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Erica Austin & Maria Ansley
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Ansley recognized for community health efforts

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Maria Ansley received the 2025 Alliance for Women in Medicine & Science Community Engagement Award at the Colors of Health Fashion Show on September 5.

Ansley is the scientific photographer at the Institute for Plastic Surgery at SIU. She was honored for her commitment to fostering supportive forums in the Springfield area that promote honest discussion and positive change.

Much of her effort has focused on ensuring that women have access to information and resources for breast reconstruction. In 2012, she organized SIU’s first Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day so women would know their options for breast reconstruction at the time of a cancer diagnosis. She continues to organize community events, such as 2023’s “The Many Faces, Races & Paces of Breast Cancer.”

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