US Assistant Surgeon General Addresses MPH Students On Rise of Bioterrorism Threats in US


“One of the benefits and unique qualities of the Manchester UNH MPH program is the quality of the guest speakers brought in to class.  Admiral Lawrence’s presentation was tremendous and really opened my eyes to the ongoing issues in public health.”

Linn Kurkjian, MPH Student

UNH Center for Graduate & Professional Studies Master of Public Health (MPH) students had opportunity to hear remarks from Assistant Surgeon General Rear Admiral (RADM) Arthur J. Lawrence on Tuesday, October 20, as the second term of their MPH program began in Manchester’s Millyard. RADM Lawrence spoke about his experience in the U.S. Public Health Service as well as the rise of the threat of bioterrorism in the US.

Linn Kurkjian, a self-employed marketing consultant and student in the UNH MPH program said, “One of the benefits and unique qualities of the Manchester UNH MPH program is the quality of the guest speakers brought in to class.  Admiral Lawrence’s presentation was tremendous and really opened my eyes to the ongoing issues in public health.”

Admiral Lawrence currently serves in the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, as the Director of the Office of Security and Strategic Information (OSSI).  He has previously served tours of duty on the White House staff, as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health, and for 8 years prior to his current assignment as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Operations. 

OSSI is responsible for identifying and coordinating the exchange of national-security-related information between the intelligence community and HHS, scanning the scientific and biomedical environments for new developments, developing best practices about biomedical security, and providing advice to HHS leaders.

In previous years, RADM Lawrence has been recognized for being a part of the successful direction of the National Disaster Medical System and managing federal medical assets and responses to the 9/11 terrorist acts at the Pentagon, World Trade Center Twin Towers, and Somerset County, PA crash site.  He also has been credited with successfully superintending the department’s response to the release of anthrax in several locations, including successive emergency medical and prophylaxis efforts of Congressional and US Postal Service employees.

“I really appreciated RADM Lawrence’s presentation because it opened my eyes to the endless opportunities available in the field of public health,” said Cindy Burke, a health educator with Exeter Hospital and a student in the UNH MPH Program. “It was great for someone like myself that is new to the program, to see how the field is open to individuals with diverse backgrounds. The more classes that I take in the program, the more possibilities I see.”

RADM Lawrence is one of the highest ranking pharmacists in the federal services. He has been a passionate advocate for the involvement of pharmacists in public health initiatives, including health promotion and disease prevention, and holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (MCP); an MBA in organizational development from Suffolk University in Boston; and a Ph.D. degree in management science and applied economics, with a concentration in social systems sciences, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He recently completed the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government’s, Senior Executives in National and International Security program.   

RADM Lawrence has been awarded three Secretarial Distinguished Service Awards and is a three time recipient of the PHS Distinguished Service Medal, is the recipient of the MCP Alumni Achievement Award and, most recently received the Board of Directors Award of Honor of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists and the Stermer Memorial Award from the Rho Chi National Honor Society.  He also serves as a member of the Corporation of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

RADM Lawrence is a native and long time resident of Manchester and was gifted by the birth of a grandchild, Ethan Alexander, during his visit to Manchester for the lecture.

The UNH Center for Graduate & Professional Studies, conveniently located in the heart of the I-93 corridor, offers part-time evening graduate programs of distinction in applied professional fields. The mission of the UNH Center is to provide high-quality graduate-level educational opportunities for working professionals to prepare them for leadership roles in the fields of education, human services, public health, business, and government by focusing and extending the University of New Hampshire’s professional graduate programs to the economic and population center of the state.

The UNH Center for Graduate & Professional Studies is located at 286 Commercial Street on the 4th floor. For more information please contact: unhm.gradcenter@unh.edu or 603-641-4313.

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UNH Center for Graduate & Professional Studies
286 Commercial Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: 603.641.4313 Fax: 603.641.4118
Email: unhm.gradcenter@unh.edu