Rochelle Walensky is of Caucasian ethnicity, and her parents are Edward Bersoff and Carol Bersoff-Bernstein. The 55 year-old physician-scientist served as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2021 to 2023.
Rochelle grew up in the USA and has gone on to become one of the most influential women in the country following her appointment as CDC director by US President Joe Biden. The professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School is also the administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Rochelle Walensky was Born and Raised in the USA
Rochelle Walensky was born in the United States of America. According to our findings, she was born in Peabody, a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. This was also where she grew up with her family.
As we have mentioned, Rochelle was born on the 5th of April, 1969. This means she is 55 years old at the moment, and her zodiac sign is Aries. Rochelle has since grown up to become a successful woman who is respected for her work as a physician-scientist.
Rochelle Walensky’s Ethnicity
Rochelle Walensky is of mixed ethnicity, according to reports. This is because she has Jewish, Russian, and Lithuanian roots. According to our findings, Rochelle’s paternal grandfather, whose name was Brigadier General Irving Bersoff, was born in New York to Russian Jewish parents.
Also, Rochelle’s paternal grandmother, whose name was Minna Cohen, was born in New York to Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire. This makes Rochelle’s Jewish roots quite strong. Minna Cohen’s father is also reported to be from Salakas, Lithuania, which means that Rochelle also has Lithuanian roots.
Rochelle Walensky proudly identifies with her Jewish roots and is even more regarded as a Jewish person by many people. Rochelle also identifies with many Jewish people. As a matter of fact, the man that Rochelle eventually married is called Loren D. Walensky, and, interestingly, he happens to be an American physician-scientist and pediatric oncologist who actually has Jewish roots.
Both Rochelle and her husband are very proud of their Jewish heritage and are even members of Temple Emanuel, a Reform Jewish congregation in Newton, Massachusetts. Together, Rochelle and her husband are parents to three sons whom they care very much about.
What is Rochelle Walensky’s Nationality?
Rochelle Walensky’s nationality is a topic about her that has been frequently broached. This is because there have been claims that she may have dual nationality. However, this claim appears to be quite untrue.
Rochelle is clearly of American nationality, considering she was born and raised in the USA. Whether or not she has another nationality is not a claim that has been proven to be correct. What we do now at this moment is that Rochelle Walensky is, quite simply, an American woman.
Who are Rochelle Walensky’s Parents?
Rochelle Walensky was born to a father called Edward Bersoff and a mother identified as Carol Bersoff-Bernstein. They have been credited with being the brains behind her success as they gave her everything she needed to develop into the very smart and successful woman she now is.
Edward Bersoff is Rochelle Walensky’s Dad
Rochelle Walensky’s father, Edward Bersoff, is a very successful American businessman who has made millions of dollars running his high-tech corporation called BTG Inc. Having bagged A.B., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics from New York University, initially served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
While in the army, he was assigned to NASA’s Electronics Research Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After leaving the army, he then taught mathematics at different institutions, including New York University, Boston University, American University, and others. He then proceeded to establish his IT service management company called BTG Inc. in 1982.
He served as the chief executive and president of BTG Inc. until 2001, when he sold the company to Titan Corporation. The following year, in 2002, he was elected to the board of Titan. He is highly respected for his work and accomplishments. In November 2019, he was honored by getting inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2019 Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards.
Rochelle Walensky’s Mother is Carol Bersoff-Bernstein
Rochelle Walensky’s mother, Carol Bersoff-Bernstein, is also a very strong and highly ambitious woman. According to our findings, she was born in the USA, but not much else is known about her early days and what she studied in school, or what her aspirations were as a younger woman.
However, we know that Carol Bersoff-Bernstein used to work as a school teacher. She later worked in human resources and then rose to become an executive at a technology company. Even though she was married to a man with lots of money as a successful businessman, she worked hard to make her own living and name.
Apparently, Rochelle Walensky got her drive for excellence and hard work from both her parents. Rochelle is very close to her mother and is very fond of the woman.
While in Washington for Congressional hearings, I was overjoyed to finally be able to visit my mother & give her a hug! We are both fully vaccinated, so could enjoy time together indoors without wearing masks. pic.twitter.com/yYFAqOblOE
— Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) March 17, 2021
How Long Did Their Union Last?
Very little is known about the romantic relationship between Rochelle Walensky’s parents, Edward Bersoff and Carol Bersoff-Bernstein. It is not clear when exactly they got together and began dating each other. It is also not clear when they got married.
But we know that they were together as a married couple for more than a decade. This is because it has been reported that they parted ways when Rochelle was about 14 years old. Rochelle explains that her parent’s divorce was a very painful experience for her as she would have preferred that they lived together forever.
It is unclear if Rochelle’s mother married again after divorcing Edward Bersoff. However, we know that Edward Bersoff did marry again. According to reports, after parting ways with Carol, he got married again to a woman called Marilynn D. Bersoff. She used to be the vice president of administration at his company.
Does Rochelle Walensky Have Any Siblings?
Rochelle Walensky is not an only child. As a matter of fact, she has a sister called Dr. Susan Bersoff-Matcha. Like her family members, Susan is also a very hard-working person who has accomplished things for herself. As a matter of fact, she is now a deputy director at the Food and Drug Administration.
It is unclear if Rochelle has any step-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Marilynn D. Bersoff. Some reports say Edward Bersoff has children with his second wife, but information about this remains unclear at the moment.
How Close is Rochelle to Her Family?
Rochelle Walensky is very close to her family members. Despite her parent’s divorce, she is close to both of them and has made it a point of duty to always reach out to them as often as possible. She shares her time between both her mother’s and father’s houses during holidays and vacations and tries to spend quality time with them both.
During the lockdown that was initiated to check the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, Rochelle did not see her parents in several months, but she made sure that, during this time, she always video-called them to see them. In fact, sometimes, she even had dinners with them on camera. Rochelle explains that she tries to talk to her mother daily to keep the older woman’s spirits up.
Rochelle is also very close to her sister. They have managed to bond very much since their childhood days and have remained close ever as adults.
FAQs about Rochelle Walensky
Is Rochelle Walensky African-American?
Rochelle Walensky is not African-American but rather caucasian.
Is Rochelle Walensky Indian?
Rochelle Walensky is not Indian but Caucasian American with Jewish roots.