Dr. Nirav Shah, former Maine CDC director, taking post at Colby College
Mar. 13—Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine's former CDC director and a top federal health official during the Biden administration, is returning to Maine to launch a public health education program at Colby College.
Shah, 48, became a mini-celebrity in Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was often on television and online explaining the coronavirus to the public and answering journalists' questions. Chocolate bars were named after him, coffee mugs were inscribed with the words "In Dr. Shah We Trust," and he enjoyed a large online fan club.
Shah left Maine in 2023 after being tapped by the Biden administration to become principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Shah, in an interview with the Press Herald on Tuesday, said it was always his intention to return to Maine, as he and his wife kept their home in Brunswick to return to once his federal stint was over.
"It was a tremendous opportunity," Shah said of the U.S. CDC job, where among other duties, he focused on the federal response to the bird flu. "It was an opportunity to help the CDC think about the big picture and develop a long-term strategy."
Shah said he's excited to help stand up an undergraduate public health program at Colby College in Waterville, where he will be a visiting professor.
"I will be leading an effort to create a public health undergraduate program, and help shape the future of public health training," Shah said. "Interest in public health is as high as it's ever been, especially among young people."
David Greene, Colby College president, said in a written statement that Shah is a "natural teacher."
"He has an extraordinary capacity to synthesize and communicate complex issues. And that he does so with humor, compassion, and a clear commitment to bettering the lives of others is all the more remarkable," Greene said.
Shah helped during the transition from the Biden to the Trump administration, but his last day on the job was Feb. 28.
Shah said he is not discussing what led to his departure at this time — other than changing administrations — or his thoughts on the Trump administration's approach to public health. Shah said he may at a later time make public comments about the Trump administration.
Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who has made many false claims about vaccines, to oversee the U.S. CDC as health and human services secretary.
Kennedy, in a Fox News interview this week, falsely claimed that the measles vaccine can cause the measles.
This story will be updated.
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