Two Briggs alumni share their experiences facing the COVID-19 pandemic in a virtual event

March 31, 2021

On March 23, 2021, we were proud to host two Briggs alumni and emergency medical professionals, Dr. Zafar Shamoon, DO and Dr. Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH, who took us behind the scenes of the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. Our esteemed speakers shared their perspectives on the pandemic, both domestically and globally; from day-to-day emergency care, to widespread systemic inadequacies. They discussed how they have cared for vulnerable populations, served the community, and taken care of their families over the past 12 months.

Panel

Dr. Zafar Shamoon

Dr. Zafar Shamoon, DO, FACOEP is a 1996 alumnus of Lyman Briggs College who earned a B.Sc. in biology. In 2003, he received his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Shamoon is board certified in emergency medicine and is currently the Chief of Emergency Services at Beaumont Hospital, in Dearborn, Michigan. Dr. Shamoon is also an assistant Emergency Residency Director at Beaumont Trenton/Dearborn and serves as a clinical assistant professor at MSUCOM. Previously Shamoon was the adult Emergency Director of Rochester General Hospital in New York, one of the busiest emergency rooms in the country.

Dr. Michael VanRooyen

Dr. Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH, is a 1984 graduate of Lyman Briggs College who earned a B.Sc in biology. He received his doctor of medicine degree from Wayne State University and his master of public health from the University of Chicago. Dr. VanRooyen is Chair of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. He has worked as an emergency physician for international and domestic relief organizations and served as policy advisor to organizations like the U.N., W.H.O., and the Red Cross. Dr. VanRooyen currently serves as a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, where he teaches courses on humanitarian operations in war and disaster.

Moderator Mark Waddell

Moderator Mark Waddell, PhD, is an associate professor of history for Lyman Briggs College and the MSU Department of History. He studies science and medicine in early modern Europe.

 

 

Event Recording