CHICAGO – DECEMBER 21, 2020 – Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health will join the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy on March 4 for a conversation hosted by its dean, Katherine Baicker, who will award Dr. Fauci the 2020 Harris Dean's Award.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Fauci to the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and have him share his perspectives with our students and others from across the campus community,” said Katherine Baicker, dean and Emmett Dedmon Professor. “As one of the world’s preeminent infectious disease experts and foremost voices for evidence-based policy in the fight against COVID-19, his illustrious career and enduring commitment to public service serve as powerful inspiration for the next generation of policy leaders.” 

As the United States has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Fauci has taken a leading role in informing the American public about the science behind the virus and what precautions need to be taken to mitigate the harms of the disease. President-elect Biden has announced that Dr. Fauci will take on an expanded role as Chief Medical Adviser on COVID-19 to the President during the Biden administration.

The Dean’s Award is given annually to an exceptional leader who has championed analytically rigorous, evidence-based approaches to policy, and who is an example for the next generation of policy leaders and scholars. US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) was the 2019 recipient of the Dean’s Award.

The virtual event will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. central standard time, with registration information available on the school’s website beginning in January 2021.

Dr. Fauci was appointed director of NIAID in 1984 and has served under six presidents. He oversees an extensive portfolio of research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established and emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19.  He has been a presidential advisor on HIV/AIDS and many other domestic and global health issues and was a principal architect of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved millions of lives.

Baicker, who has served as dean of Harris Public Policy since August 2017, is a leading scholar in the economic analysis of health policy, with research focusing on the effects of health system reform on health spending, outcomes, and disparities. From 2005-2007, she served as a Senate-confirmed Member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers.