
Celebrating Commencement 2022
Commencement is where the past and present converge in the joy of completion and a vision for the future.
At the Gillings School, we had intended to be residential for spring semester from the start, but as we moved steadily toward the first day of classes, it became urgent that we re-examine our plans. Given the transmissibility of the omicron variant, we decided – under conditions of uncertainty -- to err on the side of caution by starting with three weeks of remote instruction.
This post is adapted from a July 9 letter to the Gillings School community that was endorsed by most members of the Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Dean’s Council. The text here reflects substantial revisions to the letter text. The opinions are mine, and I take responsibility for any errors or omissions.
The New York Times on Sept. 23 carried the text of a speech by publisher A. G. Sulzberger, given at Brown University, titled, “The Growing Threat to Journalism Around the World.” He documented how, in multiple countries, journalists are being threatened, harassed, thrown in jail without due process, intimidated, kidnapped, tortured and killed. He attributed...
I’m proud that our Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health ASPPH has a new policy that states that we have zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. As the organization that represents academic public health, our commitment to zero tolerance is important. It also should be a message to any faculty or staff member whose behavior is less than honorable. Zero tolerance means no tolerance.