UMD Welcomes Former U.S. Deputy Surgeon General as Dean of the School of Public Health

UMD Welcomes Former U.S. Deputy Surgeon General as Dean of the School of Public Health

The University of Maryland today announced the appointment of Dr. Boris D. Lushniak as dean of the School of Public Health. Dr. Lushniak will officially assume his new role on January 9, 2017.

“We are delighted to welcome this renowned public health expert to the University of Maryland,” said Mary Ann Rankin, UMD’s senior vice president and provost. “Dr. Lushniak’s distinguished career in public health in service to our country makes him an extraordinary asset to the School of Public Health and the University.”

Dr. Lushniak will join the University of Maryland from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, where he serves as Professor and Chairof the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, and Professor of Dermatology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine. In this role, he leads a faculty team that is responsible for medical student education, graduate programs from Masters to Doctorate level, two medical residency programs, and the Divisions of Global Health, Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Services Administration, Tropical Public Health, and the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program.

“I am grateful for the opportunity and am ready to take on the challenge to serve as dean of the School of Public Health at a top-tier research university like the University of Maryland,” said Dr. Lushniak. “I strongly believe in the school’s mission to promote and protect the health and well-being of the diverse communities throughout Maryland, the nation and the world.  With that bold and noble mission in mind, I look forward to working with the tremendous team of faculty and staff within the School of Public Health and the University to nurture and grow our public health programs.”

Prior to joining USUHS, Dr. Lushniak served as the U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, assisting the Surgeon General to articulate the best available scientific information to the public to improve personal health and the health of the Nation. He also oversaw the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, comprised of approximately 6,700 uniformed health officers who serve in locations around the world to promote, protect, and advance the health and safety of our Nation. From 2013-2014, Dr. Lushniak served as Acting Surgeon General and was responsible for the release of the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health and the first ever Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer. He also served as commander of the USPHS Monrovia Medical Unit in Liberia, the only U.S. government hospital providing care to Ebola patients. He retired from the USPHS as a Rear Admiral in 2015.

Dr. Lushniak began his USPHS career in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and initially served with the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in where he conducted epidemiological investigations of workplace hazards. He completed a dermatology residency at the University of Cincinnati and established an occupational skin disease program at NIOSH. He also served on assignments in Bangladesh, St. Croix, Russia, and Kosovo, was part of the CDC/NIOSH team at Ground Zero and part of the CDC anthrax team in Washington, DC, and was deployed for the Hurricane Katrina response. In addition to his service at CDC and the Office of the Surgeon General, he also worked for the FDA in the Office of Counterterrorism and was appointed FDA Assistant Commissioner.

Dr. Lushniak was born in Chicago to post-World War II immigrants from Ukraine. He received his B.S. and M.D. degrees from Northwestern University, and received his M.P.H. degree from Harvard University. He completed a residency in family medicine in at St Joseph Hospital, Chicago and maintains certifications in dermatology and preventive medicine (occupational).

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About the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 56 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget and secures $500 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, visit www.umd.edu.

October 5, 2016