HPH NOW, January 20, 2006, Robin Herman Named Assistant Dean for Communications at HSPH

Robin Herman

Robin Herman has been appointed Assistant Dean for Communications at HSPH. She has served as Director of the Office of Communications for the past six years.

"Robin has provided an extraordinary level of service to the School community," said HSPH Dean Barry Bloom. "With her small team, she has led a very effective effort to disseminate our important research findings. During her tenure, our faculty has consistently topped the number of articles and citations in print and electronic media compared to other schools of public health. She has worked to improve communications within HSPH, as well as communication coordination and outreach within the University, with our national associations and to the public at large."

Since 2004, Herman has co-taught ID284: The Media and Health Communication: Practical Skills, a popular course at HSPH that demystifies the media and that teaches students how to deliver public health messages to the public. Said fellow teacher Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health: "Robin adds to the energy, vitality, and mission of our School in a multitude of ways. It's been a joy to witness her heartfelt dedication and commitment to teaching health communication to eager and appreciative students. She also has a wide range of talents as a media and communications expert with decades of national experience. This new title recognizes her many contributions and is so well deserved."

Prior to coming to HSPH, Herman worked as a journalist at two of the world's best-known newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post. She also authored a history of science book, Fusion: The Search for Endless Energy.

The Office of Communications provides a number of services to the School, and its staff can offer advice on any matter pertaining to the media and HSPH. In addition to crafting press releases for distribution to major national and international media, the staff can prepare faculty members for press interviews. The Communications team can also help ensure that research results are accurately represented in the media, and assist researchers in issuing complaints to news organizations if their work is not properly attributed or described. Faculty members interested in writing op/eds or letters to the editor are welcome to ask for feedback on drafts or potential placements in the media. The School's newsletter, Harvard Public Health NOW, also seeks feedback and story ideas from faculty, staff, and students. For more information, contact Robin Herman at rherman@hsph.harvard.edu or at 617-432-4752 or Christina Roache at croache@hsph.harvard.edu.