The Sandy Springs-based Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research named Jordan Gilleland Marchak of Emory University School of Medicine as its 2025 William Olson Impact Award recipient.
This award is given annually to a Rally-funded researcher who demonstrates exceptional commitment, determination, and resilience in caring for children with cancer and advancing research to improve outcomes, according to a Rally Foundation news release.
Marchak is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a behavioral scientist at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in Atlanta.
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Her Rally-funded project, “Adolescents and Young Adults Psychosocial Quality of Life Survivorship: Implementing Anxiety & Depression Screening for Young Adult Survivors,” is supported through Rally’s Independent Investigator Grant program, the release said.
“I’m deeply grateful for Rally’s support and excited to use this funding to study how to best engage young adults in regular screening for anxiety and depression as part of their ongoing survivorship care. This work is close to my heart, and I believe it’s a vital step toward building a future where young adult survivors are seen, heard, and supported—not just medically, but emotionally,” said Marchak.
The William Olson Impact Award honors the legacy of William Olson, the inspiration behind the founding of Rally Foundation. Diagnosed with brain cancer as a 17-year-old in 2005, William fought for 11 years before succumbing to the disease. His mother’s request for her friend Dean Crowe to raise money for childhood cancer research led to the creation of the Rally Foundation, according to the release. William became the first Rally Kid, and his memory continues to serve as the foundation’s daily motivation to fund better treatments with fewer long-term side effects.
“I can’t think of a more deserving recipient for this award. Dr. Marchak’s dedication to supporting the mental health and overall well-being of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors truly reflects the spirit of this honor,” said Dean Crowe, founder and CEO of Rally Foundation.
Rally Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has awarded $40.5 million in grants since its founding in 2005. Rally Foundation has also successfully advocated for and secured more than $317.5 million from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) given directly to researchers specifically for cancers in children, adolescents and young adults.
