Dean's Message - November 2025
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This past week, in his keynote address at the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance’s annual meeting, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said, “This is a time that we (meaning public health) must shine.” Many elements of his speech resonated with me, reflecting some of the points I’ve shared in previous messages: the importance of being compassionate and lifting all people; recognizing that the world we live in is not perfect and thus, inequities do exist that impact certain groups disproportionately; and finally, that we must lead by action.
In this month of gratitude, I am very thankful to live in a state that is part of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative with a purpose of "sharing expertise, improving coordination, enhancing capacity, strengthening regional readiness, and promote and protect evidence-based public health." As a school of public health and health sciences, we will continue our work shining the light on these core principles and contribute to the science and health policy in the Commonwealth and beyond with these goals in mind.
We are also grateful for the outpouring of generosity on behalf of the students who lost all their belongings and housing with the Olympia Place fire. Our community has raised over $300K from Student Care and Emergency Response Fund (SCERF) donations, which will allow the Dean of Students Office to give out microgrant awards of $1,350 to each student affected. These grants will not need to be repaid. Furthermore, Dining Services is now extending access to campus dining halls at no charge to Olympia Place residents through the end of the semester.
It's important to remember that we can, and do, come together to support one another in times of need. On that note, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!