State reviewing degree assertion by health lab chief

Ralph Timperi began signing state e-mails in recent weeks with a notation indicating he held a doctorate. Timperi also said he listed the 2003 degree from Trinity Southern University on his Web page, which is linked through the Harvard School of Public Health, where he is an adjunct lecturer.

Timperi's listing of his newly minted doctoral degree stirred grousing at the lab, according to two Department of Public Health employees, who asked not to be identified. DPH workers tracked down the source of the degree, said an employee who notified the Globe over the weekend.

"Certainly, any information like this is troubling," said Roseanne Pawelec, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health. "We pride ourselves on our integrity and our credibility."

The Harvard School of Public Health was closed for yesterday's holiday.

Timperi, 60, is widely respected for his 15 years' running the renowned Jamaica Plain lab, which is the envy of other states for its research into infectious disease outbreaks. He said in telephone interviews yesterday that he pursued the degree after receiving an e-mail from the university while he was on a research mission last summer in Cambodia.

After doing more research into the university, Timperi said, he decided to renounce the degree and to remove mention of it from his web page, which he did Monday.

"I admit I was foolish, and once I looked into it, I immediately withdrew it," Timperi said. "Maybe you could say I was naive, but I truly believed what had been sent to me was valid."

To receive a doctorate, applicants must "submit a detailed self-evaluation," according to the university's website. Timperi said he sent about 10 pages of information detailing his resume and related material about his accomplishments. He said he believed that his work in the field of epidemiology, spanning four decades, qualified him for one of the university's degrees.

"I felt that all the reasons I was getting awarded this from a legal accrediting body was based on all of the blood and sweat and tears and years that I had put in during my life, not that I was buying it," he said.

Timperi acknowledged that he began identifying himself as holding a doctorate in the weeks after receiving notification that he had been awarded the degree, which he said happened in September. He also acknowledged he was aware colleagues with more traditional advanced degrees might be critical of his doctorate.

The two Department of Public Health employees said yesterday their colleagues appeared upset last week as word spread through the department about the nature of Timperi's doctorate. The two DPH workers spoke on condition of anonymity, citing job concerns.

The degree came to the attention of agency workers in late October at a conference in Boston, where Timperi was listed as having a doctorate, the employees said. Colleagues congratulated him on his new achievement, they said, but questions emerged immediately because no one was aware Timperi was working on the degree. Web searches led employees to the site for Trinity Southern, the workers said, where they learned that doctorates were based on previous experience and cost $499.

One employee said the frustration stemmed from concerns that Timperi's unusual degree could sully the department's strong reputation. The other Department of Public Health employee agreed, saying the mood among colleagues soon turned to disbelief and sadness.

Timperi said he started to become concerned about the degree over the weekend, when he was searching the Internet for online education programs. He said he happened upon a discussion thread in which participants were hashing over the credentials of Trinity Southern. "It became clear to me this was not a real university," Timperi said.

"My work speaks for itself, and I would hope that this particular error would not offend somebody, that I could make a mistake and also correct it. You're talking about something that only existed for a couple of weeks."

The Department of Public Health became aware of Timperi's doctorate yesterday after inquiries by the Globe. Pawelec said the agency will review Timperi's actions. She said being awarded an advanced degree would not have affected his rank, pay, or pension.

Trinity's website explains how the degrees are granted, but there is little contact information. The Globe reached a spokesman by sending a letter to an Idaho fax number listed on the site.

An e-mail response came from A.S. Poe, identified as dean of admissions and vice chancellor. The e-mail said degrees are awarded to "worthy individuals who have the same or better knowledge of a recent college graduate" based on previous work experience and courses taken elsewhere.

An application is evaluated within 72 hours by registrars in Argentina, according to the website. Once accepted, applicants are asked to pay the fee. Poe's e-mail said there also are registrars in Costa Rica, with a staff of 12 split between the countries, and a business office in Texas. Degrees are advertised as reading "Trinity Southern University, Dallas, Texas."

Trinity's website says it is accredited by the National Association of Prior Learning Colleges and Universities. That organization's website lists an e-mail address. An e-mail message sent from the Globe Monday seeking comment was not answered.