June 6, 2006

The Association of Public Health Laboratories has awarded Dr. James Rudrik, a five-year veteran of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), with the Association of Public Health Laboratory's Emerging Leader Award.

"We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Dr. Rudrik’s caliber serving as our Microbiology Section Manager," said Janet Olszewski, MDCH Director. "Dr. Rudrik’s commitment to excellence is evident to all, and we at MDCH are very proud of his success."

Dr. Rudrik is the first recipient of the APHL’s Emerging Leader Award.

The Association of Public Health Laboratories awarded Dr. Rudrik with the Emerging Leader Award based upon his leadership in the laboratory as well as his instrumentation in one or more advances in laboratory science, practice, management, policy or education.

Through the work of Dr. Rudrik, MDCH has expanded the Regional Laboratory system, a network of seven regional laboratories statewide. Dr. Rudrik has actively participated in the Bio Watch Program and has been involved in the designing of the laboratory portion of the project to pilot rapid HIV testing in Michigan.

Dr. Rudrik holds a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Journalism, along with a M.S. in Microbiology, and a Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology with a minor in Biochemistry, all from Wayne State University in Detroit. He also has completed an ABMM post-doctoral fellowship in Medical Microbiology from Wayne State University.

In his short time with MDCH, Dr. Rudrik has demonstrated outstanding guidance to public health laboratory medicine.