A Commencement Message from Dean Fallin

Graduation is one of the happiest days of the year. It is wonderful to see the smiling faces of our graduates and their proud loved ones cheering them on in recognition of all their hard work and dedication.  

To our graduates, I look forward to celebrating all of you as you cross the stage this Saturday and enter the Rollins alumni and public health community. Well done on this major personal and professional accomplishment! You have worked hard during a backdrop of incredible change, political polarization, and challenges to public health. Through this, you remained steadfast in your training, your work, your commitment to each other, to Rollins faculty and staff, and to the health of our global communities near and far. We are all very proud of you.  

I want to also thank our incredible faculty and staff for approaching your work with integrity and professionalism. You have directly contributed to the positive student experience here and are impacting public health every day by sharing knowledge, supporting academic excellence, and advancing public health research.  

To our (now) second-year students, you’re halfway there! You too have had an eventful year, with a major election and significant upheaval in public health. I hope you get some much-needed rest, enjoy some rewarding experiences this summer, and return energized for the work ahead. We need you as we shape the future of public health. 

To all of you in our Rollins community, I wish you the privilege of time with friends and family this summer. I hope you are able to rest, reflect, and engage in activities you love.  

It is clear we will continue to face an evolving public health landscape, and I am eager to work with you as we build strategies for moving public health forward.   

Many thanks to all for showing up every day. You are incredible.  

And congratulations to our impressive graduates! 

Sincerely,  

Dani