SPH alum named acting commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health
Story text Heading link
On August 22, Fikirte Wagaw, MPH in Health Policy and Administration ’94, was named the acting commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Wagaw has more than 20 years of experience in the field of local public health. Previously, she served as the first deputy commissioner of CDPH. In this role, she oversaw and coordinated cross-department functions and initiatives guided by and in support of the department’s focus on racial and health equity, especially eliminating Chicago’s racial life expectancy gap. Prior to this position, she worked in a variety of roles at CDPH, including as community planner, epidemiologist and public health administrator, mostly in the HIV program.
As acting commissioner, Wagaw will lead the public health department in the nation’s third-largest city, including the We Will Chicago and Healthy Chicago 2025 initiatives.