Mitchell Wolfe, M.D.'95, M.P.H.

Mitch earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, his Master of Public Health degree from University of California, Berkeley, and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a graduate of the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program. In 2020, Mitch retired from the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral.

Mitch has had a career as a medical epidemiologist and global health strategist and diplomat, with global public health experience, including 21 years with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most recently as CDC's Chief Medical Officer from 2019 to 2022. He has also held positions as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the HHS/Office of Global Affairs, and CDC Country Director in Vietnam and in Thailand. In these roles, he has been a senior advisor to US government leaders, led the implementation of CDC's global health strategy, and represented US health efforts to foreign governments, multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organization, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. He has worked around the world, representing the United States, to combat global infectious disease threats, in pandemic preparedness and response, and addressing other health issues like road safety and heat-related illness.

Before moving to Asia, Dr. Wolfe served as a team leader, for the Clinical Outcomes Team in the Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. He has also performed several special assignments with CDC, including with the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Branch where, in 2001, he supported CDC's response to the anthrax attacks, and participated in the first national population-based survey of mortality, disability, and mental health in Afghanistan.

All of this represents a career dedicated to helping the most vulnerable people around the world, including in the US, receive the health programs and services they deserve, while always using science, compassion, and collaboration as basic foundational principles. He recalls his education at UVM College of Medicine as instrumental in shaping his career - teachers and students exemplified service and dedication to helping others in whatever situation they found themselves, without judgment. Some of the most memorable teachings he remembers from UVM medical school: "What is good care? How you would like your mother treated in the ER at 2 AM", Dr. John Saia; "I could never imagine showing up to class without being the most prepared person in the room", Bruce Fonda; "This patient is a great person", Dr. John Ferguson; and "You need to know why you are doing everything", Dr. Buzz Land.