Newswise — Baltimore, MD, USA (May 18, 2023) – The Global Virus Network (GVN) recently appointed Andrea Ridenour as Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Development and Robert Frederick as Chief Content Officer.
“Two of the GVN’s most important strategic priorities are enhancing financial development by expanding our Corporate Partnership Program and optimizing awareness and visibility through content dissemination and thought leadership,” said Mathew L. Evins, GVN Board of Directors Executive Chairman and Treasurer. “Through the appointment of Robert and Andrea, we now have two exceptional and outstanding professionals to substantially enhance the organization’s consequence and impact, helping the GVN fulfill the vision of its cofounders: Robert Gallo, MD of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, William Hall, MD, PhD of University College Dublin and the late Reinhard Kurth, MD, PhD, of the Robert Koch Institute.”
As Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Development, Ms. Ridenour leads both GVN’s Corporate Partnerships Program and the solicitation of leadership gifts to ensure GVN’s long-term viability. To achieve this goal, she will work in collaboration with GVN leadership, engaging its Board of Directors and partners in fundraising activities.
Robert Frederick steers the creation, coordination, continuity, and implementation of GVN’s content and communications as its first Chief Content Officer. In his editorially independent role, Mr. Frederick will explore new ideas, platforms, and technologies to support GVN’s mission to produce authoritative science-driven information and policy perspectives within the ever-changing media content and distribution landscape. As viral threats emerge, Mr. Frederick will also highlight GVN members with relevant expertise and insights, increasing GVN’s visibility and impact among the scientific community, policymakers, and the public.
Ms. Ridenour brings years of experience in the development space, with a targeted focus on implementing large-scale partnerships between nonprofits, corporations, government entities and foundations. In her most recent roles with Susan G. Komen and the Colorectal Cancer Foundation, Ms. Ridenour focused predominantly on building strong corporate relationships with key players the cancer space, including top-tier pharmaceutical companies. She has also held leadership positions with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Conquer Cancer Foundation.
Ms. Ridenour holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa, a Nonprofit Leadership Certification from North Park University and a Master of Public Administration from American University in Washington, DC.
Mr. Frederick brings two decades of experience in science communication to GVN. Previously, he was Digital Managing Editor of American Scientist, where he also contributed as a columnist, interviewer, editor, producer, and podcaster. Prior to that, he served as Science’s Associate Online Editor and later, Web Editor, where he also produced videos and ran the magazine’s weekly podcast. He was also St. Louis Public Radio’s first Science Reporter, contributing to the Associated Press and NPR's national broadcasts. Throughout his career, Mr. Frederick has freelanced for a wide variety of outlets in multiple media, and he is a contributor to The Science Writers' Handbook (Da Capo, 2013).
Mr. Frederick holds a masters in applied mathematics from the University of Michigan and a triple major in mathematics, philosophy, and statistics from The University of Chicago. He is an AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow as well as a Fellow with the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and teaches in the university’s journalism program.
“Partnerships with industry, science writers and advocates are at the heart of GVN activities,” said Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, President of the GVN, Associate Vice President for International Partnerships and Innovation at University of South Florida (USF), and Professor, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters. “The recruitment of Andrea and Robert is a significant step towards fully supporting the major growth and success of GVN worldwide.”
About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The GVN is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense, and first research response to emerging, exiting, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health. Working in close coordination with established national and international institutions, the GVN is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 71 Centers of Excellence and 9 Affiliates in 40 countries, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues, and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit https://gvn.org/. Follow us on Twitter at @GlobalVirusNews.
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