Fall 2024 Welcome Message from Dean Fallin
Dear Rollins Community,
Fall is an amazing time of year. It is always a season I look forward to. I love feeling the energy surrounding orientation, witnessing the excitement of new and returning students, and seeing engagement from our faculty and staff as everyone returns to the fast pace of the semester. For me, there is nothing quite like the excitement of the first day of class, as it serves as an opportunity to connect with the part of Rollins that I value most: each of you. I love seeing your smiles, your enthusiasm, your kindness for each other, and your commitment to the world around you.
In addition to these many positive vibes, I know many are also feeling anxious about what the fall may bring politically and socially. As a school of public health, we remain committed to open expression, thoughtful dialogue, and respect for the lived experiences of others. It is important that we continue to build upon the meaningful dialogue and lessons learned following the events of last fall and spring. We have planned fall events to consider the health implications of the election and the ongoing health and humanitarian needs of people living in conflict zones across the globe.
We, as a Rollins community, share the same passion for public health, yet there are many ways in which we see the world very differently. Given the importance of skillful and compassionate dialogue in our current moment, and the need to communicate respectfully with those with whom we disagree broadly, the school is embarking on “courageous conversations” training for all faculty and staff, with similar training offered for students.
We are committed to embracing the diverse needs of our community and giving difficult conversations a venue for thoughtful exploration.
A larger list of activities led by our Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in partnership with faculty, staff, and students, includes:
Planning a series of school-wide educational sessions regarding humanitarian and other health-related current issues
Developing small group dialogue sessions that will promote graceful listening, productive sharing of experiences, and respectful debate
Providing students with dialogue and advocacy skills training
Providing faculty and staff training on engaging in and facilitating courageous conversations
Convening an action group of faculty, staff, and students to consider open expression at Rollins and ways to promote activism that protect the safety and integrity of our community
Improving the clarity and accessibility of information about available mental health services
Partnering with teams at Rollins to further amplify health and humanitarian work through our internal and external communication channels
Our efforts will not end here.
It is vital that we continue exploring—with curiosity and goodwill—opportunities to do better, and we will.
This work is fundamental to supporting our academic, research, and practice mission, guided by our recent strategic plan. A sampling of activities this fall highlight our emphasis on multidisciplinary research, our intentional bridging of research and practice, our innovation in education, and the reimagining of our communications strategies:
Expanding the activities of Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analytics and Training Hub (CIDMATH) with additional CDC funding to support data infrastructure, collaboration with the Georgia DPH, communications fellows, and more.
Growing the work of the Emory Climate Research Initiative with the launch of the Climate and Health Indicator Dashboard for Georgia to track the impacts of extreme weather and climate change on human health throughout the state. This is part of a larger focus on climate and health across the school, including the expanding activities of the Climate and Health Actionable Research and Translation Center, established last fall.
Conducting a new study on the risks of chronic illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, and the links to exposures to ambient air pollution with the support of a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institute of Aging.
Developing a fully online Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program designed for professionals who seek to expand their knowledge of evidence-based public health and aspire to excel in leadership roles that impact the complex public health challenges we face, both today and in the future.
Launching the new fully online, part-time Master of Public Health (MPH) program, which aligns with our new strategic education objective to increase access to our educational programs to meet the diverse and evolving needs of a wide range of students and professionals.
Opening the Professional Advancement and Student Experience (PASE) Center, which aims to provide student-centered, co-curricular programs and services that will work to create a holistic experience. (rollins.pase@emory.edu)
Bringing public health information to more people through Health Wanted, a new podcast and radio show produced in partnership with WABE, Atlanta’s local National Public Radio affiliate. Host Laurel Bristow—a research scientist and infectious disease expert who leads social media science communication at Rollins—talks to experts, delivers essential public health headlines, and demystifies the science behind trending topics.
And so much more!
This fall is also a moment to highlight the importance of public health and the influence of our collective voting rights on shaping public health policy. I want to give a huge thank you to the Rollins Election Day Initiative (REDI) team for getting us ready to support voting here at Rollins, at Emory, and in Georgia and to be informed on health-related issues in the election. We will not have classes on election day so that you can all help support voting initiatives.
To our incoming class of over 500 new students, I hope you jump in and join us in these and other efforts with enthusiasm. We are excited to partner with you!
I am looking forward to seeing all our students, faculty, and staff as we begin the 2024-2025 school year.
And please join us for the first talk in our new speaker series: Luminaries: A lecture series from the Rollins School of Public health featuring the brightest minds in public health.
Join in to learn about: “Abortion Access After the Fall of Roe: A Paradox of Pills and Perils,” featuring Ushma Upadhyay, PhD, MPH, on September 10 at noon in the Klamon Room (CNR 8030).
As always, I am available to talk to and meet with you! Please email me to set up a time for individual or small group discussion.
Rollins is a community, and I am honored to be a part of it.
Sincerely,
Dani
