James Ware Will Step Down as HSPH Dean for Academic Affairs, Effective June 30

 

Dean James Ware has announced that he will be stepping down as HSPH Dean for Academic Affairs on June 30 of this year. Since July 1, 1990, when he assumed his current position, Dean Ware has served with three deans, Harvey Fineberg, Barry Bloom, and now Julio Frenk. Dean Ware was also the acting dean of the School between July 1, 1997, and December 31, 1998. The impact of Dean Ware’s leadership as academic dean has been tangible in all areas of his responsibility, including faculty recruitments and promotions, the School’s research agenda and priorities, the creation and reform of educational programs, and the expansion of continuing professional education. During Dean Ware’s tenure, the student body has doubled, and the research budget has grown at an annual rate of eight percent.

Said HSPH Dean Julio Frenk: "Jim's sage counsel and steady hand have been invaluable through the first months of my deanship. He has set the model for an academic dean, and I want to add my appreciation for all he has done during his tenure."

Said former HSPH Dean Barry R. Bloom, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Professor of Public Health: “It has been a great privilege to have been able to work with Jim Ware for a decade. In a very challenging job as academic dean, he brought vast knowledge about the School and the University, wonderful ideas, and a special human touch to every decision and recommendation he made. One could not ask for a more wise, caring, and wonderful partner and friend.”

After June 30, Dean Ware will return to the Department of Biostatistics as a professor and has ambitious plans for the coming years. The most important of these involves his role as director of the Biostatistical Science Program for Harvard Catalyst. He notes that “Catalyst is off to a strong start, but it requires a much greater commitment than I have been able to provide this year. I agreed to join the Catalyst effort with an expectation that I would be leaving the Dean’s Office and am glad to be able to turn my attention to this major enterprise.”  

Dean Ware and Dr. Mary Kay Smith Fawzi will offer an introductory course in biostatistics this summer as part of the new Global Health Effectiveness summer program, and he will also teach in the interdisciplinary "Foundations of Public Health" course. In addition, he plans to collaborate with others in biostatistics to develop and nurture the department’s partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, an important relationship for the department’s research and teaching programs. Finally, he is working to build international collaborations for the School, including through current discussions with the Ministry of Higher Education of Saudi Arabia.

In the accompanying letter to the community, Dean Ware reflects on his experience as academic dean.

To the School of Public Health Community:

After 19 years as academic dean of HSPH, I write to share my gratitude at having had this wonderful opportunity. I had the privilege to serve with three outstanding deans, each of whom brought passion and vision to the role. Their constructive leadership has made my work enjoyable and meaningful.  

The dean for academic affairs participates in almost every aspect of school life. My portfolio has grown larger every year, and my successes are almost entirely due to a strong team of associate deans. Bernita Anderson has masterfully steered the School through a period of evolving expectations about faculty appointments and promotions. Her commitment to excellence in searches, promotions, and faculty development has made an enormous difference for almost every member of the faculty. David Shore has been an energetic associate dean for continuing professional education for 15 years, managing existing programs and creatively expanding the Center’s portfolio. We were blessed to recruit Stan Hudson as our associate dean for students, and his steady leadership has strengthened every aspect of student services. Howard Koh joined the School five years ago as associate dean for public health practice and has transformed the Division into a major contributor to public health practice in Massachusetts. It has been wonderful to watch Nancy Kane and Nancy Turnbull take hold as our associate deans for education; their impact is already apparent. Most important, my life as academic dean would have been chaotic without the strong support of Elizabeth Jones, a superb writer and my collaborator in many enterprises, and my assistant and ambassador, Rose Doherty.

One naturally feels a sense of loss at leaving such a rewarding mission and set of colleagues. Nevertheless, I have known for some time that this is a natural point for the selection of new leadership for the School’s academic administration. Dean Frenk and I have had many conversations about the School’s mission, and I know that HSPH is in good hands.  I am returning to the Department of Biostatistics with a sense of excitement about research and teaching and look forward to my new role.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the faculty, staff, and students who have collaborated with me on so many projects and initiatives over 19 years. I look forward to working with many of you in my new capacity.

Jim Ware

 

-- Photo by Suzanne Camarata