“In addition to academics, FAMU was all about people and
cultivating relationships,” she said. “As chief public health advisor, I will
use what I learned at FAMU to rebuild the city’s relationship with the
residents of Flint.”
In her position, Pugh will provide crucial insight to the
mayor on how to assist Flint residents still struggling to gain access to clean
water. As a direct result of the recent water crisis, the city is also dealing
with a shigellosis outbreak due to some residents avoiding washing their hands
with the city’s water. Shigellosis is a highly contagious gastrointestinal
disease.
Pugh’s parents also attended FAMU and inspired her to pursue
a career in public service.
She was previously employed by the Saginaw County Department
of Public Health for 14 years.
“My parents were insistent upon my sisters and me seizing
the tools to help and influence others in the area of public health, and mostly
importantly, getting an education at FAMU,” she explained. “I definitely made
the right choice.”
In turn, Pugh influenced her niece Andrea Pugh to do the
same. Andrea received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from FAMU
during its fall 2016 commencement ceremony. She is following in her aunt’s
footsteps, and pursuing an advanced degree in public health from the University
of Michigan.
“At an early age, I was inspired by my aunt,” Andrea Pugh
said. “Throughout my educational career she has been a helpful resource in my
research on environmental health. She is an expert in the field, and I’m
extremely proud of her.”
Pamela Pugh is a two-time recipient of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People Dr. Montague Cobb Award for
special achievement in social justice, health justice, and health education.
She received a Doctorate of Public Health from the University of Michigan
School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from
FAMU in 1994.