SLU Public Health Student Michael Curran Receives Federal COVID-19 Pandemic Civilian Service Medal

Michael Curran, a graduate student in Saint Louis University’s College for Public Health and Social Justice, received the COVID-19 Pandemic Civilian Service Medal this month for his exemplary service to the nation as a member of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) in its Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) during the federal medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m very honored, very grateful and very appreciative to receive this award,” Curran said. “But there are also so many other people who are just as deserving of this award as I am. I had a sporadic, temporary inconvenience in my life when deployed as a member of the DMAT. Some folks have been fighting this pandemic every day of every week of every month. This award is just as much theirs as it is mine.” 

Curran was one of 1,400 NDMS responders who received the medal at the National Disaster Medical System Training Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was awarded to those who deployed for 30 consecutive or 60 cumulative days to provide medical care to state, territory, tribal and local communities. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic strained our country’s health care system and medical personnel for almost three years,” said NDMS Director Michael Smith. “Michael Curran and his NDMS colleagues served as a lifeline to hundreds of hospitals and long-term care facilities by providing temporary relief to staff, adding bed capacity, and improving outcomes for COVID-19 patients. This medal is reflective of his selfless commitment to the public health and medical needs of our residents.”

Curran found his calling in public health after working in various roles in public service and medical fields, including as a first responder, private ambulance EMT, paramedic and nurse. In 2015, Curran volunteered at the University of Kentucky as a member of the Ebola Response Team, helping to develop training programs for those caring for patients suspected of contracting ebola. This led to him joining the Kentucky Department for Public Health in 2018 in their infectious disease prevention department. 

As he continued down his winding career path, it eventually led him to Saint Louis University. 

With a desire to extend his career in public health, Curran sought a master's program that was at the top of its industry, forward-thinking, and could be completed online. After plenty of research, he found a program that checked all of these boxes and more: SLU’s biosecurity and disaster preparedness degree.

“I could not be happier in my decision to enroll at SLU, especially choosing the program I did when I did,” Curran said. “SLU is at the top, nationally, in what you will be exposed to in this program, from the material to class discussions to instructors to guest lecturers. Coincidentally, I started the biosecurity and disaster preparedness program and the world gets impacted by a pandemic. So I'm very grateful for the program and what it has taught me so far.” 

Just one example of this is his relationship with Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., special assistant to the president and director of SLU’s Institute for Biosecurity, who helped lead SLU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curran first got to know her during his search for a master’s programs and inundated her with questions. After enrolling in SLU, he continued to have plenty of conversations with her, absorbing as much information as he could in and out of the classroom to better help him with his own work controlling infectious diseases. 

“I am very proud of all that Michael has achieved during his time in SLU’s biosecurity and disaster preparedness program,” said Rebmann who is also professor of epidemiology and biostatistics. “This award demonstrates his deep commitment to the field.”

As Curran continues to put SLU’s mission into practice, his instructors note that his training allowed him to serve the country during unprecedented times.   

"The Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness program provides the knowledge and skills individuals need to succeed in the field,” said Carole Baskin, DVM, MSc, instructor in SLU’s College for Public Health and Social Justice. “Michael's incredible experience illustrates how this program can be applied and help individuals distinguish themselves during an actual disaster response."

About the College for Public Health and Social Justice

The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.

Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the college offers nationally recognized programs in public health and health administration.