I’m grateful for the thoughtfulness and intention you bring to your work each day and for the steady generosity you extend to one another and to the communities we serve — consistently, sometimes quietly and always when it’s needed the most. I promise to meet you with that same spirit, and I start this year with renewed energy to guide SPH with clarity, continuity and purpose.

I also acknowledge that we continue to mourn the tragedy that affected our University last month. Many in our community are carrying grief, worry and a deep sense of loss. Please know that you are not alone. If you or someone you know is struggling, please lean on the support available through the University and within our school. Some information can be found here, but more detailed communication will be coming from the University on resources and resiliency efforts as we prepare to return to campus and the resumption of classes. In moments like these, our commitment to compassion toward each other and ourselves must be as real as our commitment to excellence.

Even in the face of grief and change, I remain profoundly hopeful and confident about what we can continue to build together. Brown’s School of Public Health exists to advance knowledge, improve health and serve the public good. That mission has never been more urgent. In the months ahead, we will continue to strengthen our culture of belonging, uphold rigorous scholarship and practice and deepen the partnerships that connect our work to communities both locally and globally. 

Thank you for all you do to make this school what it is: a community defined by inquiry, integrity and care. I look forward to working alongside you and I am confident that together we will move forward with the type of impact that honors our values and responsibility to the public. 

I look forward to being in dialogue with all of you this month. There will be a special faculty meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. and a staff town hall is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at 3 p.m. I will spend a portion of these meetings providing some return to campus updates and refocusing us on the direction of SPH, the remainder will be for Q&A. President Paxson and Provost Doyle are hoping to attend both the faculty and staff meetings but their attendance may not be possible this month given the number of new demands on their time due to the recent events. The education office will identify a forum for students closer to the start of classes.

Enjoy the rest of your break, happy New Year, and I look forward to seeing many of you in less than one week!

With thanks and resolve,