Dr. Edmond D Shenassa

Candidate for Director (Fellow level)

Epidemiology is an effective tool for promoting a more just society through promotion of health and well-being; members of the American College of Epidemiology are at the forefront of these efforts. For this reason, I eagerly sought to be a Fellow of the College.  In that capacity and as a long-time member, I was given invaluable opportunities to serve as Chair of the Planning Committee for ACE’s 2020 conference, as a member of the College’s Standing Planning Committee, as well as a reviewer of the College’s conference papers. Each of these experiences gave me insight into the workings, strengths and needs of the College and the evolving field of Epidemiology and inspired me to seek a more permanent leadership role on the College’s Board of Directors. As evident by the events of the past year, a vibrant field of Epidemiological research, education and advocacy is vital to ensure the efficacy and strengthening of public health initiatives.  If elected, my goals would be to use this responsibility to collaboratively seek to expand our membership and ensure future success of our conferences as well as develop initiatives that would further establish the College as a developer of and resource for epidemiologists in all settings and stages of their careers.

I bring considerable academic, governance, mentoring and research skills to the Board. I have dual Doctorates in Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health from Harvard University’s School of Public Health.  During my years conducting research and teaching at both Brown University UMD I trained and guided the next generation of epidemiologists. For example, as the Founding Director of UMD’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Doctoral program, I developed a program that has matriculated 31 successful MCH epidemiologists. During the last decade, I have taught approximately 1,000 undergraduate and mentored approximately 50 graduate students.  My work has and continues to inform policy and improves health at the international (World Health Organization), national (Center for Disease Control) and state levels. I have also improved and expanded more effective outreach to a range of academic organizations both in my academic role and individually. For example, in my prior capacity as the President of the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health (ATMCH), I led efforts to develop innovative webinars and student competitions to build ATMCH membership, increase diversity of membership and introduce epidemiologic concepts to clinicians.   I would seek to apply the sum of my research, mentoring, programmatic and collaborative expertise to assist in the future oversight and direction of the College and its advocacy of epidemiological outreach and education.