UAMS College of Public Health to Host Former U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health will host Antonia Novello, M.D., Dr.PH., former United States surgeon general, for a grand rounds panel discussion on public service.
The event will take place Friday, Jan. 24, at noon in the Jack T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute Fred Smith Auditorium on the UAMS Little Rock campus. The free event is open to the public.
During the event, Novello — the 14th U.S. surgeon general and the first-ever Hispanic woman to serve in the role — will also speak about various topics from her book, “Duty Calls: Lessons Learned from an Unexpected Life of Service.”
The book, published in March 2024, details Novello’s life, her commitment to service and improving the health of entire populations.
In addition to serving as surgeon general and being an author, Novello has also earned a multitude of special accolades including the Department of Defense Legion of Merit Medal, the Smithsonian Institute-James Smithson Bicentennial Medal, the National Governor’s Association Distinguished Service to State Government Award, the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Scientific Excellence, and a 1990 induction into the International Women in Medicine Hall of Fame.
An alumna of Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a doctorate in public health, Novello has received a Hopkins Alumni Association Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service.
Novello, who was the New York State Commissioner of Health during the 9/11 crisis, will also have a question-and-answer session with College of Public Health students following the grand rounds discussion. Joycelyn Elders, M.D., — Arkansas native, UAMS professor emeritus and the 15th U.S. surgeon general — will join Novello for the discussion and student Q&A.
“We’re always striving to provide our students with the best possible public health education and networking opportunities,” said Mark Williams, Ph.D., dean of the College of Public Health. “Giving our students the chance to meet with historic, public health stalwarts like Novello and Elders will prove highly inspiring, beneficial and informative for each attendee.
“Throughout her career, Novello has dedicated her life to improving the health of Americans and their communities through the prevention of diseases. Since leaving the public sector, Novello has continued to advocate for the health of children, especially. It’s an honor for our college to host this event.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###