Newsmakers

Julia Haskins

Orris wins WFPHA lifetime achievement award

APHA member Peter Orris, MPH, MD, won the World Federation of Public Health Associations’ lifetime achievement award for his contributions to environmental health. Orris is a professor and chief of occupational and environmental medicine at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. Orris will receive the award at WFPHA’s 15th World Congress on Public Health in April.

Macchione named 2016 public official of year

APHA member Nick Macchione, MPH, MA, was named a 2016 public official of the year by Governing magazine. The director of health and human services for San Diego County, Macchione operates the Live Well San Diego program. The initiative encourages all community members to lead healthier lifestyles.

Strong named to American Health Council’s nursing board

APHA member Linda Strong, MSN, EdD, was appointed to the nursing board at the American Health Council. Strong has served as director of the registered nurse-bachelor of science in nursing and registered nurse-bachelor of science in nursing/master of science in nursing programs at Sacred Heart University for more than a decade, and she has been a faculty member at there for 25 years.

New members named to CEPH board

Two APHA members were named to the Council on Education for Public Health’s board in January. APHA appointed Harry Kwon, MPH, PhD, MCHES, as a public health practitioner representative. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health appointed Phillip Williams, PhD, CIH, as an academic representative on CEPH’s board of councilors. Kwon serves as director of the division of research education in the Office of Extramural Research, Education and Priority Populations at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Williams is the founding dean of the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health.

Besser named president, CEO of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Richard Besser, MD, in February was named president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He formerly served as acting director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was the chief health and medical editor for ABC News.

APHA hires new staff members

Several new professionals have joined APHA’s staff in recent months. Shreya Patel, journal fellowship administrative assistant, began in September; Olubukolami “Mimi” Musa, MPH, junior environmental health fellow, began in October; Angelique Hawk Arachy, MA, senior environmental health fellow, began in December; and Julia Haskins, reporter for The Nation’s Health, began in February.

Murphy named managing attorney for legal advocacy group

Mark Murphy, JD, in January was named managing attorney for the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. Previously, Murphy served as director of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals Program at Disability Rights New York and legal director and CEO of Disability Rights Pennsylvania.

Oquendo named Penn Medicine’s psychiatry department chair

American Psychological Association President Maria Oquendo, MD, PhD, in January began her role as professor and chair of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Oquendo was previously a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.

Dickerson named Consumer Reports’ first chief scientific officer

James Dickerson, PhD, was named Consumer Reports’ inaugural chief scientific officer. He will implement best practices for all testing and research at the organization. Dickerson previously served as assistant director of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory, as well as an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics at Brown University.

Lubchenco wins highest NAS honor

The National Academy of Sciences is presenting Jane Lubchenco, MD, PhD, with the 2017 Public Welfare Medal, the academy’s most prestigious award. Lubchenco is a university distinguished professor and adviser in marine studies in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University. From 2009 to 2013, she served as the first female administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She has also served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Council for Science and the Ecological Society of America. She will receive the award at the academy’s 154th annual meeting in April.

Mathematica Policy Research names three company leaders senior vice presidents

Mathematica Policy Research named three company leaders as senior vice presidents. Scott Cody, MPP, will serve as managing director of program improvement in Mathematica’s health unit; Jill Constantine, PhD, will serve as managing director in the human services unit; and Sheena McConnell, PhD, will also serve as managing director in the human services unit.

Wilson named first director of NIH Tribal Health Research Office

David Wilson, PhD, in February began his role as inaugural director of the National Institutes of Health’s Tribal Health Research Office. The office was created in 2015 to facilitate collaboration with tribal nations and seek input on NIH programs and policies. Wilson previously served as public health director and American Indian and Alaska Native policy lead for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health.

Gilman appointed head of NIH Clinical Center

James Gilman, MD, in December was appointed as inaugural CEO of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. A former major general, Gilman retired from the U.S. Army in 2013 and served as executive director of the Johns Hopkins Military & Veterans Health Institute through June.

NPHIC names two members to board

The National Public Health Information Coalition named two new members to its board. Shelley Walker, the new NPHIC president, was elected to lead the executive board. Kimberley Conrad Junius, MFA, CCPH, was elected to the board as an at-large member. Walker is the assistant director of communication and media relations for the Tennessee Department of Health. Conrad Junius is a health communications specialist at the Cook County Department of Public Health.