John Anthony Fuller Receives the 2025 Kharen Fulton Award

3 people standing together and smiling in a large room. John Anthony Fuller is in the center wearing a pink blazer, with a woman in a gray suit on his left and a woman in a tan jacket and boots on his right

The 2025 Kharen Fulton Award at the Laney Graduate School honors a scholar whose work advances justice, belonging, and opportunity. This year’s recipient, third year PhD Nursing student, researcher, and advocate, John Anthony Fuller, embodies the heart of that mission. 

“Receiving the Kharen Fulton Inclusive Excellence Award was both humbling and deeply emotional for me. Professionally, winning this award affirmed the work I do in health equity, mentorship, and community-engaged scholarship. Personally, it grounded me in gratitude. It reminded me that none of us move through graduate school alone and that I am standing on the shoulders of people—like Dr. Fulton—who made space for scholars like me to exist, thrive, and lead,” said Fuller. 

The Kharen Fulton Award honors doctoral students whose scholarship, leadership, and service drive meaningful social transformation. This year’s nominee pool was exceptionally strong, yet Fuller’s journey stood out for its unwavering dedication to building communities where every person has the opportunity to flourish. 

“John’s unwavering intrinsic motivation and intellectual curiosity make him stand out as an exceptional student and an inspiring future leader. Even in the face of life’s challenges, he demonstrates an extraordinary drive to achieve his goals with determination and purpose,” said Fuller’s faculty advisor, Jessica Well, PhD. 

A Centennial Scholar, George W. Woodruff Fellow, and BRIDGE Scholar through Duke University, Fuller arrived at Emory with a clear purpose: to confront and end health disparities for Black LGBTQ+ cancer survivors. His research explores how social determinants shape screening, treatment, and survivorship. 

Fuller’s trajectory is rooted in resilience and vision. Growing up in Akron, Ohio, he was the first in his family to graduate high school and a first-generation college student at The Ohio State University. Education became his sanctuary. “It empowered me and allowed me to be my authentic self,” he once shared. His earlier research earned awards at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum and led to nationally recognized work on social isolation, mental distress, and survivorship. 

Fuller’s academic training includes the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center and co-authoring an NCI-funded grant to expand inclusive SOGI data collection. His research has received support from the National Cancer Institute and the National LGBT Cancer Network, and he continues to publish, present, and advocate widely. 

Yet his impact reaches far beyond research. Fuller is a devoted mentor, teacher, and advocate for students who, like him, are forging paths in spaces not built with them in mind. His story reflects courage, care, and the power of claiming space. 

“Invest in building a values-aligned community. Find mentors who honor your voice and challenge you to grow. Seek out opportunities that stretch your thinking, not just fill your CV. And most importantly, stay rooted in the “why” that brought you here—your purpose will carry you through the hard days when motivation alone won’t,” said Fuller as encouragement to prospective and current graduate students.