Newsmakers: November/December 2013

Natalie McGill

Diez Roux named dean of Pennsylvania college public health program

APHA member Ana Diez Roux, MD, PhD, MPH, in September was named the new dean of the Drexel University School of Public Health. Diez Roux, who will begin her new role in February, is coming to Drexel from her position as chair of the University of Michigan School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology.

Mullen named president-elect at ASTHO

APHA member Jewel Mullen, MD, MPH, MPA, in September was named president-elect of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Mullen, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, will serve one year as president-elect of ASTHO, a nonprofit that supports U.S public health professionals and public health agencies.

Story named to dietary guidelines committee

APHA member Mary Story, PhD, RD, in May was named one of 15 people to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Story, a senior associate dean for academic and student affairs and professor of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, will be a part of a group that provides input for the future eighth edition of the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” The guide is published jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Benjamin, former surgeon general, named endowed chair

Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, in September was named NOLA.com/Times Picayune endowed chair in public health sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. Benjamin was the 18^th U.S. surgeon general from 2009 to 2013. She chaired President Barack Obama’s National Prevention Council and led a series of national health initiatives such as the Every Body Walk! Campaign.

Frank receives presidential nomination for HHS position

Richard Frank, PhD, in September was nominated by President Barack Obama to become assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services. Frank is the Margaret T. Morris professor of health economics at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy. Frank received the Carl A. Taube Award from the American Public Health Association in 1998.

Ginsberg named director of legislative affairs and community advocacy

Joel Ginsberg, JD, MBA, in August was named director of legislative affairs and community advocacy at the Alameda Health System in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Ginsberg held previous positions under President Bill Clinton’s administration, such as appointments at the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Holzapfel named executive director at Alzheimer’s group

Drew Holzapfel, MBA, in April was named executive director of the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s disease. Holzapfel previously worked at Pfizer and collaborated with groups such as non-governmental organizations to shine a spotlight on Alzheimer’s disease issues. Private sector business leaders represent the initiative, which is dedicated to advances in Alzheimer’s research.

Johnson becomes first woman dean of Florida pharmacy school

Julie Johnson, PharmD, in July was named the dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Johnson is the first woman to become dean of the university’s program. Previously, Johnson served as university faculty member and chaired the school’s Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research.

Litterman named to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation board of trustees

Robert Litterman, PhD, in July was named to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Litterman served as an advisor to the Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee. Previously, Litterman oversaw the Quantitative Investment Strategies Group and Global Investment Strategies for Goldman, Sachs & Co., from which he retired in 2009 after 23 years.

Ruttledge appointed to national disability commission

Lynnae Ruttledge in August was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as a member of the National Council on Disability’s Commission on Long-Term Care. Ruttledge, a co vice-chair on the council, joined the council in January 2013.

Three cities awarded grant to develop healthy programs

The cities of Baltimore, Racine, Wis., and York, Pa., in June were awarded Healthy Communities Grants from Weight Watchers International Inc. and the United States Conference of Mayors. Each city will receive $25,000 to sustain local health and wellness programs. Grant money will go toward B’more Fit for Healthy Babies, which provides fitness programs to low-income mothers to lose birth weight. In Racine, city officials plan to use the grant to expand its Well Racine City initiative — where businesses create employee wellness programs — to Racine County. York elected officials will use the grant to provide discounted Weight Watchers memberships to low-income city parents.