Alumni Stories

By Dana Larkin Sauers '74, P'99, P'03, P'03, P'09

The night Chris Elkins '90 presented the salutatorian address was unlike any that had preceded him in at least a decade and for several years thereafter. Yes, the auditorium was packed. Yes, the "New Gym" was sweltering. But his speech was not a list of pithy statements or grandiose ideas to follow one's dream, it was entertaining. Graduates settled into good laughs as they enjoyed their last moments in their beloved school. Even faculty chuckled as they stealthily shared Swedish Fish hidden in some master's sleeves.

His love of travel began as early as his application to Case Western Reserve University and continued as a passion for exploring the world, including Europe and the Caribbean. He speaks of "being blessed with a career that has taken me many places: Mexico City, Medellin, Colombia, China (twice – one of which was two months before the pandemic and then after the pandemic), Japan many times, Seoul, South Korea, Stockholm, Sweden (for European CDC), Utrecht/Amsterdam, Netherlands. I really enjoyed interacting with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Eating many things, I would never think or know what it might be, has left me with the motto: Try anything once."

Among his greatest life experiences, he recalls the birth of his firstborn, Abigail, as he had been adopted himself. "What it was like looking into the face of someone for the first time that is part me. People don't realize when you are adopted that you don't have that biological connection to anyone growing up. A person (in this situation) can't ever say, 'Oh, you remind me of your mother, father, uncle, cousin's face,' because that didn't exist for me until that moment."

During Chris's junior year, he confided in his honors English teacher, who was also the wife of his employer, Kent Sauers. He asked if she believed he could attain a doctorate. Sauers responded: "I not only believe it. I'll pay for the ticket to fly out to wherever you are and congratulate you." When he graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, Sauers met up with his family the night before his graduation, where she sat among a U.S. Poet Laureate and Dr. Jonas Salk's assistant—but not before touring his reptilian dorm room, which housed a plethora of live animals.

He earned a bachelor's degree in biology and history from Case Western in 1994, received a doctorate in microbiology in 2001 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and became a postdoctoral fellow in molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Coming from a faithful background, Dr. Elkins shared that during his academic progress, he was shocked to find that most scientists he encountered were atheists. He sees life as God's creation.

One day, soon after he achieved a PhD, Sauers received a large manila envelope. Sifting through it and understanding nothing, she assumed she was reading mail for Ms. Ruthann Pinkos and started walking toward the science wing. Suddenly, she reached the bottom and saw a yellow sticky note that stated, "I had to forget everything you taught me about poetry to write this dissertation in microbiology. Chris!"

Dr. Elkins has so many good memories of Delone Catholic. "Being part of the speech and debate team during quite a successful period under Ms. Mary Furlong, my buddy Sister Jackie the librarian, running to lunch (around the corner of the hallway) completely smashing into Mr. Tom Breech and spilling his coffee all over his shirt (clearly, he was not happy), SCC nuns Sisters Margarita and Deloris, Latin with Mrs. Connie Schlak which I still use to this day, Spanish with Ms. Black, French with Sr. Maria (Interesting!?) – and now with Duolingo, I'm learning German (I always liked the way it sounded, and it really complements the rational side of me – like Latin, it is well-structured and quite detailed). Of course, English both junior and senior years with Mrs. Sauers, Brevity of Life, American lit (which I very much continued in my history major focusing mostly on American history), there was also the Sauers field trip to Shippensburg with a group of students to watch Hamlet, a couple of us (Ken Smith, Duane Weaver) snuck out during intermission. He didn't see the last act, but she didn't let on too much. I cannot forget Ms. Anne Kerr and Ms. Barb Buehler. They are the reason why I went into the sciences. Ms. Buehler helped me get into the PA Governor's School between junior and senior years. Jerry McBride for history, also Mr. Andy Franko – can't forget Man's Search for Meaning – a book still on my bookshelf today along with Catcher in the Rye I chose to read for Sauers' class (Clearly I didn't understand it, kind of irritated me because it made no sense to my limited experience in life yet – but Sauers could tell I did read it because it evoked such a response from me, so she had me do a reading of a critical review of it and write a precis on the review). Again, a book I have on my bookshelf today. I chose to read it because I wanted to see what all the hype was about, and I was not afraid to read controversial things. After all, one can't be blind and needs to know for himself what other people do/say/believe."

"Most people I keep up with are folks that I went to Annunciation BVM with (12 years with some of them). An exception is Dr. Ken Smith ('90 matriculating from St. Joseph's school), who was best man in my wedding - along with a NY Jewish fellow and a Pakistani, both from my fraternity – such a diverse group."

"I was married at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville, Tenn., to Heather Hailey Elkins on Dec. 12, 1998. We have two daughters, Abigail and Sophia, and currently reside in Atlanta, Ga., having lived in the Bay Area of California, Little Rock, Ark., and Maryland."

Dr. Elkins loves the outdoors, hiking, camping, white water rafting, ziplining, and sometimes hunts and shoots. "I still play piano now on my 6'2" Cristofori black grand piano at my house, but don't get the time I'd like to spend on it with everything in life going on. My favorites are Americana: Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Fats Waller, Ragtime, Stride, and Jazz. I used to be a relief organist for St. Aloysius in Littlestown for weddings and other special events when growing up, but I haven't touched a pipe organ in many years, and it's probably a dying art – but it's like riding a bike, I can pick it back up anytime!"

Dr. Elkins has been working for the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) since 2017 and is currently the Chief of the Clinical and Environmental Microbiology laboratory operations in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NECZID). He supervises/manages eight first-line supervisors and approximately 130-150 scientists, providing overall scientific direction, management, and administration for the largest laboratory operation at the CDC, with an annual operating budget of $20-24M.

His previous appointment was as Director of the Division of Molecular Biology, in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) – at the time, the premier foods regulatory agency of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in College Park, Md. There, he managed the molecular bacteriology and virology laboratories/operations portfolio for foodborne pathogens and beneficial microbes (probiotics) and handled several notable foodborne outbreak analyses during his tenure there.

His publishing history is impressive, having published nearly one hundred articles in peer-reviewed national and international scholarly scientific journals. He currently serves as editor of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a flagship publication for the American Society for Microbiology – one of the oldest and largest scientific societies in the world. Dr. Elkins also wrote or contributed to five books.

Recently awarded the Alumnus award for Professional Achievement from the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dr. Elkins presented an acceptance speech at this annual alumni event and dinner. Within his speech he shared his surprising connection to his work on the COVID virus, "And little did I know in two short years of climbing that steep learning curve that I would mobilize the first and, for the initial months, the only laboratory COVID-19 testing operation for the country – again a volunteer-type of opportunity being at the right place at the right time with an interesting connection to UT Microbiology. I spent roughly the first year of my graduate studies here in the laboratory of the late Dr. David Brian—one of only a handful of coronavirus labs in the country. That little bit of exposure became hugely impactful given the limited practical knowledge of this virus at the start of the pandemic."

"During this time, no matter what side of the political spectrum you sit on, one thing became clear to me: that I personally witnessed the endless dedication of our civil (apolitical) servants in curbing the pandemic and protecting public health - efforts rooted in the volunteer spirit [of the University]. Namely, a sense of duty to fill a void that I knew existed to shape the laboratory and test capacities for the country by leading this element in the pandemic emergency response operations.

He continued, "It was truly a grueling 24/7 effort for months on end, and a monumental task of defining the right testing strategies and modalities, related guidance, and aligning state testing plans. Additionally, navigating from a sprint to a marathon mindset was a trial by fire, and took all the training and wits I could muster while sprinkling in some political savviness with the untimely convergence of changing administrations, changing Agency Director, and the rise of SARS-CoV-2 variants, all while standing up national genomic surveillance infrastructure and responding to the seemingly daily reach outs from the White House for updated numbers and associated uncertainty with these variants and vaccine coverage. I am a firm believer from my experience that a higher guiding power has brought us together and truly complements my quest for science and appreciation for the rational."

"While blessed to have my family, life, and health, there are great challenges with the current state of our country/divisiveness. I often think about how I started a career with the federal government – and I think for the right reasons – and am so saddened by many things.

"Another personal challenge is seeing the end of life coming with my parents. This has been quite an ordeal since February of this year. Dealing with Medicare, insurance, and overall, just navigating the process is so challenging before you even deal with the person-side of things."

As he reflects on his past and present, Chris Elkins exemplifies how our formative years can lay the foundation for personal growth and discovery. His journey—from a student navigating the halls of Delone Catholic to a globally recognized microbiologist—illustrates the profound impact of education, mentorship, and the bonds we form with others. Ultimately, Chris's story serves as a reminder of the importance of embracing our experiences, seeking knowledge, and cherishing the connections we make along the way.