Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams "finds purpose through practice"

By Ray Feldmann on April 13, 2018

Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, will give the keynote address during Towson University’s annual Research Week.  

Trent-Adams will speak on “Building a Career in Research: Finding Purpose through Practice,” on Tuesday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts building.  

Research Week (April 16-20) is a university-wide event that celebrates the excellence of research and creative inquiry performed by undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in every discipline. The week of programming includes a keynote speaker, over 200 poster presentations, competitions, receptions and award ceremonies, and peer-led events. 

During that week, there will be several opportunities for students to learn about research opportunities and present their own research and for departments, colleges, and programs to showcase their students’ achievements.  

As Deputy Surgeon General, Trent-Adams advises and supports the Surgeon General regarding operations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and in communicating the best available scientific information to advance the health of the nation. She previously served as the Chief Nurse Officer of the USPHS from November 2013 through May 2016. In that role, she advised the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of Corps nurse professionals.  

Trent-Adams has held various positions in HHS, working to improve access to care for poor and underserved communities. As a clinician and administrator, she has had a direct impact on building systems of care to improve public health for marginalized populations domestically and internationally. 

For Research Week at Towson University, Trent-Adams will speak on “Building a Career in Research: Finding Purpose through Practice.” 

“We are honored to have Rear Adm. Trent-Adams serve as our keynote speaker for Research Week,” said TU President Kim Schatzel. “We are especially excited to learn more about her work to improve the lives of poor and underserved communities.  Her lifelong commitment to serving and supporting others reflects our own core values and priorities.” 

Trent-Adams is no stranger to Towson University. Her daughter Nadira is a May 2017 TU graduate, earning her bachelor’s degree in accounting as a member of the Honors College. She will receive her master’s degree in accounting next month at SECU Arena.

Before joining the Office of the Surgeon General, Trent-Adams was deputy associate administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). She assisted in managing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 (Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program). The $2.3 billion program funds medical care, treatment, referrals and support services for uninsured and underserved people living with HIV disease as well as training for health care professionals. 

Trent-Adams began her career in the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS in 1992. She has published numerous articles, participated in research studies, and presented to a variety of domestic and international organizations and professional groups. Before joining the USPHS, she was a nurse officer in the U.S. Army. She also served as a research nurse at the University of Maryland.  

Trent-Adams also completed two internships in the U.S. Senate, where she focused on the prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities and scope of practice for nurses and psychologists. She has served as guest lecturer at the University of Maryland and Hampton University. Her clinical practice was in trauma, oncology, community health, and infectious disease.  

She has also served as the chair of the Federal Public Health Nurse Leadership Council, and the Federal Nursing Service Council.  

Trent-Adams received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hampton University, a Master of Science in Nursing and Health Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She became a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2014. 

Other TU Research Week activities include a Three Minute Thesis Competition on Wednesday, April 18, at 10:30 a.m. in the University Union room 305; the Research & Creative Inquiry Forum on Wednesday, April 18, at 1 p.m. in the Union’s Chesapeake Rooms; and a Research for Social Change Symposium on Friday, April 20, at 2 p.m. in the College of Liberal Arts room #4110.