Irmgard Howard, a chemistry professor at Houghton College for nearly five decades, vividly remembers the unique experience of teaching a young Deborah Birx, M.D., in the 1970s.
“I discovered that she had a photographic memory,” Howard recalls. “After a test, I was reading through her blue book, and I could tell she hadn’t used any outside materials. She had – just from memory – written down what was on the pages that had been assigned for homework, the footnotes, the individual page numbers, even the margin notes from other students that were in the textbook.
“It was not only amazing, it was amusing,” Howard continues. “I had never had a student who had been able to do that.”
Nearly 45 years later, Birx continues to impress, becoming a household name in her prominent role as the United States’ Coronavirus Response Coordinator in the fight against COVID-19.
Birx has attracted media attention since her teenage years, attending the Lampeter-Strasburg school district in Lancaster County, PA. At 14, her project on paleobotany earned an honorable mention in a science contest. During her sophomore year of high school, Birx won third place in the Lancaster-City County Science Fair. This was quite significant at the time because the top three spots were taken by females. Known then as Debbi Birx, she was quoted in the April 13, 1972 issue of the Lancaster New Era explaining why she thought she won: “I worked very, very hard.” Birx finished her senior year at Carlisle High School in Carlisle, PA. There, she won two awards at the International Science and Engineering Fair in San Diego.
Majoring in chemistry and math at Houghton College, Birx finished her undergraduate degree faster than most, graduating in 1976 alongside Shirley Mullen, who is now the college president. Although Mullen didn’t interact with Birx often due to their different academic disciplines, she remembers how the future Cornavirus Response Coordinator was well known around campus for her dedication to her studies.
“She and I were both very serious students – she in the sciences and I in the humanities. Our paths, thus, did not cross too much,” Mullen explains. “I did know her and knew of her reputation as an excellent student. She was involved in research early on – doing major honors work with Dr. Larry Christensen. It was this generation of faculty and students who laid the foundation for the Summer Research Institute that is part of Houghton today.”
With the help and support of Houghton staff, Birx changed her career path to pre-med, and went to study at Penn State Hershey School of Medicine. Birx reflected on her past while addressing Houghton College virtually in May. “It’s people that make programs, not just resources and dollars,” she told members of the Class of 2020. “If you surround yourself with good people and you’re part of a good people team, you’ll be able to achieve all of your goals and make the country a better place.”
Additionally, Birx urged graduates to “be open to opportunities, even if it seems like a deviation from your primary path.” During her career, which spans four decades, Birx says she only had to apply for a job once. She showed initial interest in the medical field and was open-minded about where it could take her. This led her to work in internal medicine, clinical immunology, and infectious diseases. These paths allowed her to best understand the relationship between virus and host, the kind of knowledge her country desperately needs today.
As a world-renowned medical expert and leader in the field of HIV/AIDS, Birx also oversees the implementation of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The U.S. Department of State describes this as the largest commitment in history by any nation to combat a single disease. Additionally, she leads the nation’s engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Birx serves as the U.S Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, working to align government action with the goals of achieving an AIDS-free generation. Other aspirations include ending preventable child and maternal deaths, and preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats. Her role is increasingly important as the world reacts to COVID-19.
Through her professionalism and leadership in the medical field, Birx had the opportunity to work alongside the Department of Defense as a military-trained clinician in immunology. While serving as an assistant chief of the Hospital Immunology Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Birx went on to serve as director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research from 1996 to 2005.
Birx, who is a U.S. ambassador, also helped to lead RV 144, also known as the Thai trial, which is one of the most influential HIV vaccine trials in history. This trial provided the first evidence of vaccine success in treating HIV. Rising to the rank of colonel in the United States Army, Birx is the recipient of two U.S. Meritorious Service Medals and the Legion of Merit Award for groundbreaking research, leadership, and management skills during her service with the Department of Defense. She also was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the African Society for Laboratory Medicine in 2011, and honored with the prestigious William C. Watson Jr. Medal of Excellence in 2014.
During Houghton College’s recent virtual commencement, Birx encouraged the Class of 2020 to bring a “can-do attitude” into everything they do in life. “Nothing is beneath you,” she attests, explaining there is no reason to wait for someone else to take action, even if it’s a task simple as making a phone call or mailing a letter. By maintaining this attitude, one is much more likely to be able to adapt to their situations.
Howard, the long-time Houghton chemistry professor who retired in 2013, explains that what she admires most about Deborah Birx is her adaptability. She says the Response Coordinator “has been able to adapt to every environment using all the skills she’s learned along the way. She is flexible and able to adapt, and she still looks good on TV!”