January 06, 2012

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Dr. Howard Koh

Dr. Howard Koh

Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will present the commencement address for the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health on Saturday, May 12 at 1 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.

“Howard Koh is one of the most exemplary figures in public health today, and I am so excited that he agreed to be our 2012 commencement speaker,” said Dean Barbara K. Rimer, Alumni Distinguished Professor at the School. “His intellectual breadth is awe-inspiring. Imagine being boarded in four medical specialties, along with public health training! Dr. Koh’s work on tobacco control and health disparities is important and widely cited. His leadership of the health department in Massachusetts was among the finest in nation. His current leadership in HHS is setting a new standard for excellence. He is a visionary who has written thoughtfully about public health in the 21st century. And on top of all that, he is a charming, charismatic and compassionate human being. Our students will love him! We look forward to welcoming Dr. Koh to North Carolina.”
 
Koh, appointed to his current post in 2009 by President Barack Obama, oversees 14 core public health offices, including the Office of the Surgeon General, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, 10 regional health offices across the nation, and 10 advisory committees. His office manages a number of interdisciplinary programs related to health, adolescent health, HIV/AIDS and chronic infectious diseases, vaccine programs, fitness, sports and nutrition, bioethics, population affairs, blood supply, research integrity and human research projections.
 
Koh previously served as the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health and Associate Dean for Public Health Practice at the Harvard School of Public Health. He has published more than 200 articles in medical and public health literature in areas including disparities, cancer control, melanoma and skin oncology, tobacco control, public health preparedness, disease prevention and health promotion, and public health leadership.
 
An alumnus of Yale College and Yale’s School of Medicine, he has earned many awards and honors for accomplishments in medicine and public health, including the Distinguished Service Award from the American Cancer Society and the Drs. Jack E. White/LaSalle D. Leffall Cancer Prevention Award from the American Association for Cancer Research and the Intercultural Cancer Council. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. President Bill Clinton appointed him as a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board (2000-2002).
 
“We could not be more excited and honored to have Dr. Koh speak at our commencement this spring,” said Trent Johnson and Clayton Velicer, co-presidents of the School’s student government. “Dr. Koh’s impressive experience traverses the disciplines of practice and research and the settings of academia and public office – which makes him an excellent fit for the variety of interests and areas of expertise at our School. He exemplifies leadership at a level to which we all aspire and serves as an inspiration. We look forward to greeting Dr. Koh and having the opportunity to learn from his extensive experience as we enter the workforce or continue our education.”
 
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UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.

 

 

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