Influential health leader Dr. Michael Osterholm to address ‘public health in crisis’ at Roslien Distinguished Lecture on April 15

Dr. Michael Osterholm, who was recently named as one of the world’s “most influential leaders in health” by Time magazine, will discuss concerns surrounding the current status of public health in the world and what he recommends we do to address this crisis at the Dr. David J. Roslien Distinguished Lecture in Science and Leadership. The lecture titled “Public Health in Crisis: What This Means to You” will start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on Luther College’s campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Michael Osterholm

This year’s Roslien Distinguished Lecture will be a conversational fireside chat format with Osterholm answering questions posed by Dr. Mark Larson, medical director of Mayo Clinic Care Network. Larson graduated from Luther in 1978 and he currently serves on the Luther College Board of Regents with Osterholm.

“In the past year, we have seen significant changes to public health leadership and policies, and this lecture will deliver a powerful and precise analysis of how these changes are already shaping our lives,” said Andy Hageman, director of the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and a professor of English. “Dr. Osterholm is uniquely positioned to shed light on multiple aspects of public health changes, from government agency approaches to scientific research to vaccine attitudes, policies and trends.”

Osterholm, a 1975 Luther College graduate, holds many roles at the University of Minnesota. Currently, Osterholm is a regents professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, a professor in the Technological Leadership Institute, College of Science and Engineering, and an adjunct professor in the medical school.

In 2025, Osterholm and colleagues founded the Vaccine Integrity Project, a key initiative dedicated to safeguarding vaccine use in the United States. Osterholm is the author of three books, and he will highlight the findings detailed in his 2025 book, “The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics,” at the Roslien Distinguished Lecture.

“If you want to get a revered insider perspective on what is happening in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and why it matters to you and your family, community, and country, you won’t want to miss this lecture,” added Hageman.

The lecture will be livestreamed on Luther College’s YouTube channel.

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