On Thursday, President Trump announced Erica Schwartz ’94 MD’98 as his nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Schwartz, an alum of Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education, served as deputy surgeon general from 2019 to 2021, during Trump’s first term. During her tenure, she managed the federal government’s COVID-19 testing program.
If confirmed by the Senate, Schwartz will be the CDC’s fourth director since Trump’s inauguration. Schwartz has publicly expressed approval for vaccines, a stark difference from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s public criticisms of the preventative medicine. The previous CDC director was ousted due to disagreement with Kennedy over vaccine policy.
Schwartz received her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering in 1994 and graduated from the Warren Alpert Medical School in 1998. She also holds a Master of Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a law degree from the University of Maryland.
Schwartz is a retired rear admiral, and she has served in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the Navy and the Coast Guard. She also previously served as chief medical officer in the USPHS.
Schwartz and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
Samah Hamid is a university news editor covering faculty and career & alumni. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.
