Sandra Thurman is known for her work on AIDS. She was appointed in 1997 as the third director of the

Office of National AIDS Policy The Office of National AIDS Policy, established under President Clinton in 1993, coordinates the continuing domestic efforts to implement the President's National HIV/AIDS Strategy. In addition, the office works to coordinate an increasingly integr ...

serving in

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

's administration. As of 2023 she is the senior advisor to the Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis at the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...

and Chief Strategy Officer at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, which leads the implementation of

PEPFAR The United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the global health funding by the United States to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease. As of 2023, PEPFAR has ...

, and Global Health Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State. She is also a Professor of Practice at the

Rollins School of Public Health The Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) is the public health school of Emory University. Founded in 1990, Rollins has more than 1,100 students pursuing master's degrees ( MPH/MSPH) and over 150 students pursuing doctorate degrees (PhD). The ...

at Emory University.

Early life and education

Thurman is an only child. Her father worked in clothing manufacturing and her mother, Marge Thurman, was the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party. Thurman earned her undergraduate degree from

Mercer University Mercer University is a Private university, private Research university, research university in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the s ...

in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Community Pastoral Care and HIV/AIDS from St. Paul's University in Limuru, Kenya.

Career

Thurman began her association with AID Atlanta by fundraising, and by 1989 was the organization's executive director. She worked at AID Atlanta for ten years before taking the position as the director of the Office of National AIDS Policy in the Clinton administration. While in this position Thurman indicated her priority was to make AIDS a priority in the Clinton administration. Thurman also worked on Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1996. In March and April 1999 Thurman and

David Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marine Associa ...

traveled with a Presidential Mission to Africa which highlighted the tragedy of children orphaned by AIDS. Thurman was a founding member of Cities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief and has served on the board of directors of numerous AIDS organizations. She also served as Director of Advocay Programs for the Task Force for Child Survival and Development at the Carter Center. In 2008 Thurman accepted a position at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. In 2021 she was honored with an

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

Commitment to End AIDS award.Gardner, Chris, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (7 July 2021)
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Selected publications

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thurman, Sandra Living people Mercer University alumni American HIV/AIDS activists St. Paul's University, Limuru alumni Clinton administration personnel Year of birth missing (living people)