Statements & Announcements

A message from Dean Pollack Porter to Bloomberg School faculty, staff, and students following the deadly shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Today I begin my journey as the 12^th dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I am grateful that the search committee and University leadership saw something in me and my vision for the School. 

On my last day as your dean, I want to say thank you to every member of the Bloomberg School community. Working beside you has been an honor and a constant source of inspiration, from the most difficult days to the most joyful.  

When I became dean, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to leverage the breadth and depth of the Bloomberg School to tackle the most pressing public health issues, and that this would require strategic and deeply collaborative thinking. We soon embarked on the creation of a five-year strategic plan.

New name reflects the Center’s current work and new priorities.

In the two weeks since I wrote about the terrible events in the Middle East, I have heard from many in our community. While, it will come as no surprise that there are a variety of views on current events and on the long-standing conflict expressed by students, staff, and faculty, there are common themes.

I am writing today with two pieces of news—the first of which is bittersweet. Our wonderful colleague Jose G. “Oying” Rimon II has decided to retire from the faculty after a distinguished career in public health that has spanned more than 40 years. This includes ten years of visionary leadership at the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health. 

Second, I am excited to share that the Institute has been renamed the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health