Announcing Interim Dean of the School of Public Health

May 26, 2020

Members of the Brown Community,

I write to announce that David Savitz, professor of epidemiology, chair of the Department of Epidemiology, and director of the Centers for Epidemiology and Environmental Health in Brown's School of Public Health, will serve as interim dean of the School of Public Health from July 1 to August 30, 2020. I’m grateful to David for taking on this responsibility following the conclusion of Dean Bess Marcus’ term on June 30, and continuing until Dr. Ashish K. Jha begins officially as dean on September 1, 2020.

As interim dean, David will provide ongoing administrative and academic leadership for the School, and ensure continued operational excellence. His responsibilities will include oversight of budget and personnel matters, and maintaining progress toward the School’s re-accreditation. With Ashish Jha already actively engaged and meeting with faculty, staff, students and supporters of the School, David will work closely with him during this period to ensure an effective and orderly transition.

David Savitz is especially well-prepared for this role. He joined the Brown community in 2010, and in addition to his appointments in the School of Public Health, he holds joint appointments in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics in the Warren Alpert Medical School. He served as the School of Public Health’s associate dean for research from 2018-19, and as Brown's vice president for research from 2013-17.

David’s epidemiological research has addressed a wide range of important public health issues, including assessing environmental hazards in the workplace and community, reproductive health outcomes, and environmental influences on cancer. He has directed 30 doctoral dissertations and 15 master’s theses. A member of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, he is the author of more than 350 papers in professional journals and editor or author of three books. He earned B.A. from Brandeis University, his M.S. in preventive medicine from Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. 

I look forward to working closely with David over the summer, and thank him for assuming the position of interim dean during this critical period for the School and the University.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke
Provost