Alumni Weekend 2026: Health for all starts with the Harvard Chan community
October 9, 2026—Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health alumni, faculty, students, and friends gathered in Boston September 25–26 for Alumni Weekend 2026, celebrating the School’s community and the many ways its graduates are advancing public health across sectors.
Centered on the weekend’s theme, Health for all starts with us, the two-day gathering offered opportunities to reconnect with classmates and colleagues, honor alumni achievements, and explore how public health leaders are responding to rapidly changing landscapes around the world.
Following a reception on Friday evening, attendees heard remarks from Dean Andrea Baccarelli and a conversation between Amanda T. Yarnell, senior director of the Center for Health Communication, and Demond Martin, co-founder and CEO of WellWithAll. Martin shared shared a video that highlighted the 23-year life expectancy gap between two Boston communities a few miles apart, sparking a discussion n of the social determinants of health.
The evening culminated in presentations featuring the recipients of the Award of Merit, the School’s highest honor for alumni:
- Lorraine Dean, SD ’10, associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a social epidemiologist whose work on social and economic forces, such as discrimination and social capital, has bridged research and policy and has been cited in multiple briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court
- Felix Gutzwiller, MPH ’75, founding president of the Swiss School of Public Health, who established one of Europe’s first community-based cardiovascular disease prevention programs; and built the University of Zurich’s Institute of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention into Switzerland’s largest academic public health center
Together, Dean’s and Gutzwiller’s careers highlight the breadth of contributions that Harvard Chan alumni make to public health around the world.
On Saturday, the community reconvened for a full day of programming focused on leadership, innovation, and emerging priorities in public health.
The day opened with a planned giving breakfast led by Steve Shama, MPH ’74, who shared his experiences at the School and his decision to establish a named scholarship fund. Next came a case study session titled Who Is Taking Care of the Doctors? The Joy in Medicine Initiative at Houston Methodist, presented by Rick Siegrist, senior lecturer on health care management.
The School’s Public Health Champions took center stage during the panel discussion Health for All: Public Health Leadership Lessons. Moderated by Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, the conversation brought together public health leaders working across government and academic settings: Morissa Henn, DrPH ’19, deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services; Amy Rosenthal, MPH ’01, undersecretary of health for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services; and Mahrokh Irani, MPH ’18, chief of staff and senior strategist at Yale School of Public Health. The panel explored what it takes to lead and advance health for all when health systems are under pressure.
During Saturday’s luncheon, awards were presented to three alumni who are exploring solutions to climate change, infectious disease, and health care accessibility through their work: Abraar Karan, MPH ’17, received the Emerging Public Health Professional Award; Qudsia Huda, MPH ’02, received the Leadership Award in Public Health Practice; and Amber Nigam received the Public Health Innovator Award.
Following the luncheon, alumni joined a session on the Harvard Chan Advanced Learning Academy, the School’s new hub for non-degree programs. Led by Rifat Atun, vice dean for Non-Degree Education and Innovation, and Heather Mattie, PhD ’17, lecturer on biostatistics, the session introduced attendees to the Academy and offered a hands-on look at Building AI Solutions to Transform Health Care. The day concluded with Closing the Gap: Why Sex Matters in Public Health, a discussion focused on women’s health investment, therapeutic development, health care, and policy. Elizabeth Garner, MD ’93, MPH ’94; Liz Powell, MPH ’03; Kathryn Rexrode, MD, MPH ’96; and Emily Gaudiano, PhD, shared perspectives on the importance of sex-specific research, data, and care, as well as opened up the floor for a lively discussion on how audience members could play an advocacy role in advancing women’s health in their daily lives.
Throughout the weekend, the conversations reflected the breadth of the Harvard Chan community—from leadership and philanthropy to health communication and women’s health. For alumni and friends, the weekend provided an opportunity not only to celebrate their collective accomplishments, but also to consider how they can contribute to a future in which health for all starts with them.
View a photo gallery of the weekend’s events here.
