Regina Benjamin, the former surgeon general of the United States, has been appointed the inaugural NOLA.com/Times Picayune Endowed Chair in Public Health at Xavier University of Louisiana.
“Having the 18th Surgeon General join our family is a milestone achievement for Xavier University, the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the United States of America,” said Dr. Norman Francis, President of Xavier University. “I am honored to have Dr. Benjamin join our public health program and grow it into a global force for promoting healthy communities.”
Dr. Benjamin is a graduate of Xavier University and earned her medical degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“I am honored to be named the Endowed Chair in Public Health at Xavier University of Louisiana,” said Dr. Benjamin. “I look forward to positioning Xavier as an international center for public health with a strong focus on the community. In July, I stepped away from my position but not from my mission. This endowed chair at Xavier provides an ideal platform from which I can broaden my mission of prevention and wellness.”