Dear YSPH Community,
Welcome to the start of the spring semester and our latest issue of Linking Science & Society newsletter.
I am writing this message at the close of the second week of rapid-fire U.S. executive orders and changes in public-facing health data. One of our faculty members said to me that this moment feels like one of shifting tectonic plates. That metaphor feels very apt.
For a community to make it through an earthquake, it needs both structural flexibility at the time of the seismic shock, and good science to ensure that they rebuild with strength. And our YSPH community is demonstrating both of those qualities right now. Our YSPH vision statement reminds us that the discipline and practice of health remains foundational to an economically, physically, and socially vibrant society. My job as dean – and all of our jobs as members of the public health community – is to continue to shore up this foundation, while also recognizing that the ground is not the same today as it was yesterday.
In this edition of Linking Science & Society, you’ll find that the forward-thinking structure of our new strategic plan is already supporting tangible, rigorous, and creative work to improve health across the globe. Although all of these articles were written weeks ago, you’ll read about things that demonstrate how our science and education is having impact: how we’re working to enhance public trust, how we’re providing leadership in preparing for and responding to health damage from wildfires, and how we’re convening ideologically and professionally diverse groups of experts to elevate best practices on pressing health issues ranging from Medicaid to firearm injury. (If you want to learn more about the strategic plan, you can refer back to the Fall/Winter Science & Society magazine, which outlines YSPH’s new vision, priorities, and areas of scholarly focus.)
Of course, it’s our community of friends and alumni that ensures that the work we’re doing is translated into real-world impact. No one knows how to weather a crisis better than the field of public health. Each of you makes a difference.
Thanks for reading. I hope that this edition of our newsletter leaves you with a bit of optimism. As always, I look forward to your feedback, and I am grateful for your support.
Warmly,
Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, FACEP
Dean, Yale School of Public Health
C.-E. A. Winslow Professor of Public Health
Professor of Emergency Medicine