Professor Bruce Alexander was named head of the Division of Environmental Health Sciences (EnHS) on July 28, 2014 after serving seven months as interim head.

Alexander enjoys exceptionally strong support among faculty in EnHS and the School of Public Health (SPH), and is well regarded for his national leadership in the field of environmental health sciences.

In addition to being named head, Alexander has also been selected as a Mayo Professor of Public Health. The award is named after physicians Charles and William Mayo who were instrumental in establishing our School of Public Health through bequests from their estates. The professorship has been awarded to faculty since 1944.

Alexander earned an M.S. in environmental health from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Washington. He joined SPH in December 1998 as an assistant professor. His expertise and scholarly interests are in the epidemiology of health effects due to chemical and physical hazards encountered in the environment, and the longer-term consequences of occupational and environmental disease and injury that are relevant to local, national, and global populations. Alexander recently played a special role as an investigator in the Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study that examined incidence and prevalence of mesothelioma and other lung disease among workers in the iron mining industry. He also has had substantial professional experience in global settings.

Alexander succeeded Dr. Bill Toscano, who stepped down from the leadership role in January after 14 years. Toscano remains on the SPH faculty as a teacher and researcher, with a special interest in global health and India.

Please congratulate Professor Alexander and welcome him to this important leadership role.