and making a difference in their community. Maybe someone will hear about a new organization and join it and see that there are an unlimited number of paths that someone can take to achieve success. There is no one size fits all when it comes to helping shape and improve the community we live in.”

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For Fox, the 40 Under 40 honor comes on the heels of an Early-Stage Investigator Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cancer Prevention and Control by the Cancer Special Interest Group of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Fox, an assistant professor at the U of A College of Nursing and a member of the Cancer Center, credited an abundance of supportive mentors and colleagues, as well as her family, for helping her balance work with community service.

Fox’s research focuses on developing behavioral and psychosocial interventions to improve the quality of life of people who have been diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. She said advances in treatment and screenings that have resulted in more cancer survivors in the United States than ever continue to fuel her. 

“My work aims to help people who have had cancer, along with their loved ones, be able to live the lives they want to live after their diagnosis,” she said. “Knowing that my research could potentially help someone have a better quality of life after this extremely challenging disease keeps me on this path.”