UMASS BOSTON'S JOHN W. McCORMACK GRADUATE SCHOOL OF POLICY STUDIES ANNOUNCES NEW FELLOW
Boston, MA June 10, 2009 - The John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston welcomes its new Fellow to the school: Dr. John B. Chittick.
"Dr. John Chittick has a remarkable career in the field of AIDS education and awareness. We are pleased to recognize his achievements and help him bring his message to more young people in Massachusetts and around the world. In an era where personal commitment too often falls victim to cynicism and bureaucracy, John Chittick has dedicated himself to direct action with enthusiasm and good cheer. He will be an example for all of us here at the McCormack School," said Crosby.
Dr. John Chittick is the Creator and Executive Director of Boston-based TeenAIDS-PeerCorps, Inc. For more than two decades, Chittick has traveled the country and the globe educating teens about the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Based on the premise that every maturing adolescent has the right to full and honest access to the medical facts of AIDS prevention, Chittick has taken his straight-talk lectures (Global Walk to Prevent Teen HIV/AIDS) to personally train 330,000 teen peer educators in more than 83 countries.
According to the UNAIDS/WHO Global HIV/AIDS Online Database which collates the most recent country-specific data on the spread and impact of the virus, an estimated 33 million people worldwide are infected with the disease. And people 25 years old and younger represent 50% of all new infections worldwide. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control estimates that one out of four new cases of HIV occur in American teens age 13 - 19.
A leading authority and innovator in HIV prevention among young people, Chittick founded TeenAIDS as a proactive charity dedicated to empower teens to help save their generation from the growing but avoidable danger of HIV. The MIT and Harvard educated Chittick sponsored the first international Webcast to educate teens on World AIDS Day in 2006. Most recently, he completed his "Heart of Africa" AIDS walk through Sudan, Rwanda and the Congo. Chittick holds an Ed.D in Education and Human Development from Harvard University.
About the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies
The McCormack Graduate School was founded in 2003 to create dynamic academic and research center in policy studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The school's mission is to serve the people, and to address the issues of a great urban society through outstanding teaching, research, and service. The school offers an exciting range of educational and research opportunities. Thought-provoking academic programs, research centers, and institutes provide a rich environment in which to explore policy and the complex issues which shape policy and impact communities worldwide.