Orientation
Get ready to start your journey at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Fall Orientation
Fall 2024 Orientation will take place from Wednesday, August 28 through Friday, August 30, 2024. Orientation programming includes opportunities to hear from School leadership, learn about your academic program and engage with faculty, connect with the co-curricular resources that are available to support your success, and begin to form meaningful connections with your peers and colleagues.
Orientation programming will take place in the Kresge Building, located at 677 Huntington Ave, Boston MA 02115 and at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School (JBM) located at 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur; Boston, MA 02115. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is located in the Longwood Medical Area.
Orientation Schedule
The schedule below includes core programming offered during orientation. This core orientation programming will be supplemented by additional opportunities during your first weeks on campus.
Please note, this schedule is subject to change.
| Wednesday August 28 | ||||
| Start | End | Description | Location | |
| 8:30am | 10:00am | Breakfast Pick up your name card and some gifts while you meet your classmates and enjoy a light breakfast | JBM | Lobby |
| 8:30am | 1:00pm | Check-InV isit staff from Harvard International Office (HIO), Admissions, Financial Aid and the Registrar to submit documents and clear contingencies | JBM | 2nd Floor |
| 10:00am | 10:30am | Welcome from Andrea Baccarelli, Dean of the Faculty | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 10:30am | 12:00pm | Foundations for Public Health: From Concepts to Application Sue. J Goldie,Roger Irving Lee Professor of Public Health, Director, Center for Health Decision Science, Director, Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 12:00pm | 1:00pm | Lunch Take a lunch and eat outside or on the 2nd floor | JBM | Lobby |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Campus Tours The HOST team will lead tours from the JBM Lobby | JBM | Lobby |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | International Student Meeting Elizabeth Capuano, Harvard International Office*This session is mandatory for international students | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 1:00pm | 4:00pm | Career and Professional Development Office Drop-In Hours | Harvard Chan School | Kresge 2nd floor Student Lounge |
| 1:00pm | 5:00pm | IT Drop-In Hours | Harvard Chan School | Kresge 200 |
| 2:00pm | 5:00pm | Academic and Program Meetings See detailed Schedule | ||
| 5:00pm | 6:30pm | Reception Join staff and faculty to celebrate your arrival | Harvard Chan School | Kresge Cafeteria |
| Thursday August 29 | ||||
| Start | End | Description | Location | |
| 8:00am | 9:00am | Breakfast Enjoy a light breakfast before the morning’s programming | JBM | Lobby |
| 9:00am | 10:45am | Calling to Public Health Fawn Phelps, Director of Leadership Development Ra’Shaun Nalls, Director of Community Engagement, Interim Chief Diversity Officer Christopher Golden, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Planetary Health Meredith Rosenthal, C. Boyden Gray Professor of Health Economics and Policy | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 10:00am | 4:00pm | Check-In Visit the Registrar’s Office to check in and pick up your Harvard ID | Harvard Chan School | Kresge G7 |
| 10:45am | 11:00am | Coffee Break | JBM | Lobby |
| 11:00am | 12:30pm | Learning to LEAD: An interactive discussion about building a pluralistic community on campus and fostering the skills—essential for careers in public health!—necessary to LEAD: Learn and Engage Across Differences.Erin Driver-Linn, Dean for EducationStephanie Ferguson, Professor of the Practice of Health Policy and Management and Faculty Director of the Harvard Global Nursing Leadership Program | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 12:30pm | 2:00pm | Lunch Take a lunch and eat outside or on the 2nd floor | JBM | Lobby |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Campus Tours The HOST team will lead tours from the JBM Lobby | JBM | Lobby |
| 2:00pm | 2:45pm | Group A: Setting Yourself Up for Success: Maximizing Your Experience at Harvard Chan Maritza Hernandez, Associate Dean of Student ServicesColleen Cronin, Sr. Associate Director for Student SupportSheila Krishnan, Director, Office of Career and Professional Development | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 2:00pm | 2:45pm | Group BColors and Connection on Campus | JBM | 2nd Floor |
| 2:45pm | 3:00pm | Coffee Break | JBM | Lobby |
| 3:00pm | 3:45pm | Group B: Setting Yourself Up for Success: Maximizing Your Experience at Harvard Chan Maritza Hernandez, Associate Dean of Student ServicesColleen Cronin, Sr. Associate Director for Student SupportSheila Krishnan, Director, Office of Career and Professional Development | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 3:00pm | 3:45pm | Group A Colors and Connection on Campus | JBM | 2nd Floor |
| 4:00pm | 4:30pm | Alumni Closing: Your Story Predrag Stojic, Adjunct Lecturer on Health Policy and Management, Executive Director at People Power Health | JBM | Amphitheatre |
| 5:00pm | 6:30pm | Reception Celebrate the end of official Orientation | JBM | Elements Café, 2nd floor |