Paul Etkind

Paul Etkind is a retired public health epidemiologist who concentrated primarily on infectious diseases. He worked at the local, state, and national levels, and was (and continues to be) active in professional organizations. Besides continuing work in epidemiology, he is active in (among other things) forest and lake sustainability within Eastman in Grantham, the Sherlock Holmes Club of the Upper Valley, and writing letters to the editor of the Valley News and other publications. His academic background includes a Bachelor's degree in Biology (1974) from Clark University in Worcester, MA, and a Masters (1976) and Doctoral degree (1998) from the School of Public Health at Yale University.

The Tiny Tyrant: The Outsized Impact of the Mosquito on Human History (Winter Term 2026)

Participant Testimonials:

It was a marvelous adventure learning a new way of looking at history

The juxtaposition of scientific and medical discoveries with the historical narrative was insightful.  Important figures were not overlooked, with some pithy quotes along the way.  The scope was very wide, yet presented with organization that kept it from being overwhelming. 

The Current Pandemic of Pseudoscience, Mis-Information, and Dis-Information (Winter Term 2024)

Participant Testimonials: 

Definitions of the three topics are now clearer to me and that was a goal

I learned a lot from the presentation, materials and knowledgeable participants

Influenza: Mother Nature's Worst WMD (Weapon of Mass Disease) (Fall Term 2018)

Participant Testimonials:

Paul Etkind was extremely well-prepared for each class and he followed-up on issues and questions brought up in conversations. It was a good mix of information, conversation, and documentaries.

The study leader was very knowledgeable in his field, open to any and all questions and discussions, and was organized and stuck to his course objectives and outline, while still being flexible. Also, the topic of pandemics and epidemics was relevant to today and to the future.