Following a national search, I am delighted to announce that Cara Sammartino, ’16 Ph.D., M.S.P.H., has been appointed associate dean of education for the School of Public Health. Her first day will be September 1, 2026.

In this role, Cara will provide strategic leadership for the school's educational mission, working closely with faculty, staff and students to strengthen our academic programs, support innovation in teaching and learning and ensure an exceptional educational experience across the school. Her deep understanding of our institution, passion for public health education and affinity for collaborative leadership make her an outstanding choice for this important role.

Many of you may know Cara, as she earned her Ph.D. in health services research from Brown in 2016 and has served as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice since 2018. A health services researcher and investigator, she brings more than eighteen years of experience in program evaluation, health policy analysis and applied research. She has extensive experience with program building and curricular development in public health, including knowledge of enrollment and marketing strategies.

Her scholarship has focused on health services research, public finance, comparative state policy and health care utilization. She has also collaborated extensively with state agencies, private insurers and community partners throughout Rhode Island, making her combination of academic excellence, practical experience and longstanding connection to Brown a perfect fit to lead and advance the school's educational programs. For the past decade, she has served as the inaugural department chair and a professor in the Department of Health Science at Johnson & Wales University, playing an instrumental role in developing half a dozen undergraduate programs, implementing curriculum and mentorship models and collaborating across programs to develop innovative programming.

As I welcome Cara to this role, I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Scott Rivkees, M.D., for his outstanding service as acting associate dean of education since February 2025. I would also like to extend my thanks to the members of the search committee for their thoughtful and dedicated work throughout this process. I am especially grateful to the committee chair, David Meyers, for his outstanding leadership in guiding the search. My thanks also go to Joann Barao, Annie Gjelsvik, Patrick Kelly, Lyubov Niemann, Alice Paul and Malabika Sarker for the time, care, and expertise they brought to identifying an exceptional leader for this important role.

Please join me in welcoming Cara to her new role. I am excited to have her join the Dean's Office and look forward to the vision, expertise and enthusiasm she will bring to SPH as we continue our educational mission of learning public health by doing public health.

Warmly,

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