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Dear At the Frontline Readers,
As I approach the two month mark of my tenure as dean at the Mailman School, it is a pleasure to write to you in my first At the Frontline column. I want to thank everyone for the truly warm welcome I've received. I could not feel more excited to be here as we embark on what I think will be an incredible journey for an outstanding future for the School and leading the future of public health. I look forward to using this space to share updates about the School and to begin conversations about new and important issues in the field.
Since assuming my role as dean, I've had the tremendous pleasure of meeting Mailman School faculty, staff, students, alumni, University trustees, and Mailman School board members and friends whose work, dedication, and creativity are truly inspiring to me. As a part of my efforts to learn all about the remarkable work being done here, I have been sitting down-both individually and in groups-with faculty, staff, and students and will also visit the School's long-standing service programs based in New York City and around the globe. I also recently had a great meeting with our Alumni Executive Board-an extraordinarily dedicated group. I want to thank them for their service, and I look forward to working with them as we seek to further involve Mailman alumni in life at the School.
We have reached a critical moment of both need and opportunity in public health. The mission and boundaries of the field have continued to expand with a need for new clarity as to priorities, standards, funding, or mandate. In my view, there is a profound need for leadership to articulate a vision, develop an agenda for advocacy, strengthen the social compact, and implement a new era of public health. The Mailman School has the unique ability to provide such leadership.
In light of this pivotal moment in the field, as well as at the School, we will be gearing up for an intensive strategic planning initiative that will begin this fall to help us set the course for the School over the next decade. This will include further developing priority areas such as urban and global health, as well as strengthening our curriculum to meet the needs of tomorrow's public health workforce. I will share further updates with you as the process unfolds over the next several months.
Additionally, I am very pleased to announce that we are launching a new series of Public Health Grand Rounds this fall. This exciting new initiative will bring leaders in the field to the School to address issues related to the future of public health. It is my hope that these talks will not only be informative events for the School, but will provide valuable perspectives that will inform the School's strategic planning initiative. Please check the next issue of At the Frontline for a full schedule of speakers.
Once again, I want to express how delighted and thrilled I am to be at the School, and to meet the challenges that lay ahead as we strive to address current and future public health issues together. I look forward to hearing your comments, questions, and ideas, and hope you enjoy this issue of At the Frontline.
Sincerely,
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Dean
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