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PORTLAND, Maine

Sharon McDonnell interviewed on TV and radio before departing to Liberia to combat Ebola

WCSH 6 and Public Radio International (PRI) both aired  interviews on November 18, 2014, with Sharon McDonnell, R.N., M.D., M.P.H., an adjunct faculty member in UNE’s Master of Public Health program, who departed yesterday for Liberia where she will work with the International Rescue Committee to assist in the management of the Ebola epidemic. The Portland Press Herald online also mentioned McDonnell’s trip and directed its readers to the WCSH news segment.

McDonnell, who has been to Africa close to a dozen times in her career as a doctor, public health professional, epidemiologist and university professor, will track the Ebola epidemic, gathering data to help stop transmission of the disease.

In the WCSH television interview, McDonnell discussed her motivation for undertaking this endeavor.  "Every time I’d watch [Ebola coverage] on the news, I’d feel like I should be there helping.  I have something to offer that situation."

McDonnell also explained the importance of public support for the health care workers who volunteer to assist with the epidemic, and she applauded UNE for making it possible for her to participate.  "UNE let me stop my teaching load [and] found someone else to take over so I could go," she stated.

In the radio interview with PRI, McDonnell was asked if she was nervous or frightened on the eve of her travels.  "I think I’m a lot like a journalist," she replied.  "If something is on fire or something big is happening, I tend to run towards it… As an epidemiologist, I feel like this is what I’m trained to do."

McDonnell compared Ebola to the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic, noting that during the time that she worked to combat HIV/AIDS, there was a great deal of public fear and uncertainty, much like there is today.

As the creator of learning materials for students of epidemiology, McDonnell stated the important role of thorough epidemiological study of the Ebola virus.  "I want to be in the middle of this," she stated, "so we can start making sure that the next generation of epidemiologists has the tools… to really learn about this."

PRI plans to periodically check in with McDonnell during her time in Liberia.

Watch the interview on WCSH

Listen to the interview on PRI

 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.