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Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams Joins Purdue University

Former Indiana State Health Commissioner and the 20th U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams is joining Purdue University.

There, he will assume multiple titles including Presidential Fellow; the inaugural executive director of health equity initiatives; professor of practice in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health; and a faculty member of the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering at Purdue.

Dr. Jerome AdamsDr. Jerome AdamsPurdue University/John Underwood“Dr. Adams represents the highest level of excellence through decades of caring for patients and service to the nation in public health,” said Mitch Daniels, Purdue's president. “He has consistently demonstrated commitment for health equity prior to, during and subsequent to his time as surgeon general. We are thrilled to have him provide leadership at Purdue and represent Purdue globally in this important strategic area.”

Adams served as U.S. surgeon general from September 2017 to January 2021 after completing his tenure as Indiana state health commissioner from 2014 through 2017. As state health commissioner, he oversaw the state’s response to the Ebola and Zika viruses, as well as an unprecedented HIV outbreak in southern Indiana and a lead contamination crisis in northern Indiana. In hiring Adams, Purdue anticipates his leadership will bolster its efforts to be a leader in public health and health equity.

“Often, some of the best health care technologies, scientific contributions or interventions fail to impact society because they are disconnected from the exact needs of the communities and what is needed for their successful implementation,” said Pavlos Vlachos, director of the Regenstrief Center. “Jerome’s long experience and deep understanding of the complex U.S. health care landscape and the current population health challenges will help us best navigate these challenges, and position Purdue as a national and global health care innovation leader.”

Adams received his Master of Public Health with a focus on chronic disease prevention from the University of California, Berkeley, and his medical doctorate from Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed a postgraduate internship at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis and an anesthesiology residency at the Indiana University Department of Anesthesia in 2006.


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