Strategic planning process launched

To the Harvard Chan community,

We are pleased to announce that the strategic planning process formally launched yesterday with the first joint meeting of the Strategic Steering Committee, the Working Group on Education, and the Working Group on Research. We are also glad to share the membership of the three groups. You will find the names at the end of this message. Our sincere thanks to all of those who volunteered to serve on the Steering Committee and the Working Groups.

The strategic planning process is our collective opportunity to design a school of public health that fully meets the needs of our field and the world in the 21st century. While our future is affected by the financial challenges we face, it will also be shaped by the current wave of social, systemic, and planetary-scale transformations and innovation in science, technology, and health delivery.

As part of the strategic planning process, we will be asking ourselves to be clear on our current reality: What is working? What is challenging? What is our comparative advantage among schools of public health? In parallel, we will be developing aspects of our shared vision, answering the overriding question of what success looks like for us as the leading public health school in the future. And together we will reflect on what has to happen to get us there: What strategies should guide our investments of time and other resources?

The Steering Committee and Working Groups will reach out to the School community in the coming weeks and months in order to tap into your experiences and expertise. There will be multiple avenues for engagement and more information on this will be forthcoming. Our hope is to complete the consultation and synthesis part of the process in the spring and then develop an implementation plan.

In terms of roles and responsibilities, the Strategic Steering Committee will drive the overall planning process and integrate recommendations from the two Working Groups. The Education Working Group, co-led by Nancy Turnbull and Brent Coull, will recommend action plans to continue to attract and train top students from around the world, as well as deliver outstanding education that gives public health leaders at all stages of their careers the knowledge and skills to address current and future challenges. The group will build on synergies between degree and non-degree programs, and ensure that these offerings align with our mission, demonstrate impact, and support the School’s financial goals.

The Research Working Group, co-led by Sonia Hernandez-Diaz and Kari Nadeau, will recommend action plans to nurture partnerships across the School, the University, and with institutions and communities worldwide. It will develop creative strategies to support innovative fields, and chart the future of high-impact, cutting-edge public health research.

Another important effort is already under way to create a stronger School community and culture. Its name, SPARK, is the result of a Schoolwide vote on names proposed by members of our community. SPARK, which stands for Strategy, Participation, Action, Recognition & Knowledge, met for the first time last Friday (Dec. 12.) We want to thank Bryn Austin and Bryan Thomas Jr. for their work on this and encourage everyone to participate in Spark’s upcoming activities.

We wish you and your loved ones a restful holiday season. See you in 2026!

Best,

Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD
Dean of the Faculty

Meredith Rosenthal, PhD
Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management

Jorge Chavarro, MD, ScD
Dean for Academic Affairs

Strategic Steering Committee

Jorge Chavarro, co-chair (DO, EPI, NUT)

Meredith Rosenthal, co-chair (HPM)

Brent Coull (BIO)

Sonia Hernandez-Diaz (EPI, Committee on Educational Policy)

Kari Nadeau (EH)

Nancy Turnbull (OEP, HPM)

Marc Weisskopf (EH, EPI, Faculty Council

Education Working Group

Brent Coull, co-chair (BIO)

Nancy Turnbull, co-chair (OEP, HPM)

Emmilie Aveling (HPM)

Flaminia Catteruccia (IID)

Jarvis Chen (SBS)

Christopher Golden (EH, NUT, Faculty Council)

Francine Laden (EH, EPI, Committee on Educational Policy)

Lorelei Mucci (EPI, Faculty Council)

Anne Occhipinti (OEP)

Christopher Sudfeld (GHP, NUT)

Whitney Waddell (SBS)

Tim Whelsky (OSS)

Research Working Group

Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, co-chair (EPI, Committee on Educational Policy)

Kari Nadeau, co-chair (EH)

Rachel Cahoon (HMS/SPH SPA)

Wafaie Fawzi (GHP, NUT)

Yonatan Grad (EPI, IID)

Sebastien Haneuse (BIO, Faculty Council)

Tony Hui (MET)

Ellen Meara (HPM)

Shoba Ramanadhan (SBS, Faculty Council)

Minttu Ronn (GHP)

Katrina Soriano (MET, NUT)