Dear SPH community,

Welcome to the start of a new semester! As we look to the future, I want to express my gratitude for the incredible work each of you contributes to our school. We need your dedication to improving health outcomes, advancing public health knowledge, and mentoring the next generation of leaders now more than ever. There are a number of changes that will impact the work that we do, including the recent executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization.

This semester also brings with it a number of opportunities for collaboration and innovation. 

• We will continue to make progress on updating the SPH Constitution, which will provide a renewed foundation for governance and decision-making in alignment with our values and mission. 
• Strategic planning will help us further refine our vision. Members of the SPH leadership team will participate in a retreat in late January to begin developing SPH’s strategic plan. Our school plan will be designed to nest within the University’s strategic plan.
• The University has begun a systemwide strategic planning process in partnership with EAB. Phase one will involve collecting input, and we will schedule meetings with members of the SPH community on or after the week of February 10. Stay tuned for details on how you can contribute to these efforts. 
• This spring, I will hold a series of cross-cutting, research-focused meetings with faculty to exchange ideas, explore collaborative opportunities, and identify paths for growth in strategic planning. We chose the initial topics in consultation with division heads and associate deans to help bridge our divisional structures. Topics will include infectious disease, cancer, data science, and behavioral health. If you have ideas for additional topics, please email me at sphdean@umn.edu. 

As we move through the semester, I encourage all of you to engage in these initiatives with the same enthusiasm, commitment, and creativity that define SPH. I look forward to seeing what we will achieve together across research, education and practice in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Melinda Pettigrew
Dean and Mayo Chair, School of Public Health