Embracing Change, Honoring Differences
Fall is an amazing time of year and 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.
In addition to these many positive vibes, I know many are also feeling anxious around 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. 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.
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.
This is a moment to highlight the importance of public health and the influence of our collective voting rights on shaping public health policy. This issue of our magazine includes features from our special election issue, covering topics from reproductive health to climate, all with an eye on health equity. Other critical components of public health are also covered, including wastewater surveillance (which many now know more about thanks to the Olympic events in the Seine!), global diabetes, and rural health.
Since last fall, we have been working hard to deliver on our strategic plan goals and provide an update of our first year’s accomplishments. With a renewed emphasis on bridging research and practice, we share information about our Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analytics and Training Hub, as well as our publicly available data visualization dashboard to monitor the health effects of climate change in Georgia. As part of our reimagined communications strategy, I hope you will check out our new radio show and podcast, Health Wanted, a partnership between Rollins and WABE, our National Public Radio affiliate in Atlanta.
We are excited about our new educational programs, including continuing education opportunities through the Rollins Health Education Institute, inclusion of online course offerings, and two fully online programs: the DrPH program (which will see its first cohort in fall 2025) and the part-time MPH program.
I hope you greatly enjoy this issue and that it provides information that is useful as you engage in courageous conversations this fall. Public health begins and ends with people and community. We strive for an inclusive environment where diversity of thought, passion for advocacy, and skills to work across divides is supported and expected. I’m eager for what this fall will bring and what we will achieve together.
M. Daniele Fallin, PhD
James W. Curran Dean of Public Health
Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University
