I am very excited to share some excellent news. Jennifer M. Sacheck, Ph.D., M.S, FACSM, will join the School of Public Health as the next chair of the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) on February 1, 2025. 

Jennifer comes to us from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, where she is the Sanofi Professor of Prevention and Wellness and Chair of the Exercise and Nutrition Sciences department. Her highly successful research career has focused on how diet and physical activity shape health outcomes, with a particular focus on pediatric health disparities. An important part of her work has involved school-based interventions, engaging communities in that work. 

She studied biology at Syracuse University, where she was a celebrated scholar and athlete. She earned her M.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her Ph.D. in Nutrition Science from Tufts University and completed her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School. 

Her extensive experience as a program director, department chair and teacher impressed the search committee and those who met with her when she was on campus. That experience, when paired with her research passion for programs and policies that promote optimal nutrition, physical activity and health across the lifespan, especially for those most at risk for poor health outcomes, made her an obvious choice to be the new chair of BSS.

The search committee worked tirelessly throughout the process to find the best possible candidate to lead BSS. I know assignments like this can be taxing, but I know all of us offer our heartfelt thanks to them for their diligence, enthusiasm and collaboration. The search committee was comprised of: 

Ira Wilson, Committee Chair
Associate Provost for Academic Space, Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Professor of Medicine 

Suzanne Colby
Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Associate Director of Applied Learning for the MPH Program

Steve Rasmussen
Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

Mike Silverstein
George Hazard Crooker University Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Director of Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute

Alison Tovar
Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Interim Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity

Audrey Tyrka
Mary E. Zucker Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Chair of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

David Zelaya
Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

I would be remiss if I did not also thank Katie Biello and Malabika Sarker for stepping in as interim chairs of BSS. It is because of their commitment that we were able to ensure we found and chose the best possible candidate for the position and department. To that end, I personally feel a deep sense of gratitude to both Professors Biello and Sarker for their critical leadership at this time. 

Please join me in welcoming Jennifer to our community.

Sincerely, 

Ashish K. Jha M.D., MPH
Dean, School of Public Health 
Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice