Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano serves on the NCAA Board of Governors with Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former surgeon general likely to be tapped by President-elect Joe Biden to fill the role of “America’s doctor.”
Vivek Murthy
“He was thoughtfulĚýand always asked great questions,” DiStefano said. “The health and wellness of student-athletes were a top priority for him. He was a valuable asset to the NCAA Board of Governors during the pandemic.”
In spring 2019, Murthy was among five independent members who joined college and university presidents—including the CU Boulder chancellor—on the board that sets the future direction for college sports.Ěý
That broadened representation on the NCAA Board of Governors wasĚýamong the recommendationsĚýof the Commission on College Basketball, an independent group led by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, which formed in response to a federal investigation into corruption in college basketball.Ěý
Chancellor Philip DiStefano
“As surgeon general, I’m sure he’ll heavily rely on science and experts regarding policy,” said DiStefano, who sits on the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors and voted in favor of expanding its representation.Ěý
DiStefano began a three-year term on the NCAA Board of Governors in August 2016 and his term was renewed for one year to August 2021.
Murthy, who served as the nation’s surgeon general from 2014 to 2017, is a physician, public health advocate, teacher and entrepreneur who discovered the art of healing watching his parents run a medical clinic in Miami. He published the first Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and HealthĚýand the first federal report on e-cigarettes and youth. He also launched a campaign to call the nation’s health professionals together to address America’s opioid crisis, according to the NCAA.
