Melinda M. Pettigrew became the eighth dean of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) in December 2023. Prior to joining SPH, Dean Pettigrew was the Anna M. R. Lauder Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. While at Yale, Dean Pettigrew held several leadership positions including interim dean, deputy dean, senior associate dean for academic affairs, and deputy title IX coordinator.

Pettigrew’s research focuses on the epidemiology of respiratory tract infections, the microbiome, and the One Health threat of antibiotic resistance. The bacterial pathogens that she studies asymptomatically colonize mucosal surfaces, such as the tissues that line the inside of the nose, and are important causes of hospital and community-acquired bacterial infections. Pettigrew is nationally known for her research and leadership in her roles on the steering and executive committees for the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG). The ARLG is a National Institutes of Health sponsored initiative that supports a national network of scientists to develop, implement, and manage a clinical research agenda to combat the public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance. As the associate director of the Scientific Leadership Core for the ARLG, she leads efforts to implement and integrate principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the network.

Pettigrew’s research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and private foundations. She is a member of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and was elected as a fellow of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering in 2023. Dean Pettigrew is a passionate educator who is highly regarded for her teaching; she received the Yale School of Public Health Distinguished Teaching Award and the Inspiring Yale Award in 2018. She serves on the editorial board of the journal mBio.

Pettigrew received a PhD in the epidemiology of microbial diseases from Yale University and a BA in biology from Grinnell College. She conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan prior to joining the Yale School of Public Health as a faculty member in 2002.

Office Staff

Ryan Thorsen
Executive Assistant to the Dean

612-625-1179
sphdean@umn.edu