The first announcement involves our own Ron Aubert, Ph.D., MSPH, who will be stepping away from his current role of senior associate dean for education and student services following this year’s graduation at the end of May. On June 1, 2025, Ron will transition to the role of distinguished senior fellow. He will focus on fostering teaching excellence in SPH as he continues his commitment to teaching, advising undergraduates and supporting career advising and development. He will also act as a liaison between SPH and the Sheridan Center, assist with peer evaluation of teaching and serve as a resource to teaching faculty.

In addition to all he’s done for students as the senior associate dean for education, we also owe our sincere gratitude to Ron for stepping in to fill critical leadership roles over the past four years. His unwavering dedication, insightful guidance and steadfast commitment have not only kept us moving forward during challenging times but have also helped shape the future of SPH. Ron’s leadership has left an indelible mark and we are deeply thankful for his tireless efforts and the positive impact he’s made, and will continue to make, on all of us. 

Scott Rivkees, M.D. assumed the role of acting associate dean for education on February 1, 2025, to allow for a longer transition period, given the scope of the education office. Scott has been a professor of the practice at Brown since 2023. He served as state surgeon general and secretary of health of Florida.  He currently directs the Accelerated Master’s in Public Health program, is the academic director of the Master’s in Healthcare Leadership program, and is the former interim chair of Health Services Policy and Practice. I am grateful to Scott for his ongoing support and commitment to our school and the work being done here. He never shies away from a new challenge, and I am excited to see him thrive in this additional role. Next academic year, we will announce plans for an open search for the next permanent Associate Dean for Education. 

In addition to these updates, our interim Chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Malabika Sarker, P.h.D., MPH, transitioned into a new role as associate dean for global engagement, effective February 1, 2025. She will continue her teaching responsibilities and maintain her position as professor of the practice while stepping into this new role. In this capacity, Malabika will be a driving force in developing and implementing the school’s global engagement strategy and fostering cross-collaboration with other University units to promote global perspectives in teaching, research and community engagement. 

Malabika is a perfect fit for this role, as she will be working closely with MPH program leadership to assist with training opportunities for students in the global health concentration and specifically designing initiatives to increase student involvement in global internship opportunities. Additionally, she will serve as an institutional representative at international conferences, events and workshops, ensuring that we are advocating for awareness of global challenges such as climate change, health disparities and health security. 

I am excited to see the impactful work Malabika will do in this important post, especially considering the current uncertainty surrounding global health research. Despite the hard work ahead, I look forward to witnessing the continued growth and strengthening of our school’s global influence with Malabika at the helm. 

As a final note, I want to welcome Jennifer M. Sacheck, Ph.D., M.S, FACSM, who began her tenure at SPH as chair of the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences on February 1, 2025. I know I speak for our entire community when I say that we are thrilled to have her with us and look forward to the valuable work she will do in the department. 

I’m eager to see the positive impact and innovation these staffing changes are sure to bring. Thank you to everyone involved in the process. Please join me in congratulating our colleagues on their new roles.

Sincerely,