Dr. Celan J. Alo
His lifework as a researcher and epidemiologist is recognized for its significant contributions to disease control, preventive health initiatives, and physical fitness.
Dr. Alo’s preparation for a life of service began in his home town of Nasipit, Agusan. Following the World War II years, many Evangelical Christian families in Mindanao believed that a Silliman education for their children would make up for the deprivations that the war had brought. Dr. Alo’s parents sent all three of their children to Silliman, with the youngest, Celan, finishing his secondary schooling in 1969 and earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1974. Medical studies at the Cebu Institute of Medicine earned him a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1978. Serving his internship at the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City, he was named the “Most Outstanding Intern of the Year” in 1979. With his license as a physician, he returned to his hometown in Agusan and was employed as a Public Health Physician for several years.
While working as a medical epidemiologist at the Illinois Department of Public Health in Springfield, he strengthened his academic credentials by completing a Masters degree in Public Health at the University of Illinois in 1996 after he had further training in Epidemiology at Tufts University in Massachusetts (1990), and as a Fellow at the Chicago School of Public Health, University of Illinois (1993-1994).
From 1986 to 1991, Dr. Alo worked with the Illinois Department of Health in Springfield, Illinois, the Illinois State Career Registry and the Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Reporting System (1991-1992), and the Division of Epidemiologic Studies (1986-1997). Moving to Austin, Texas in 1997, he served the Bureau of Chronic Disease and Tobacco Prevention (1997-2004), and the Institutional Review Board (1997-2002). His longest employment, however, was with the Population Health Division of the United States Air Force as Medical Epidemiologist (2004-2016). After 30 years, he retired from the Department of Defense, United States Armed Forces Epidemiological Research Team.
Dr. Alo has published countless health-related articles, research papers, and study cases promoting health prevention and disease control and about his studies in radiation and occupational safety and hazards. He was Medical Review Editor and a contributing author for the Health and Wellness textbook (McMillan/McGraw-Hill Publishing Company) that was used by public school students from kindergarten to 8th grade in 2014.
Beyond being a researcher and epidemiologist, Dr. Alo also actively participates in community life through his membership and leadership in the Central Illinois Phil-Am Society and the Filipino-American Society in Springfield. He has not forgotten his Christian roots and his alma mater, observing the “Silliman Spirit” and fostering an attitude of service, sharing his talents, time, and resources generously.
