Alumni of Merit Award

The Alumni of Merit Award, the highest honor the Alumni Association bestows on an alumna/us of Whitman College, is given to alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen field, or rendered outstanding service to their community, or rendered outstanding service to, and demonstrated loyal interest in, Whitman College.

The 2024 Alumnus of Merit is Juan Lubroth ’79

Whitman College is honored to present Juan Lubroth ’79 with the Alumni of Merit Award. As the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from 2009-2020, Dr. Lubroth spearheaded vital initiatives at the intersection of animal health, food systems, environmental protection and public health. His career has been defined by groundbreaking work in disease surveillance, biosecurity, wildlife and conservation of ecosystems and addressing emerging zoonotic threats and endemic disease burdens.

Dr. Lubroth's decades of service span high-level roles with the UN, USDA, PAHO/WHO and Yale School of Medicine. He has initiated cooperative programs with international partners to progressively control transboundary animal diseases across America, Central and Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond. As a trusted expert, he has been instrumental in developing global frameworks for early warning systems, crisis management and bolstering laboratory biosafety.

A biology graduate from Whitman, Dr. Lubroth went on to earn a DVM, MPhil and PhD focused on infectious disease epidemiology. His contributions to bridging veterinary medicine with human health, public policy have had profound impacts on billions of lives worldwide.

Whitman recognizes Dr. Juan Lubroth as an alumnus who has achieved truly exceptional professional distinction while demonstrating a remarkable commitment to service on a global scale. His visionary leadership continues to advance human and animal health for a more sustainable and safer world.