Dear All,

First, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for Dr. David Savitz’s service as Deputy Dean, a position created in September and which David graciously accepted. In this role, David was tremendously helpful both to me as I settled into the deanship, as well as to the School at large under extremely challenging circumstances with the ongoing pandemic.

David’s term as Deputy Dean also followed his time as Interim Dean of the School, when he deftly facilitated the transition from Dean Bess Marcus to me. Even more impressively, David has served in both roles while also fulfilling his duties as interim Chair of the Epidemiology Department and Director of the Center for Epidemiologic Research, positions he will continue to hold while exhibiting his characteristically considerate and insightful leadership as a valued member of the community.

I look forward to my ongoing collaboration with David and accomplishing even more great things as we move further into the second semester. Please join me in thanking David for his service as Deputy Dean, which concluded at the end of December.

Second, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Megan Ranney has agreed to serve as Associate Dean for Strategy and Innovation. Megan has been advising me informally for several months on many of the key initiatives that I believe are critical to our School.

I am excited to formalize Megan’s guidance and expertise as they relate to the School’s strategic governance and growth. Her initial focus will be on our strategy for the School’s expanding portfolio—Pandemic Preparedness and Response, Climate Change and Health, and AI and Digital Health—as well as building strategic bridges and further connecting our School within the University.

Megan has held a secondary appointment in HSPP since 2013 and has been involved with the School as an educator, researcher, and mentor for the last decade. She will now formally spend time as part of the Dean’s leadership team, complementing her existing work in the Department of Emergency Medicine and as Director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health. I have attached her bio for your reference. Please join me in welcoming Megan to this role.

In closing, as we enter our second semester of the year, I hope all of you are staying healthy and well. I know these are extraordinarily difficult times and in the depth of this pandemic winter, particularly so. You’ve all been dedicated and supportive of our community, and I want to remind you that there are support and wellness resources available if you need them. And if I or anyone from the Dean’s Office can be helpful to you in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out.

With deep gratitude for everything all of you are doing,

Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH
Dean, School of Public Health