The U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname, featured School of Public Health Dean Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, in their March 24 Facebook post to commemorate Women’s History Month.
Born in Suriname, Lichtveld attended the Anton de Kom University of Suriname and Leiden University for her medical degree. At 23, she became the youngest and first female physician to work directly in the Amazon rainforest. She later moved to the United States and spent 18 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2005, she joined Tulane University, where she promoted inter-institutional exchanges with the Anton de Kom University of Suriname and chaired the Flu Emergency Task Force during the H1N1 epidemic. In 2021, Lichtveld became the dean at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
“Join us in celebrating Maureen Yvette Lichtveld, a testament to the power of dedication and perseverance,” read the March statement from the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo. “Her contributions to public health continue to inspire and uplift communities around the world. Her remarkable journey from Suriname to becoming the dean at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is truly inspiring.”
-Clare Collins