The panelists
Soon after completing his internal medicine residency, Fauci joined the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAID) at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 1968 as a clinical associate. He went on to become a section head and a lab chief before being appointed NIAID director in 1984.
Fauci managed these positions while continuing to conduct research and treat patients. He discovered treatments for formerly fatal diseases and contributed to the global medical community’s understanding of the human immune system. His research is among the most cited in the world. He is a vocal supporter of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Acton is a physician and community leader who has spent over 35 years pursuing her passion for public health and wellness. She is in private practice in preventive medicine and global public health.
Whether as director of the Ohio Department of Health during early days of the COVID pandemic, vice president of Human:Kind at the Columbus Foundation, or professor in global public health, Acton has inspired interdisciplinary, cross-sector teams to address our most challenging issues.
An accomplished leader, instructor, researcher, and scholar, Rivera is an advocate for social justice and brings a strong commitment to inclusion and equity to her role as Macalester College president.
Before being appointed at Macalester, Rivera was vice president for research and technology management at Case Western Reserve and served on the faculty in the Departments of Bioethics and Pediatrics at CWRU, leading original research projects funded by the NIH, the federal Office of Research Integrity, and The Cleveland Foundation.
Burton has been called a national treasure. He won the Inamori Ethics Prize in 2019 for his outstanding global ethical leadership in the arts as an advocate for important and worthy causes—especially literacy for children and adults and support for AIDS/HIV research and treatment.
His work for children's literacy through the long-running PBS children's series Reading Rainbow and his nonprofit RRKIDZ has had a profound impact around the world, as has his support for more funding for AIDS/HIV research. He also endorses the importance of representation in the arts and in literature, as well as in policy making and leadership.
The Inamori Ethics Prize
The Inamori Ethics Prize has been awarded since 2008 to honor outstanding international ethical leaders whose actions and influence have greatly improved the condition of humankind.