A hearty welcome to our new students and faculty — and a warm welcome back to our returning students, faculty, and staff.  It is wonderful to see the energy and enthusiasm that has filled our classrooms, hallways, lounges, and offices. There is a magic that happens when we bring together so many extraordinary, committed people focused on making the world a healthier place.

We begin this academic year — and our second decade — facing urgent public health challenges that demand, more than ever, our collective commitment to inquiry, education and action for positive change. We do so in an environment of international conflict and contentious national politics. An environment that requires us to recognize that we are part of and responsible to our shared community.

The hallmark of our great school is our ability to bridge disciplines and break barriers with agility and purpose to tackle the big issues facing human health. As always, I encourage you to ask the hard questions, challenge assumptions (especially your own), do the work to increase understanding of and provoke action to improve public health.

We are, above all, a place for learning. A school that creates and shares knowledge for lasting impact. We do that by being a community that listens to a broad range of ideas respectfully and shares our own perspectives in the spirit of inquiry and understanding. That is the path to building a stronger school and a healthier world. 

I look forward to sharing more about the year ahead this afternoon at Brown’s Opening Convocation and on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. at our State of the School and Welcome Reception. There is much work to be done, and I am energized by all that will be accomplished.

Sincerely,