Hanson Lecture Series

2023 Speaker

Dr. Jerome Adams The 20th Surgeon General of the United States Presidential Fellow, Executive Director of Purdue's Health Equity Initiatives, and Distinguished Professor of Practice at Purdue University Monday, April 17, 7-8:30 p.m. Hodson Auditorium, Rosenstock Hall

"Your Zip Code Shouldn't Determine Your Health: Social Determinant of Health and Achieving Health Equity"

COVID-19 created a perfect storm that preyed upon our nation’s most vulnerable communities: people of color, rural populations, and those already suffering from epidemics of obesity, asthma, substance-use disorder, smoking, and conditions such as poor maternal health that are prevalent in low-income zip codes. COVID has cast a spotlight on a long history of systemic health inequities in America. Today, these disparities still remain. But according to Dr. Adams, there is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to right the wrongs of the past. Dr. Adams sees an opportunity in a post-COVID world to talk about the social determinants of health and health equity in a way that truly resonates with the public, moves from awareness to action, and drives real and lasting change.

About the Lecture Series

Established by Barbara Esmer Hanson ’45 and Robert D. Hanson through the Foundation For Enhancing Communities to provide annual support for a lecture by a prominent national or international speaker. It is the intent that students from Gettysburg College, Robert’s alma mater, will travel to Hood for the lecture, and students from Hood College, Barbara’s alma mater, will travel to Gettysburg.

Janice R. Black is the president and CEO of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

Previous Lectures 

• Nikki Giovanni, 2022
• Danielle Allen, 2021
• Tara Westover, 2020
• Gina Kolata, 2018