Joel Dulaigh, 1993
Captain Joel Dulaigh has dedicated his life to military and public service, walking a path defined by discipline, duty and commitment to the health of others. His uniformed service began in 1988 with the Colorado Army National Guard, where he served more than seven years before graduating from Mesa State College in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After two years as a nurse, he entered active duty with the United States Navy in 1995, beginning a career bridging military medicine, public health and leadership.
Dulaigh earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2000 and soon after received an extraordinary assignment: service within the White House Medical Unit. From 2002 to 2005, he traveled the world as part of the President’s and Vice President’s medical support team, providing direct care under high-pressure circumstances. As the Vice President Dick Cheney's nurse, he stood at the intersection of medicine, security and diplomacy.
He later transitioned to the Naval Reserve and returned to Grand Junction to work in critical care and cardiology at St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. In 2009, he re-entered active duty with the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Over the next decade, he served as director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) diving medicine program, chaired the NOAA Diving Medical Review Board and deployed with Rapid Deployment Force Team 3 to crises including Hurricanes Irene, Sandy and Maria.
Today, Capt. Dulaigh serves as Chief of Staff to the U.S. Surgeon General. A Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, he was named CMU Distinguished Alumnus in 2005. His journey illustrates the far-reaching impact of a life built on service, excellence and a CMU education.