School of Public Health

Epidemiology & Population Health (EPPH)

Stephen L. FischerStephen L. Fischer

Dr. Stephen Fischer joined the War Related Injury & Illness Study Center in 2023 after a 20-year career with the Department of Navy and Marine Corps, and 3 years at Smithsonian Institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Fischer earned a Navy scholarship and received his Medical Degree from New York University in 1999. He completed his medical internship in New Orleans, and then he served forward-deployed naval forces in the Western Pacific aboard Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan, and at sea with Destroyer Squadron Fifteen, from 2000 to 2004. Dr Fischer subsequently trained as an Undersea (Diving) Medical Officer and returned to forward-deployed naval forces aboard Explosives Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 in Guam, US Marianas Islands, 2005 to 2007. Dr Fischer underwent training as a Naval Flight Surgeon from 2007 to 2008 in Pensacola, Florida, and he was certified as a FAA Aeromedical Examiner. He then served with the Naval Academy’s Brigade Medical Unit while he attended Johns Hopkins and earned his MPH. After, he served with First Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, 2010 to 2013, and deployed to Afghanistan with the Marines. From 2014 to 2020, he served with Naval Medical Research & Development Enterprise and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, with additional duties as Public Health Emergency Officer. Dr Fischer is board-certified, Fellow of the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, Associate Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association, and life member of American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. Dr Fischer moonlights weekend shifts at critical access community hospitals across Louisiana’s 64 Parishes, and he is a part-time consultant for Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Community Preparedness. 
George FriersonGeorge Frierson

George Fierson, M.A., is a geographic information systems (GIS) professional with over 25 years of experience. He currently works as a GIS Consultant for the Louisiana Department of Hospitals/Office of Public Health/Section of Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology. He earned his B.A. and M.A in Geography from the University of New Orleans. During his undergraduate work he also obtained a Minor in Latin American Studies.

Russel HonoreRussel Honore

General Russel Honoré is a decorated 37-year army veteran and a global authority on leadership, disaster management, and climate preparedness. At the request of the Speaker of the House, the General led Task Force 1-6 Capitol Security Review to improve Capitol security following the attacks on January 6, 2021. As the commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, he became known as the “Category 5 General” for his leadership in coordinating military relief efforts in post-hurricane New Orleans. General Honoré knows that the future of our national security depends on protecting our environment, and he’s fighting for a brighter future for us all. A Louisiana native, he founded the GreenARMY, a coalition of environmental experts and advocates, to protect against pollution while fighting climate change and the natural disasters it causes. During his military career, General Honoré held numerous commands, including Vice Director for Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commander of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security.