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Alumna spends life in science by Jen Pirkle
hough some may remember 1975 as the year Microsoft was founded, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, Saigon fell to Communism, Jaws hit the box office, Tiger Woods was born and Bruce Springsteen was "Born to Run," Dr. Lynne Wilcox of Atlanta, holds the year in her heart for another noteworthy reason – It was the year she earned her undergraduate degree in biology from Georgia College. "I loved attending college here," said Wilcox, now retired director of the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The campus was beautiful, the professors were supportive, and most of the students were serious about their studies." At the time that Wilcox attended Georgia College, many of the other students were Vietnam veterans focused on getting degrees to enhance their employment opportunities during a period of economic recession. As a student, Wilcox was serious about her studies in biology, encouraged by the support of her professors. "Several faculty of the biology department stand out," she said, citing Dr. Doris Moody in microbiology and Dr. Harriet Whipple in botany as important influences. “They were not only excellent teachers but they also were the only women professors in the department." Department Chair Dr. David Cotter, who taught Wilcox’s first honors biology class, was another significant influence. "By the time I finished that class, I knew biology would be my academic love," Wilcox said. With the strong background in biology that she gained from Georgia College, Wilcox went on to medical school at the Medical College of Georgia and followed that with a residency in family medicine. Knowing she wanted to work in public health and epidemiology, she then joined the Georgia State Health Department and went to Johns Hopkins University for a master's degree in public health. When she finished, Wilcox returned to Atlanta to work at the CDC "because it was the premier institution in the world for applied epidemiology."
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Dr. Lynne Wilcox ‘75
Wilcox began her CDC career as a research epidemiologist in reproductive health. She studied and published papers on subjects like tubal sterilization, hysterectomy and in vitro fertilization, as well as other women’s health issues, before she became the director of the Division of Reproductive Health. As director, Wilcox kept busy overseeing programs related to national and international concerns in public health surveillance, field investigations, and program evaluations. She also oversaw programs of demographic, behavioral, and epidemiologic studies of maternal and infant health, family planning, and reproductive health disorders. But the work Lynne is the most proud of during her twenty years at CDC is her work in establishing the scientific journal Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD). As Editor in chief of PCD for six years, Lynne watched the electronic, peer-reviewed journal reach an international audience, receiving article submissions and reader comments from all over the world. One of the primary goals of the journal was to promote a dialogue between researchers and practitioners, and the enthusiastic participation of these groups–as well as students, advocates, people in other professional fields, and even the general public–has made PCD an overwhelming success. “Even now, people come up to me at professional meetings and say how much they appreciate the journal,” said Wilcox. “You never know how far an editorial or an article will reach beyond the people you know personally.”
Though Wilcox retired from the CDC in August of 2008, her work in the medical field is far from over. Besides being a consultant in health policy and practice, she has worked on several projects, covering such topics as worksite health, diabetes prevention, and future public health directions in the areas of mental health, cancer screening, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She’s also been working with Georgia State University and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors to help design new training programs in public health. Somehow, Wilcox has even managed to find time for volunteer work. "There are points in your life when you know it's time to move on to other adventures," she said. Some of Lynne’s other adventures include registering voters for the last presidential election and serving on the board of directors for the GCSU Alumni Association, but she says the most fun is volunteering at Jekyll Island's Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Wilcox has recently had the opportunity to return to Georgia College to speak to Honors and Scholars Program participants. “The college campus is still beautiful, and the professors are still supportive,” she said. “And the students are amazing. They are already more accomplished as freshmen than my class ever was. Their achievements while at GCSU and after they graduate are even more remarkable. It’s nice to see my GCSU degree increasing in reputation 35 years later!” ■
Georgia College Connection • Spring 2010
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