Dear SPH Community,

I write today to let you know that Kim Gans, Ph.D., MPH, adjunct professor of behavioral and social sciences, will be stepping down from her role as SPH Director of Community Engagement at the end of this semester. I have been honored to work with Kim, and I am indebted to her for her numerous contributions to the development of the School’s community engagement portfolio.

As the School’s inaugural Director of Community Engagement, Kim collaborated with senior leadership to grow and diversify our community programming. She began her position in May 2020 and has since developed and expanded several initiatives. Kim served as the primary liaison to the School’s Community Advisory Board, organizing regular meetings and engaging board members. She worked with the Community Advisory Board and MPH alumni to review and augment CEPH goals. She was instrumental in developing the CEPH self-study sections related to community engagement and public health practice and played a large role in our re-accreditation.

Kim created a standing Community Engagement Committee of faculty, students, staff, and community partners to guide strategic planning in community engagement. She also developed a new Excellence in Community Engagement Award at the School and a new annual Outstanding Community Partner Award that recognizes a community partner who has established a reciprocal and sustainable relationship contributing to Brown SPH’s culture of engagement. Kim has strengthened the School’s relationship with the Swearer Center, the Warren Alpert Medical School, and the Advance CTR community engagement core.

In addition to reaching across the campus, Kim has remained dedicated to the School’s academic mission, working with the public health undergraduate program and the MPH program to increase community engagement as part of the SPH curriculum and initiated community engagement stipends for SPH graduate students to conduct projects with community partners.

We will announce the next steps for identifying Kim Gans' successor in the coming weeks and plans for expanding the role to ensure it builds on these accomplishments and reflects the growing centrality of community engagement to the School's mission. We are thankful that Kim will assist the School during this transition period.

Please join us in thanking Kim for strengthening our community bonds, enriching our students’ experience, and for her dedicated service to the School of Public Health community.

Warm regards,

Megan L. Ranney MD, MPH
Academic Dean