Dr. Nirav Shah, Director is Returning to Maine to Become a Faclty Member of Colby College in the Fall of 2025.

Dr. Nirav D. Shah, an epidemiologist, who became a household name in Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic,  has announced that he will be joining the Colby College faculty in the fall as a visiting professor in the Department of Statistics.  Dr. Shah will teach courses on public health and will help the College develop its public health program.

Dr. Shah formerly served as the popular Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention in the Mills administration where he became a respected household name in Maine and the nation.

Dr. Shah received an honorary doctoral degree from Colby in 2022.  He stepped down from a leadership position at the US Center for Disease Control in Atlanta on February 28, 2025.

Colby College President David A. Greene said that Dr. Shah earned widespread praise for being truthful, direct and compassionate and is skilled at making complicated scientific concepts understandable.  His mastery of subject material, generiousity of spirit and calm leadership style have made him a trusted public health official in the state and federal levels and a revered public servant.

Dr. Shah holds medical and law degrees and will also teach a course on the fundamentals of the American legal system.

Dr. Shan said he was “over the moon” about his new post as a member of the Colby faculty.  “This is a fantastic opportunity to train the next generation of public health leaders.  Colby is well positioned to be a national leader in undergraduate public health education and I’m honored to help play a role.”