CDC to Hold Virtual Recruitment Event for Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities

On Tuesday, November 9, CDC will hold a special event for students and recent graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as part of the agency’s efforts to improve outreach and recruit diverse talent. The event, Noted: Building on the Legacy of HCBUs in Public Health, will give students the opportunity to engage with HBCU alumni leaders at CDC and learn more about the agency’s fellowship and training programs.

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities are a source of achievement, pride, and pivotal impact for all Americans, and the talent afforded specifically from HBCU graduates in our workforce is imperative to ensure health equity in our science and interventions as we address the impacts of racism and social determinants on health,” said Celeste Philip, M.D., M.P.H., CDC’s Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases and Howard University alumna.  “CDC is committed to strengthening partnerships with HBCUs to recruit the next generation of scientists and leaders, so that we remain a pinnacle in public health.”

As the nation’s premier public health agency, CDC offers unique opportunities to pursue public service and address the most pressing issues affecting communities across the country. Attendees will hear from HBCU alumni leaders at CDC about their own experiences within the agency’s fellowship programs and their professional paths. Fellowship representatives will also provide an overview of their respective programs, key considerations for applying, and the importance of having HBCU students and alumni within the CDC workforce.

“Partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities has never been more important, as the public health workforce needs highly skilled and talented professionals who bring their diverse lived experiences and perspectives to meet the most critical public health challenges of the 21st century and beyond,” said Donna Hubbard McCree, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.Ph., Associate Director for Health Equity in CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention and Howard University alumna. “CDC is working to systematically expand its outreach to develop a more inclusive workforce better equipped to assess and address the needs of an increasingly diverse U.S. population.”

In addition to CDC staff, the event will also include remarks from Congresswoman Alma Adams, founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. The Biden-Harris administration called on all federal agencies to establish clear plans to strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HBCUs to build accessible and equitable pathways into Federal service and talent programs in a September 2021 Executive Orderexternal icon.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESexternal icon

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.