October 18, 2006

MDCH Employee Receives Honorable Straub Award Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Director Janet Olszewski today announced that employee Linda Scott has received the distinguished Curtis H. "Butch" Straub award from the center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California.

"Linda's dedication to protecting Michigan and its citizens is evident by this award," Olszewski said. "She continues to impress us with her goals concerning homeland security."

Scott, who is Manager of the Bioterrorism Development and Operations Section at the Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP) within MDCH, completed an eighteen-month online and in-residence program at NPS through collaborating with homeland security officials from across the nation on current policy, strategy, and organizational design challenges. She also completed research papers and wrote a thesis on "Hurricane Katrina: Utilization of Private, Non-Governmental Health Professionals Time for New Strategies". The award is presented to the graduate student with an exemplary academic and citizenship record who has written an outstanding thesis while demonstrating outstanding leadership within the CHDS Master's Program.

Since 2002, CHDS has conducted a wide range of programs focused on assisting current and future leaders in homeland defense and security to develop the policies, strategies, programs and organizational elements needed to defeat terrorism in the United States. The degree program features faculty from around the world and an innovative curriculum developed by experts from a variety of disciplines.

The experience and education Scott received through CHDS will assist her within her position at OPHP as efforts are continually made by staff to protect the health of Michigan citizens against chemical, biological, and radiological threats.

OPHP focuses on minimizing the threat to health from terrorist acts, accidents and other incidents and collaborates with local, state, and federal authorities to stay ahead of forces that threaten the health of Michigan citizens.

For more information on OPHP, please visit www.michigan.gov/ophp.