Dr. Virginia Caine awarded Dean’s Medal of Excellence

The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is pleased to award Dr. Virginia Caine with a Dean’s Medal of Excellence.

The Dean’s Medal of Excellence is awarded to public health and health administration leaders who have made a significant impact in their field. A small number of distinguished recipients are awarded at the discretion of the dean. This award recognizes leaders in health who have made a significant impact in their field and contributed to the creation of a more accessible and equitable world through research, practice, service and leadership.

“Dr. Caine is a pillar of the Indianapolis community,” said Paul Halverson, founding dean and professor at the Fairbanks School. “She is an accomplished infectious disease specialist and a tireless advocate for public health in Indiana and beyond. As a long-standing member of our school’s National Advisory Council, she has been a respected partner of the school for over a decade.”

Dr. Caine serves as the director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD). She began working at the MCPHD studying infectious diseases and has a national reputation for her work in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

In addition, she was recently appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previously she served on the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report editorial board.

“Dr. Caine has a tremendous amount of experience and accomplishments,” said Halverson. “She has been instrumental in improving public health at a local and national level. I am deeply honored to recognize her accomplishments with this medal.”

In addition to her work with the MCPHD, NMA and the CDC, Dr. Caine is an associate professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine’s Infectious Diseases Division, adjunct associate professor at the Fairbanks School and a past president of the American Public Health Association. She was named an Indiana University Bicentennial Professor, received the Gerald L. Bepko Indiana University Indianapolis Community Medallion and the IU Indianapolis Chancellor’s Community Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement, and serves on the IU Indianapolis Board of Advisors. Dr. Caine is an avid Indiana Pacers fan.