Brown University School of Public Health │ Continuum

Continuum

Magazine of the Brown University School of Public Health

  • Home
  • Students
  • Faculty
  • Alumni
  • Research
  • Events
  • Community
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
    • Spring 2020
    • Fall 2019
    • Spring 2019
    • Winter 2018
    • Fall 2018
    • Spring 2017
    • Spring 2016
    • Fall 2016
    • Spring 2015
Current Issue, Faculty, Fall 2020

Letter from the Dean

By Ashish Jha · Posted: January 3, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The largest public health crisis in a century makes this a moment to recast and reinvigorate public health. At the Brown University School of Public Health, we are uniquely able to do so. We bring bold thinking and fearless research to this pandemic and to issues central to our school, and, importantly, we make clear the significance of public health in our community, our country, and around the globe.

Dean Ashish Jha

Our field tackles complex problems, from how systemic racism shapes the lives and health of so many of our fellow Rhode Islanders and Americans, to the health challenges created by climate change. These are deeply rooted public health problems but they are not solely public health problems. Engaging with scholars in other fields makes our work better and more effective.

The impact of our research is also seen in how we train the next generation of public health leaders. This training has to be multidisciplinary and lifelong. We are all students, and our commitment to our current and future alumni is that we will continue to engage and work together for years to come, recognizing that the knowledge that underlies public health is rapidly changing, and we must all commit to refreshing and updating our knowledge.

“This is a time for us to be bold and ambitious. We must leverage the strengths of our university and engage deeply in our local community at Brown, in Providence, and across Rhode Island.”

Beyond advancing how we train leaders in public health, we must also address who we train. This means a commitment to substantially expanding the diversity of our students so that the next generation of public health leaders are far better equipped to understand and tackle some of the biggest public health problems.

Finally, at a time when there is a massive hunger for public health education, we need to create new opportunities for teaching a global audience and to think creatively about how to provide that education across boundaries and on new platforms.

Reflecting our engagement across disciplines and fields, and among our students, faculty and alumni at a key moment for public health, this issue of Continuum is devoted to the pandemic. Members of our School and the larger Brown community share their experiences and lessons learned as they drive impactful projects in the response, be it as researchers, doctors, or public health practitioners.

This is a time for us to be bold and ambitious. We must leverage the strengths of our university and engage deeply in our local community at Brown, in Providence, and across Rhode Island. If we are willing to do that—to think beyond our walls, to be bold, and to take risks, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

Sincerely,
Ashish K. Jha, M.D., MPH
Dean, School of Public Health

Share Tweet

Ashish Jha

You Might Also Like

  • Covid Mask Current Issue

    Lessons Learned

  • Jha walking with students Current Issue

    In Profile: Taking the Helm During a Pandemic

  • Current Issue

    Learn by Doing: Learning in the Age of COVID

Recent faculty news:All Faculty News

  • Current Issue

    Letter from the Dean

    The largest public health crisis in a century makes this a moment to recast and reinvigorate public health. ...

    On January 3, 2021 / By Ashish Jha
  • Jha walking with students
    Current Issue

    In Profile: Taking the Helm During a Pandemic

    Dr. Jha reflects on the challenges and opportunities exposed by COVID-19, and on the role of public health as we look toward the next pandemic. ...

    On January 3, 2021 / By Andrew Iliff
  • Community

    How do you safely hold theater performances during a pandemic?

    Working with epidemiologist Brandon Marshall, the Wilbury Theatre was among the first in the country to resume performances amid the pandemic. ...

    On December 22, 2020 / By Laura Kallio Joyce, P'22
  • Current Issue

    Faculty Profile: Brandon Marshall, Ph.D.

    We spoke to Brandon Marshall, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, about the opioid epidemic within the pandemic. ...

    On December 16, 2020 / By Laura Kallio Joyce, P'22
  • New Faculty
    Current Issue

    Expanding Our Talent

    The School of Public Health Welcomes New Faculty Members in 2020 ...

    On December 16, 2020 / By Brown Public Health
  • award
    Current Issue

    Faculty Honors

    Latest School of Public Health Faculty Awards & Recognition ...

    On December 15, 2020 / By Brown Public Health

About

Continuum is the official publication of the Brown University School of Public Health. It focuses on the activities of our students, faculty and alumni. Please enjoy our digital edition of the magazine.

Contact

If you have any suggestions for Continuum, contact us at public_health@brown.edu.

Connect

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and visit the School of Public Health, for more information.

Give

Please use the online giving form to support this magazine and its mission.

© 2016-2021 Brown University School of Public Health. All rights reserved.