William H. Foege

William H. Foege is Emeritus Presidential Distinguished Professor of International Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health and an International Health Fellow at The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to his work at Emory and The Gates Foundation, his decades as an epidemiologist have included a range of endeavors, including eradicating smallpox in the 1970s as Chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; forming and leading the Task Force for Child Survival and Development for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, The World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and the Rockefeller Foundation; and serving as the Executive Director of The Carter Center. Foege has championed many issues, with special interest in child survival and development, injury prevention, population, preventive medicine, and public health leadership, particularly in the developing world. He has been active in disease control, including the eradication of guinea worm, polio and measles, and the elimination of river blindness. By writing and lecturing extensively, Foege has broadened public awareness of these issues and shaped domestic and international health policies. He attended Pacific Lutheran University, received his medical degree from the University of Washington, and his Master of Public Health from Harvard University.