Reflections from the Dean — November 2022

November 22, 2022

Earlier this month, I had the chance to address more than a hundred Gillings School alumni during a gathering at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual conference. My top priority was sharing a transformative initiative with them: the School’s first official diversity and inclusion cohort hire.

I loved getting to know some of my colleagues better during our alumni reception at APHA. (L-R are Charletta Sims Evans, Camille Mason, Dr. Kim Ramsey-White, Karissa Grasty and me, wearing as much Carolina blue as possible.)

This work began with a condition I placed on accepting the deanship. I wanted a guaranteed cluster hire of three new faculty members from underrepresented groups.

From that starting point, the idea evolved, as so often happens at Gillings. Those three positions are posted now, but we actually have a total of 12 open faculty searches as I write this. We are investing resources to capitalize on the opportunity to bring so much new talent into our School at one time.

I’m working with other School leaders — including Vice Dean Dr. Robert Smith III, Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence Dr. Kim Ramsey-White and Assistant Dean for Human Resources Gretchen Senez — to build new systems that ensure, now and moving forward, we consistently engage a diverse pool of applicants and hire faculty who will continue to diversify the School.

Two major facets of this work are 1) employing search advocates who promote diversity principles and best practices during the hiring process; and 2) designing post-hire processes — including orientations and trainings, networking events and formal mentoring programs — that will support faculty long after their start date.

We’re setting an important precedent with this initiative. In keeping with the School’s commitment to equity, we want to attract faculty who not only conduct innovative and exciting research, but also have the knowledge and lived experience to contribute to a welcoming culture for all.

The simple truth is, having a more diverse community within our School enhances our academic, research and practice missions, and betters equips students to address the complex, pressing challenge of health disparities.

I want to thank leaders within our Department of Health Policy and Management who piloted this work by convening an Equity Hiring Task Force to fill faculty openings within their department. Our School-level efforts will be informed by the set of recommendations they developed.

And, of course, work that supports health equity has been ongoing across our departments! Here are just four examples from recent months:

• Natalie Smith, a health policy and management student, contributed to guidance on how to study race and racism when there’s no consensus on how these terms are used in research.
• Claudia Fernandez, a professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, reported on significant growth in health equity competencies among the first cohort of Clinical Scholars.
• A collaboration between the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Gillings and the North Carolina Diabetes Research Center is providing career advancement for nutrition, obesity and diabetes researchers from underrepresented groups.
• Assistant Dean of Master’s Degree Programs Dr. Dana Rice — also an assistant professor with the Public Health Leadership Program — continues to build a body of research on how the criminal legal system disproportionately impacts communities of color and their health.

In the past month, this and other work has been highlighted at the annual meetings of our three boards: the Gillings School Advisory Council, the Public Health Foundation and the Alumni Association Advisory Board.

Faculty, alumni and current students mingled at APHA. Everyone loves a photo booth!

It was great to have the opportunity to meet so many of our stakeholders — all of whom gave helpful input, especially around how we can continue to position our School as a thought leader and highlight the remarkable work of Gillings faculty, staff, students and alumni.

This series of meetings culminated in the gathering of Gillings School graduates from across several decades at our APHA alumni reception.

I walked away from that event thinking that it’s truly remarkable how connected our alumni are to the Gillings community. It’s a testament to the experiences they had here, both inside and outside the classroom.

Dr. Jo Anne Earp

In a similar, though more somber, vein, I’ve been witnessing the steady outpouring of tributes from alumni about Dr. Jo Anne Earp, who passed away Nov. 18. She was a professor emerita and past chair in our Department of Health Behavior who was known, first and foremost, for her all-embracing approach to mentoring.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I feel deeply grateful for the Gillings School community that Dr. Earp had such a hand in creating. The more I learn about both the work and the heart of this School, the more hopeful I feel about the future of public health.

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.

Dr. Nancy Messonnier
Dean and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health