New York
Ben Pincus (BSPH ’18), Assistant Director for Alumni Affairs Caitrin Gladow, Norbert Lewis
In 2025, WSPH alumni events were held in Houston, Kansas City, and New York, with Atlanta and Washington, D.C. still to come. Looking to connect with public health alumni in your city? Contact Caitrin Gladow at cgladow@tulane.edu.
Kansas City
Industrial hygiene student Dylan Glascock, Amanda Prough (EPID MPH ’05), industrial hygiene student Alexis Warrick
Houston
Jennifer Gutowski (HSM MPH ’99), Brandon Cohen (MHA/MBA ’19), Health Policy and Management Chair Dr. Arthur Mora, Dr. Mario Garner (HSM MPH ’04
Global Connections: Tulane Alumni Reunite in Nairobi
When Olalekan Ogunsakin (EHS MPH ’12, PhD ’15) learned he would be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, for a professional conference, he contacted Cait Gladow, assistant director of alumni relations at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, to see if he might meet fellow graduates during his visit.
Gladow introduced him to two distinguished Kenya-based alumni. Dr. Bashir Issak (WSPH ’12) heads the Department of Family Health at the Kenyan Ministry of Health, overseeing reproductive and maternal health, child and neonatal health, nutrition and dietetics, and adolescent and school health. Judith Kunyiha (MPH IHL ’95) is a veteran advocate for policy change who has led national and regional programs with the United Nations and NGOs. Now retired, she continues to mentor young women in agricultural entrepreneurship and has focused her career on issues such as female genital mutilation, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and HIV prevention.
Both alumni eagerly arranged to meet Ogunsakin during his stay. Ogunsakin and Issak overlapped at Tulane in 2009, when Issak was completing his Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship and Ogunsakin was pursuing his MPH. Issak noted that a vibrant network of WSPH alumni remains active across Kenya. Kunyiha also welcomed the chance to reflect on her years in New Orleans and the lasting influence of her Tulane education.
Their reunion highlights the strength of Tulane’s global alumni community—one that transcends borders and continues to foster professional connections and shared purpose around the world.
Public Health Alumni Association Welcomes New Executive Leadership
The Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine recently announced new executive officers for the Public Health Alumni Association (PHAA): President Cheryle Bernard-Shaw, President-Elect Donald Simpson, and Secretary Dr. Olalekan Ogunsakin. Together, they bring deep professional expertise and a shared commitment to advancing public health and strengthening the global Tulane alumni network.
Cheryle Bernard-Shaw (JD/MPH ’86) is the new PHAA president. An attorney with more than three decades of health care leadership, Bernard-Shaw currently serves as CEO and managing consultant of Bernard-Shaw & Associates in San Diego County, Calif. She previously held senior legal and executive roles across hospitals, county health departments, and federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of the U.S. Department of Energy. Bernard-Shaw was twice appointed by California governors as an advisor to the Office of Minority Health, ultimately serving as chair of that organization. A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and The Links, Incorporated, she is also an alumna of UC Santa Barbara, Tulane University Law School, and WSPH.
Dr. Donald Simpson (HEDC MPH ’97) joins the executive team as president-elect. A first-generation college graduate and ASCP-certified cytologist, Simpson has dedicated more than two decades to higher education across five academic institutions. His leadership portfolio includes service as program director, dean, and special assistant to the vice president for academic affairs. As a researcher, Simpson has directed projects in women’s health, pediatrics, public health, and emergency medicine. He has secured significant funding for critical initiatives, including a $10 million partnership with the Polytechnic of Namibia to establish a Biomedical Sciences Program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he championed efforts to boost vaccination rates in underserved communities and now leads a national grant to strengthen medical students’ nutrition education. He also serves as president-elect of the Arkansas Public Health Association.
Dr. Olalekan “Ola” Ogunsakin (EHS MPH ’12, PhD ’15) brings a wealth of academic and research expertise as the PHAA’s new secretary. A physician-scientist and full-time pathology professor at Touro University College of Medicine, Ogunsakin earned his MD from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, followed by both MPH and PhD degrees from Tulane. He also holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Tyler and has completed postdoctoral fellowships at Tulane and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. His NIH-funded research in pulmonary fibrosis and leadership of federally supported public health initiatives reflect his dedication to translational research and medical education.
The PHAA also extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Janeen Azare (PHTM ’94) for her outstanding service as president over the past two years, during which she guided the board through key governance changes, alumni engagement initiatives, and expanded support for student scholarships and the school’s Food for Thought Pantry. Appreciation is likewise extended to outgoing board members Lauren Bryant, Kelly Bertenthal DeJean, Jacqueline Lauer, Meredith McInturff, and Courtney Story for their invaluable contributions.
Together, this new leadership team is poised to build on the PHAA’s momentum—fostering alumni connections, mentoring students, and advancing public health initiatives that embody the mission of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Advancing Tulane’s Legacy in Public Health
Celebrating the Philanthropy of Andrea “Andi” Schippert Richardson and Christopher Richardson
ANDREA “ANDI” SCHIPPERT RICHARDSON AND CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON, both members of the Tulane Class of 1999, exemplify the university’s enduring tradition of service and philanthropy. A Newcomb College graduate, Andi earned her degree in history and is a past president of the Newcomb Alumnae Association. Chris, a Tulane College history graduate and global energy attorney, brings equal dedication to strengthening the institution that shaped their lives, and recently concluded his term as chair of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Dean’s Advisory Council.
Although Chris’s academic training was in history, his professional experience and personal family journey fostered a profound commitment to public health. “My interest in public health stems from a variety of facets,” he explains, “including a global career in law, family experiences, and my admiration for Tulane’s distinctive history in medicine and public health. I indirectly use my Tulane history degree as a lawyer on a regular basis.” The Richardsons’ generosity spans many areas of the University, including Athletics, the Annual Fund, Newcomb Institute, Newcomb-Tulane College, and the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. In 2018 they pledged $100,000 to support research on tropical diseases, inspired by personal experiences with infectious illness. That pledge was fulfilled in 2022.
In September 2023, in honor of their 25th reunion, the couple deepened their commitment by pledging an additional $200,000 to transform their research fund into the Christopher F. and Andrea S. Richardson Early Career Professorship in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases. This professorship will advance WSPH’s pioneering work in combating global health threats and supporting early-career scholars.
Chris credits both gratitude and personal history as motivation for their philanthropy. “I was fortunate to receive a Dean’s Honor Scholarship to attend Tulane and have always felt it important to give back,” he notes. “As a Louisiana native, I recognize the significant impact that Tulane and the WSPH have on the city, the state of Louisiana, the Gulf South, and the world.”
Their commitment is also deeply personal. Chris’s mother’s premature passing was hastened by West Nile virus, and their older son endured a serious bout of H1N1 flu as a toddler while the family lived in Hong Kong. Through Chris’s work in developing countries, he has witnessed firsthand the consequences of inadequate public health infrastructure and the devastating reach of tropical diseases. “The mission of researching and treating infectious disease is fundamental to Tulane’s pedigree and purpose,” he reflects.
Through their leadership and exceptional generosity, Andi and Chris Richardson are ensuring that the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine continues its historic mission of innovation in medicine and public health—strengthening the University’s impact on New Orleans, the Gulf South, and the global community.
New Leadership for the Dean’s Advisory Council
DR. GREG BUCHERT, MD ’79, TRMD MPH ’83 took the helm in January as chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He joined the council in June 2020. Greg previously served as a pioneer in pediatric emergency medicine, with a passion for making system changes that benefit children today. He then transitioned to a role as a health plan executive so that he could use his public health training to impact thousands of patients through meaningful health policy.
He now works to leverage decades of experience by New Leadership for the Dean’s Advisory Council advising multiple startup companies, leading one and serving on multiple nonprofit boards assisting low wealth and disadvantaged individuals.
The council also welcomed new members Gerry Cox, Carter Howell, and Eileen Vermilye.
For more information about PHAA programs or to explore board service opportunities, contact Caitrin Gladow at cgladow@tulane.edu.
