Michelle Williams to Lead the Harvard School of Public Health

Michelle A. Williams will be the next dean of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University. She will begin her role as dean on July 1. Since 2011, Dr. Williams has served as the Stephen B. Kay Family Professor of Public Health and chair of the department of epidemiology at the school. Earlier she taught at the University of Washington.

Drew Faust, president of Harvard University, stated that “Michelle Williams is an eminent epidemiologist, an outstanding teacher and mentor, and an energizing leader and institutional citizen, impassioned about the power of public health to change people’s lives for the better.”

In accepting the appointment, Dr. Williams stated “as an alumna and faculty member, I have witnessed the transformative impact that this institution can have in education, research, and discovery related to the health of communities in need. We have an imperative to lead and to serve, and to advance our collective commitment to understanding and confronting public health challenges worldwide.”

Dr. Williams is a 1984 graduate of Princeton University in New Jersey, where she majored in biology. She holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree and a science doctorate in epidemiology from Harvard University.

Below is a video of Dr. Williams talking about her new role.