Springfield College Hosts Virtual Event “An Evening with Dr. Celine Gounder”
Springfield College hosted a virtual conversation with Dr. Celine Gounder on the pandemic, and the intersection of public health with racial and economic equity and justice on Thursday, Sept. 30, as part of the annual Arts & Humanities Speaker series. The Arts & Humanities Speaker Series is made possible through the generosity of Carlton ’63 and Lucille Sedgeley.
Springfield College hosted a virtual conversation with Dr. Celine Gounder on the pandemic, and the intersection of public health with racial and economic equity and justice on Thursday, Sept. 30, as part of the annual Arts & Humanities Speaker series. The Arts & Humanities Speaker Series is made possible through the generosity of Carlton ’63 and Lucille Sedgeley.
Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper led a conversation with Dr. Gounder talking about Gounder's role as an infectious disease expert, highly sought after for her guidance on the coronavirus, featured frequently on media outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, The New York Times, and more.
"The great aspect of what I do is I get to try and help people who are involved right in the middle of everything we are all dealing with, and you really feel like you can make a difference," said Gounder. "You get to have some really important conversations, and help others in a time that we can all use support."
Gounder, who was appointed to President Joe Biden’s Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board in 2020, is chief executive officer, president, and founder of Just Human Productions, a nonprofit multimedia organization. She hosts and produces a pair of podcasts, including American Diagnosis, a podcast on health and social justice, and Epidemic, a podcast about the coronavirus pandemic.
"One of the things we have all really learned is, things change, and we need to remain adaptable and flexible," added Gounder. "Learning from new science is so important, and we need to double down on vaccinations. We hope to see vaccines continue to grow, and I really do think we have some reason to be hopeful heading into 2022."
Gounder is also a clinical assistant professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where her responsibilities include caring for patients on the wards at Bellevue Hospital Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton University, her master’s degree in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Washington.
"I think having Science Literacy available is really important to communities," added Gounder. "It's really important to have well informed community members when talking about the science, and to allow individuals access to accurate information."
The evening started with Springfield College School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rachel Rubinstein opening the program, who in turn introduced Springfield College Communications/Sports Journalism major Irene Rotondo, who welcomed Gounder.
"I really do feel that community is so important right now, and it seems certain that Springfield College has a great community," concluded Gounder.
Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Approximately 4,100 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.
