George W. Contreras, DrPH(c), MEP, MPH, MS, CEM, EMTP, is Assistant Professor, Institute of Public Health, and Assistant Director of the Center for Disaster Medicine at New York Medical College (NYMC). He possesses over thirty years of experience in the fields of emergency medical services (EMS), disaster management, mental and public health, higher education, international disaster response, healthcare administration and consulting. Prior to his current NYMC positions, he served as tenured Associate Professor and Director of Allied Health at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York- the largest public urban education system in the nation. He holds appointments as adjunct professor at Metropolitan College of New York (since 2004), adjunct Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and adjunct faculty at the University of Malaga and the School of Medicine at Universidad CES in Medellin, Colombia. He was also part of the academic committee who developed the undergraduate degree in emergency management and business continuity at MCNY.

Professor Contreras has actively participated in various disasters in New York City and abroad including the 1993 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the TWA 800 plane crash, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, 2012 flooding in Ecuador, Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, the Miracle on the Hudson crash landing, and the September 11th terrorist attacks where he worked as a paramedic at Ground Zero and was fortunate enough to survive as the second tower collapsed. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he continues to work as a paramedic in New York City.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Public Health in Community Health Education, and a Master of Science in Health Services Administration (with Honors). He is currently a DrPH candidate in Health Policy and Management at New York Medical College. He is a FEMA-certified instructor in Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), Weapons of Mass Destruction, and a Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP). He is a New York State Department of Health EMS Instructor and is credentialed as a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). He also volunteers with the Central Park Medical Unit in New York City, the Town of Newburgh Emergency Medical Services and Winona Lake Engine Company #2.