The SPH Dean's Council, established in fall 2017, provides strategic advice to help the School achieve its mission: to inspire fearless ideas that promote health for all. The members are an engaged, strategic, informed and invested group of volunteers who provide senior-level advocacy for, and service to the School of Public Health. They share advice, counsel, perspective, connections and the provision of support to the Dean of the School.
Dr. Barbara Alving, M.D., is a research professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland at College Park and professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. Her professional career has included working on active military duty as a research hematologist and clinician at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Research Institute, retiring at the rank of Colonel, and at the National Institutes of Health in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, where she directed the extramural hematology division and then served as Acting Director of the Institute. While at NIH, she directed the development of a large program known as clinical and translational science awards to more than 60 academic health centers. The awards were designed to speed discoveries in the laboratory into further development and then into clinical use. From 2012 until 2016, Dr. Alving worked at the School of Public Health, serving as the director of a newly formed undergraduate program in Public Health Science on the College Park campus. She is currently the Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences, which provides courses and workshops for NIH fellows and post-doctoral students, as well as members of the public. Dr. Alving also teaches medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is a recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Terrapin Award from the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
Ms. Gail Bassin co-founded and served as chief financial officer of JBS International, Inc. She has decades of experience in providing professional consulting services to Federal, state, and nonprofit clients. Over the course of her career, Gail directed or oversaw numerous mission-focused contracts that address a broad range of public health and social service issues administered by the agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services. During her tenure, Gail spearheaded two acquisitions. In 2008, Gail was named GovCon’s Executive of the Year for companies under $75 million, and in 2009, she was named Washington Business Journal’s CFO of the Year for government contracting firms with revenues under $200 million. Gail recently retired and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and golfing. She also serves on the Advisory Boards of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and Women’s Health Access Matters, which seeks to increase the awareness and research funding for women’s health. For more than 20 years, Gail’s family has helped to organize the American Heart Association’s Hearts Delight Wine Tasting and Auction.
Rachel H. Bell spent 30 years as a finance professional, most recently with Airbnb Inc., as the Head of Global Risk and Audit. She helped build the company’s enterprise risk management capabilities and strengthen its system of financial controls in connection with becoming a publicly traded company. Prior to Airbnb, she was the Vice President, Controller of Virgin America Inc., and helped lead the company’s initial public offering (IPO) and later the merger integration with Alaska Airlines. Earlier in her career, she was in the consulting and audit practices of Protiviti, Marriott International, and PwC. It was during those years, she developed a strong interest in healthcare, having served clients in the hospital and assisted living industries. Rachel currently serves on the Board of Girls Unite, a non-profit soccer club in San Francisco focused on providing a female centered training program to elevate the girls’ soccer experience.
Dr. Carolyn Brown is a growth and strategy focused healthcare executive, with deep experience across the dental and software industries. Dr. Brown is the Chief Health Innovation Officer for MouthWatch, Principal of DoubleMint Ventures, Co-Founder and CFO of DifferentKind, and strategic advisor to companies such as Alvarez & Marsal, Dentistry.One, and vVardis. She is considered one of the foremost subject matter experts in digital health, payor strategy, and management support organizations across healthcare sectors. In her early career, she worked as a public health dentist with the Indian Health Service and was actively involved in NIH-funded research. She has published over 10 peer-reviewed articles and is now an active angel investor and advisor in the health innovation space. Carolyn's passions include supporting women and women-focused initiatives throughout their career through strategic mentoring, networking, and funding.
Mr. Cory Easton, MBA, was the Co-Founder, Partner & Chief Sales Officer at Confidio, one of the nation’s largest technology-enabled pharmacy benefits solutions company with a proven heritage of unparalleled performance and the ability to guide self- funded health plan sponsors through today’s pharmacy benefit challenges to a new horizon of game-changing opportunities. Under Mr. Easton’s leadership, Confidio was acquired in 2021 by RxBenefits, Inc., the first and largest Pharmacy Benefits Optimization (PBO) company in the in United States. Combined, the company serves the pharmacy benefit management needs of over 3M Americans representing $3B in annual drug spend. Since 1993, Mr. Easton has been a leader in the pharmacy benefit management industry and has had the privilege of working with some of the nation’s largest and most complex health benefit plans securing his company on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for three consecutive years, 2019 (#81), 2020 (#452) and 2021 (#880) along with earning several other national and regional awards for company performance. Additionally, Mr. Easton serves as a CEO Advisory Board Member for the Inc. CEO Project, a business advisory group for experienced CEOs and business leaders seeking challenge and collaboration from their peers.
Dr. Bruce Gellin, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist, is a senior advisor to the Georgetown University Global Health Institute and an adjunct professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. His career in global public health has focused on translating evidence into action, ensuring equitable access to vaccines and medicines, and developing programs and policies to address infectious disease threats. Dr. Gellin previously served as senior vice president and chief of global public health strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he led efforts to strengthen global pandemic early warning systems and enhance community resilience to health impacts of climate change. As president of global immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, he worked to expand vaccine access and innovation in low- and middle-income countries. At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he was deputy assistant secretary for health and director of the National Vaccine Program Office, spearheading the first Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan and establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. Earlier in his career, he held roles at the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Rockefeller Foundation.
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia is the President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community. Dr. Gracia is a national health equity leader with extensive leadership and management experience in federal government, the nonprofit sector, academia, and professional associations. Before being appointed President and CEO, Dr. Gracia served as TFAH’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as Chief Medical Officer in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and as a White House Fellow at HHS. Dr. Gracia received a Bachelor of Arts in French from Stanford University, a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is active in many professional and civic organizations, including the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the Dean’s Council at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, Women of Impact, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Sarah Lenz Lock, J.D., is Senior Vice President for Policy and Brain Health in AARP’s Policy, Research and International Affairs (PRI). Ms. Lock leads AARP’s policy initiatives on brain health and care for people living with dementia, including serving as the Executive Director of the Global Council on Brain Health, an independent collaborative of scientists, doctors, and policy experts. Ms. Lock also coordinates AARP’s role in the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations. Ms. Lock is a frequent writer and public speaker on issues related to healthy aging. Sarah serves on several boards and is a member of the American Society on Aging, the Gerontological Society of America, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, and the National Academy of Social Insurance. She is a member of the UMD School of Public Health’s Community Advisory Council.
Ms. Monica Schmude is the President for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia. She previously held the position of Market President for Cigna's health care and related benefits plans in the Mid-Atlantic region. In this role, Ms. Schmude's responsibilities included driving market growth by creating customer value. She also partnered with area health care professionals and health systems to help improve the health of Cigna customers and lead Cigna's efforts to serve the communities of the Mid-Atlantic region. Ms. Schmude serves on the boards of Girls on the Run Northern Virginia, Mid-Atlantic Business Group on Health and the 2020 Greater Washington Board of Trade Board of Directors. She is also a member of Marymount University's Masters in Healthcare Management Advisory Council, the Economic Club of Washington DC and Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2020. In 2019, she was named one of the Most Powerful Women in Washington by Washingtonian Magazine, received the March of Dimes Heroine of Washington Award and served as the program chair for the Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy. Ms. Schmude earned a bachelor's degree in industrial/organizational psychology with a concentration in women's studies from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Dr. Veda Ward, Ph.D., is a Professor of Recreation and Tourism Management at California State University, Northridge. She has taught extensively, authored and revised curricula, incorporated community-service learning into courses, and served in a variety of administrative roles including department chair. Dr. Ward worked for the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, and served as a member of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission Recreation Advisory Board and the Los Angeles Commission for Women. A past trustee of the National Recreation and Park Association, she is passionate about expanding knowledge of the parks, tourism, and hospitality industry to ensure equitable access. She is a member of several professional organizations such as American Association of University Women, is involved with many philanthropic and civic organizations including California Park Foundation. She is a 2021 recipient of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Distinguished Terrapin Award.