Dr. Carter G. Woodson Lyceum: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams

The Dr. Carter G. Woodson Lyceum at Marshall University will host a virtual presentation by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. The presentation is open to all and can be seen at https://tinyurl.com/y48dkmdo.

The Woodson Lyceum and its cosponsors, Marshall Health and Mountain Health Network, also are using this event as an occasion to update and inform the surgeon general, as well as educate the community, about health-related issues our region and state are confronting. Dr. Joseph Shapiro, dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, will moderate a panel of leading experts who will provide information most people will be hearing for the first time, but need to know.

Adams is the nation’s 20th surgeon general. He earned bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and psychology from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in public health from the University of California at Berkeley. Adams studied medicine and earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and is a board-certified anesthesiologist.

He previously served as the Indiana state health commissioner from 2014 to 2017, where he oversaw Indiana’s response to the state’s unprecedented HIV outbreak, a result of needle-sharing among users of injectable drugs.

Adams now oversees the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which has nearly 6,100 uniformed health officers who serve to promote, protect and advance the health and safety of the people of the United States.

As surgeon general, Adams’ motto has been “better health through better partnerships,” and he has been committed to maintaining strong relationships with the public health community and building partnerships with nontraditional partners.

The Woodson Lyceum at Marshall University was founded in 2016 as a forum on Black history, education and a free press. Its programs are inspired by the teachings of Woodson – a graduate and former principal of the Douglass school in Huntington, a former West Virginia coal miner, the Father of Black History and the creator of Black History Month. Woodson supported Black history and education throughout the year, as does the Woodson Lyceum. The program was founded as a collaboration between the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Drinko Academy.