André Sayegh, Mayor of the City of Paterson
Newswise — André Sayegh, Mayor of the City of Paterson, has been named the 2022 Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Awardee by the Rutgers School of Public Health. He will also serve as the School’s speaker at their 39th graduation ceremony.
Hailed as the School’s highest honor, the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Award was established in 2001 to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to public health through a significant record of advocacy, the development of programs, and capacity building that has led to expanded research, education, and service opportunities.
Mayor Sayegh exemplifies these ideals through his lifelong dedication to public service, founded upon creating safer communities for all people and populations through collaboration and innovation.
As Mayor of Paterson since 2018 and previous councilman of a decade, Mayor Sayegh has been steadfast in rebuilding and inspiring the Paterson community. From infrastructure initiatives that have improved parks and generated economic growth through business redevelopment, to dedicating resources to ensure public safety, he has advocated for the holistic health and wellbeing of all Paterson residents.
In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic confronted the world, Mayor Sayegh worked tirelessly to protect and serve the Paterson community. By fostering relationships with community partners and devising innovative programs for testing and vaccination efforts - including mobile testing and vaccination sites - Mayor Sayegh ensured access to COVID-19 resources to improve health outcomes for all. To date, Mayor Sayegh and the Paterson community boast a 100% vaccination rate based on the New Jersey Department of Health’s measure for adults ages 18 and over receiving at least one dose. Paterson continues to vaccinate its uncounted and unhoused populations.
Mayor Sayegh’s advocacy and health care initiatives extend beyond COVID-19. In January 2022, Mayor Sayegh announced Paterson was one of 15 cities worldwide to be awarded a $1 million grant through the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge Competition. The award will support Paterson’s RealFix program, designed in collaboration with the Rutgers School of Public Health’s and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s Stanley Weiss, to combat opioid addiction and the ongoing opioid crisis.
Mayor Sayegh earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Seton Hall University, where he was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He later completed his master’s degree in public policy and administration from Columbia University.
Mayor Sayegh will be honored with the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Award on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, during the Rutgers School of Public Health’s annual graduation ceremony, where he will address graduates, faculty, staff, and guests.
Prior recipients include Laurie Garret, best-selling author and science news reporter, Tammy Murphy, First Lady of the State of new Jersey, Mark Wade, director of the Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness, Shelley A. Hearne, principal investigator for CityHealth and senior advisor to the Big Cities Health Coalition, and Abdul El-Sayed, doctor and civil servant.
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ABOUT THE RUTGERS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
The Rutgers School of Public Health is New Jersey’s leading academic institution in public health that is committed to advancing the health and wellbeing and preventing disease throughout New Jersey, the United States, and the world, by preparing students as public health leaders, scholars, and practitioners; conducting public health research and scholarship; engaging collaboratively with communities and populations; and actively advocating for policies, programs, and services through the lens of equity and social justice. Learn how the Rutgers School of Public Health is "keeping the ‘public’ in public health,” by visiting them at https://sph.rutgers.edu.
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