ETSU will host a Great Lecture Series event on April 24 featuring public health leader Dr. Randy Wykoff, highlighting his legacy and impact on public health in Appalachia.

East Tennessee State University will host a special installment of its Great Lecture Series featuring Dr. Randy Wykoff, whose distinguished career has helped shape public health education and outreach across the region and beyond.

Traditionally, the ETSU Great Lecture Series highlights newly promoted full professors at the university. This unique event recognizes Wykoff’s extraordinary legacy as he prepares to retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year after nearly two decades of service to ETSU.

Wykoff will deliver his lecture, titled “How I Got Here and What is Left Undone,” on Friday, April 24, at 1 p.m. in the East Tennessee Room on the second level of the D.P. Culp Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Since joining ETSU in 2006 as the founding dean of the College of Public Health, Wykoff has led the college to national prominence. Under his leadership, the college became the first accredited college of public health in Tennessee and Central Appalachia, significantly expanded enrollment, and secured more than $50 million in research funding. His efforts have also helped establish innovative programs and research centers focused on the most pressing health challenges facing the Appalachian region.

A physician board-certified in pediatrics and public health, Dr. Wykoff has held numerous leadership roles at the national and international levels, including service with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration and Project HOPE. His contributions have earned him some of the nation’s highest honors, including the Surgeon General’s Medallion and induction into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame.

“Dr. Wykoff’s impact on ETSU and the broader field of public health is truly extraordinary,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “This special installment of the Great Lecture Series gives our campus and community a meaningful opportunity to hear from a leader whose vision, service and commitment have shaped not only a college, but the health and well-being of our region. We are honored to celebrate his legacy in this way.”

ETSU faculty lead the way in research, teaching and service, helping to position ETSU as the flagship of Appalachia.

For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at (423) 439-8346.

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