Bernard Gonik, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology for the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has been selected as one of only 15 Jefferson Science Fellows by the U.S. Department of State.
Gonik’s fellowship begins in August and is a one-year appointment. The fellowship program is administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and is supported through a partnership between the United States academic community, the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development.
“This is a great honor for me, and a wonderful reflection of the recognition of Wayne State University as an institution committed to quality education, research and community service,” said Gonik, who also serves as the Fann Srere Endowed Chair of Perinatal Medicine in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine for WSU. “I am eager to learn more about government policy development and program implementation related to global health, and bring these new insights back to Wayne State University upon my return.”
The fellowship is open to tenured faculty from U.S. colleges and universities who are U.S. citizens. Jefferson Science Fellows spend one year on assignment at the U.S. Department of State or USAID as science advisors on foreign policy/international development issues. Their assignments are tailored to the needs of the hosting office, taking into account the fellow’s area of expertise. Fellows have the opportunity to travel to U.S. embassies and missions overseas.
Gonik, of Southfield, Mich., will work as a senior scientific advisor within the Department of State in Washington, D.C., and within USAID’s Global Health Division, in the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. “I have maintained a longstanding interest in the evolving Maternal Immunization Platform, and hope to offer my expertise on this and other health challenges from an international perspective,” he said.
After the one-year fellowship, fellows return to their careers, but remain available to the U.S. government as consultants. Gonik will remain an on-call consultant for the Department of State for an additional five years.
He received the School of Medicine’s Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award in 2014.