Dear SPH Community,

I am pleased to announce that Melissa Clark, Ph.D., professor in the Departments of Health Services Policy & Practice and Obstetrics and Gynecology, will serve as the lead for our upcoming reaccreditation cycle as director of accreditation.

The reaccreditation process is an important opportunity for us to reflect on our accomplishments, assess our progress and demonstrate our commitment to excellence in education, research, service and community engagement. The process requires collaboration across our entire school, and I am grateful to Professor Clark for taking on this critical leadership role.

Supporting Professor Clark will be Professors Shilo McBurney, Ph.D., as deputy director of accreditation, Michael Harvey, D.Phil, as accreditation assessment lead and Michelle Rogers, Ph.D., as accreditation evaluation lead. Together, they will help guide the planning, coordination and execution of the accreditation process. Professor David Williams, in his new expanded role as senior associate dean of academic affairs, will oversee the process, providing valuable assistance and coordination across SPH offices throughout the reaccreditation cycle.

As we prepare for our next accreditation review, many members of our community will have opportunities to contribute to this important process. I encourage all faculty, staff and students to engage in the effort as we work together to showcase our strengths, identify opportunities for continued growth and advance our mission of learning public health by doing public health. This endeavor will truly be a whole-school effort, and we hope all facets of SPH will be responsive to the reaccreditation team's requests.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the process, the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is the nationally recognized accrediting body for schools and programs of public health. CEPH accreditation affirms that a school meets rigorous standards for excellence in public health education through a comprehensive peer-review process. During our most recent accreditation review, the School of Public Health engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners in an extensive self-study and evaluation process. The result was a seven-year reaccreditation—the maximum term awarded by CEPH—which extends through December 31, 2028.

Please join me in thanking Professors Clark, McBurney, Harvey, Rogers and Williams for their leadership and commitment to this important undertaking.

Warmly,

Francesca L. Beaudoin, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean, School of Public Health