Sue Curry receives Walsh McDermott Medal from National Academy of Medicine

Sue Curry, dean emerita and distinguished professor of health management and policy in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, has received the Walsh McDermott Medal from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). The award honors a NAM member for long-standing service to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Curry was elected to NAM in 2010.

"We are proud to see Sue recognized with such a meaningful national honor," says Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost. "She has a long and distinguished record of service to major health organizations, and her leading work in public health has made a meaningful difference on issues that affect people across the country."

For more than 25 years, Curry has helped bring scientific evidence into public health decisions through her service to the National Academies. Her involvement began in 1999 as a member of the National Cancer Policy Board, where she helped lead the landmark report Fulfilling the Potential of Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. She later worked to identify gaps in clinical prevention research, leading to recommendations that were adopted by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Curry brought her experience in public health and national service to Iowa when she joined the university in 2008. She led the College of Public Health for nine years before being named interim executive vice president and provost in 2017, serving as the university's chief academic officer for two years.

Her service to the National Academies has spanned a range of leadership roles, including six years on the NAM Governing Council. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped oversee rapid expert consultations for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as part of her work with the Report Review Committee. Since 2023, she has served as co-chair of the committee, helping ensure that National Academies reports are thorough, balanced, and independent.

Curry also chairs a NAM panel focused on evaluating the credibility of health and nutrition information.

"The sources and volume of health information have increased exponentially over the past couple of decades, and this increase has been accompanied by confusion and skepticism, particularly as what we think we know changes," Curry says. "That is the nature of science, and having an organization like NAM that is unfailingly and transparently committed to rigorous and evidence-based recommendations on critical health issues is so important."

Through her National Academies service, Curry continues to mentor Iowa faculty and advocate for their involvement in work that helps shape health policy and practice.