On January 26, Dr. Barbara Mahon ’78, an epidemiologist and public health expert, received the Alumni Award. Dr. Mahon worked for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for almost 13 years in several senior positions, and has since become the Deputy Director of Surveillance and Epidemiology at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 1974, Dr. Mahon, a native of Sharon, Connecticut, arrived on campus as one of four Prep girls in the first year of coeducation at the school.
Mahon said, “The girls all had something in common in terms of being willing to take a risk. Lots of people would ask us at home, ‘Wow, you’re going to that all-boys school?’ but it was a moment where I was really thinking for myself.”
During her time at the school, Mahon was captain of Girls Varsity Soccer and an editor for The Hotchkiss Review, played for Girls Varsity Basketball and Varsity Softball, and received several all-school awards.
After leaving Lakeville, Dr. Mahon received her bachelor of arts from Harvard University, graduating with a degree in biology in 1982. Three years later, she attended medical school at the University of California San Francisco, where she earned her MD in 1989. She then earned her master’s in public health from University of California Berkeley in 1994.
Olivia Choo ’26 said, “Having role models like Dr. Mahon has inspired me and will surely inspire many students, not only by showing us possible career paths, but also by reminding us about the strength of our education and community.”
Lilah Crispino ’27 said, “Dr. Mahon has pursued a career that she loves and has made an incredible difference in the world. When students see all that she has accomplished, they will realize that they can make similar changes.”
Dr. Mahon encouraged students to think about how their work may contribute to society when deciding which fields they would like to pursue.
She said, “Everyone needs to find their star. One of the privileges of being at Hotchkiss is the ability to pursue what you love, what you think is beautiful or profound. It’s important to use that to take a holistic view of what a good life is [beyond making money].”
—Ellie Keum ’26 contributed reporting.
