Orientation 2026: New Harvard Chan students start building connections and community
New students at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health were welcomed to the School at Fall Orientation, which began on Aug. 25.
The three-day event began at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, where 460 new students from 35 countries and territories got a chance to mingle with each other and hear from Dean Andrea Baccarelli.
Baccarelli told the students that they are in the right place to do work that makes a difference. He urged them to make the most of their time at the School and explore opportunities to work with its world-class faculty, attend talks with experts outside of their fields, join student clubs, take courses across the University, and learn from each other’s diverse backgrounds and perspectives. And to any new students feeling imposter syndrome about their admittance to Harvard, he added a reassuring message: “You belong here.”
Later during Orientation, students learned about the foundations of public health from Sue Goldie, Roger Irving Lee Professor of Public Health. (Read about her popular introductory course).
They explored what called them to careers in public health and reflected on the values and personal experiences that keep them practicing, during a workshop led by Fawn Phelps, director of leadership development in the Office of Educational Programs, and Ra’Shaun Nalls, director of community engagement.
“By taking a moment to return to the values that brought them to Harvard Chan and listening to the values that brought their classmates to the School, the students begin to build a community that lasts through their time on campus and long after graduation day,” Phelps said.
Students posted anonymously to a digital vision board during the session, with comments focused on specific areas of public health they hope to address, such as chronic disease prevention, humanitarian response, and reproductive health, along with more general hopes for making the world a healthier place. One student wrote, “The next year is about taking risks. In May, leave without any ‘what if’ unanswered.”
Bryan Thomas, chief community and belonging officer, talked to students about the importance of cultivating belonging in the Harvard Chan community. His session explored how belonging is fostered through intentional effort, shared values, and a willingness to actively engage across differences.
And Jeremy Nobel, instructor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, ran a workshop called “Colors & Connections” that highlighted how the arts can be used to address the public health issue of loneliness. Students engaged in an arts activity that encouraged them to connect with each other.
An interactive workshop on the case study method, which is used in a number of Harvard Chan School courses, allowed students to explore a real-world public health problem while getting to know and learn from each other. It was led by Bill Bean, instructor, and Rick Siegrist, senior lecturer on health care management and faculty and director of the DrPH Program.
Other Orientation events included campus tours, academic department meetings, information sessions about School resources, a reception, and a game night.
Photos: Kent Dayton
