Yola, Adamawa, Nigeria (November 9, 2014): The American University of Nigeria has announced that renowned public health don and chair of Tulane University’s Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer, Professor William E. Bertrand, will deliver the keynote speech at its 9th Founder’s Day and 10th anniversary celebrations on November 15.
A tradition of American Universities, Founder’s Day at AUN is a time for the university community to celebrate and reflect on the dream, vision, and generosity of its Founder, former Nigerian Vice President His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, as well as in its mission as a Development University.
Dr. Bertrand, with extensive experience in Africa and other parts of the world, has research interests in epidemiological methods, institution building, integrated monitoring and evaluation of service delivery systems, quality of life measurement systems, management information systems, information technology use and transfer, international social policy on technology impact assessment and development, social impact assessment, economic development, and individual and organizational modernization and innovation.
A leading authority in public health issues and senior consultant on HIV/AIDS to the World Health Organization, Professor Bertrand has directed numerous AIDS-related projects in Uganda, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo Democratic Republic, and Vietnam. He is the Wisner Professor of Public Health, Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
For 10 years Bertrand directed the Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer, and was Vice-President for University Planning, Research& Innovation at Tulane. He was the Chair and Founder, Department of International Health and Development, Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
In the past 10 years, Dr. Bertrand has advised and consulted for many major institutions on system design and health and development projects. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank, UNAIDS, The Global Fund, the National Medical Foundation, and several international Universities. He consulted for USAID’s Project for the School of Public Health in Haiti, evaluated USAID’s HAPA program in Africa, advised the World Bank on its Pre-sectoral Development Plan in Kenya, and counseled the Inter-American Development Bank. He was one of the principal founders of the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS).
Dr. Bertrand has served on the National Advisory Board of the NIH Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division, and as a member of the Pan American Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He is also the Vice Chairman of the AUN Board of Trustees.
Bertrand teaches courses at Tulane University on Monitoring and Evaluation methods and Food Security, and manages several international projects as Principal Investigator. He has chaired over twenty Doctoral committees during his time at Tulane and served as mentor to many masters and undergraduate students during his long teaching career.
Bertrand earned a BA in 1966 from Louisiana State University and a PhD from Tulane. Besides English, he is literate in Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Besides more than 400 presentations at professional meetings and conferences, Bertrand has written and co-authored numerous publications one of which is the joint work with Dr. Ensign entitled Rwanda: History and Hope.