Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service

Scientist Professional Advisory Committee
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SciPAC Voting Membership

The SciPAC is comprised of 20 voting members, including four members of the SciPAC Executive Board.  Voting members represent a cross-section of the disciplines, interests, concerns and responsibilities of scientific professionals in Agencies, Operating Divisions, and Programs that are staffed by U.S. Public Health Service personnel.  The term of appointment for SciPAC voting members is 3 years.  Members are expected to participate in monthly SciPAC general meetings and to serve as a chair or co-chair of one of SciPAC’s eleven subcommittees during their term.

Becoming a Member

SciPAC members provide advice and consultation to the Office of the Surgeon General and to the Scientist Chief Professional Officer on professional and personnel issues.  The SciPAC Charter requires committee representation by agency, gender, race, professional discipline, years of professional experience, geographical location (i.e., whether stationed locally in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area or from other areas), and both personnel systems (Commissioned Corps and Civil Service). Membership requires approval from the Agency, Chief Scientist Officer, and Surgeon General.

Each year nominations are sought to fill vacancies.  The SciPAC meets every month via teleconference, so travel is not required for membership.  Commissioned Corps and civil service scientists who are interested in serving on the SciPAC are encouraged to respond to the annual call for self-nomination.  New appointment terms begin on September 1 of each year.

2021-2022 SciPAC Organization Chart

2020-2021 SciPAC Voting Members
Officer Role Agency
Executive Board
CDR Deborah Dee Chair CDC
CDR Alice Shumate Vice Chair CDC
CDR Jason Wilken Ex Officio Chairperson CDC
LCDR Virginia Bowen Executive Secretary ACF
CDR Lana Rossiter Executive Liaison FDA
Subcommittee Chairs and Co-chairs
CDR Zewditu Demissie Awards Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Mary Puckett* Awards Subcommittee, Co-Chair CDC
LCDR Nancy Tian* Awards Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
CDR Cara Halldin Career Development Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Xinzhi Zhang Career Development Subcommittee, Co-Chair NIH
CDR Minglei Cui* Career Development Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
LCDR Rebecca Levine Category Day, Chair CDC
LCDR Debra Chen Category Day, Co-Chair BOP
LCDR Alaine Knipes* Category Day, Co-Chair CDC
LCDR Alesha Harris* Category Day, Co-Chair FDA
CDR John Pesce Deployment Readiness Subcommittee, Chair NIH
LCDR Jorge Muñiz-Ortiz Deployment Readiness Subcommittee, Co-Chair EPA
LT Jason Caballero* Deployment Readiness Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
LT Adelaida Rosario* Deployment Readiness Subcommittee, Co-Chair OS
LCDR Shayne Gallaway Mentoring Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Tyson Volkmann* Mentoring Subcommittee, Co-Chair CDC
LCDR Patrick High* Mentoring Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
CDR Adam Bjork Policy Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Matthew Steele* Policy Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
LCDR Kathryn Morris Psychologist Integration Subcommittee, Chair BOP
LCDR Patrick Sears Psychologist Integration Subcommittee, Co-Chair BOP
LCDR George Mitzner Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee, Chair DOD
LCDR Julia Zucco* Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee, Co-Chair CMS
CDR Alice Shumate Rules & Membership Subcommittee, Chair CDC
CDR Dan-My Chu* Rules & Membership Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
CDR Kamil Barbour Science Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Israel Cross* Science Subcommittee, Co-Chair CMS
LCDR Teresa Wang* Science Subcommittee, Co-Chair CDC
LCDR Colleen Scott Visibility Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Angela Thompson-Paul Visibility Subcommittee, Co-Chair CDC
LCDR Adriana Restrepo* Visibility Subcommittee, Co-Chair BOP
LCDR Ruth Link-Gelles Website Subcommittee, Chair CDC
LCDR Elizabeth Edwards Website Subcommittee, Co-Chair FDA
LCDR Matthew Stuckey* Website Subcommittee, Co-Chair CDC

2021-2022 SciPAC Liaisons
Officer Role Agency 
CAPT Mark Scheckelhoff* AMSUS Liaison ASPR
LCDR Marissa Zwald* CCWIAB** Liaison CDC
LCDR Julia Zucco* COA Liaison CMS
LT Kelly Shaw* ICAC Liaison CDC
LT Xia (Michelle) Lin* JOAG Liaison CDC
LT Lacreisha Ejike-King* PACE Liaison FDA
LCDR Nazia Rahman* PSYPAG Liaison DOD
CDR Luis Iturriaga* SOAGDAG Liaison DHS

ACF: Agency for Children and Families
BOP: Bureau of Prisons
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
DHS: Department of Homeland Security
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
NIH: National Institutes of Health
OS: Office of the Secretary (Department of Health and Human Services)
USCG: United States Coast Guard
*not a current SciPAC voting member
**Commissioned Corps' Women's Issues Advisory Board (CCWIAB)

Page Last Modified on 6/21/2022

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