Dean Bloom

Some members of the Class of 2005 will move on to additional graduate studies. Others will resume careers with a newly refined public health viewpoint. Still others will join the public health workforce for the first time.

All will enter a field that has become an increasingly global enterprise, and we are proud to say that our students have been trained and equipped to be leaders in addressing the issues that place the heaviest disease burdens on the world's population.

Dean Ware

The global nature of public health is becoming ever more important. An individual may visit one region of the world and fly back home days later carrying a newly identified--and potentially lethal--virus, as was the case with SARS. Today, the public health community keeps a careful eye on a similar viral threat in the form of avian flu. Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cast an ever-widening shadow on the world's health. And natural disasters, such as the December tsunami, and manmade conflicts, such as the unfolding tragedy in Darfur, Sudan, decimate human populations. These concerns play out in a world shaken by the threat of terrorism and bioterrorism.

We are confident that the Class of 2005 will meet these challenges with energy, vision, and rigor. While we cannot describe all of our graduating students' accomplishments, we thought we might point to a few examples, such as: a project that used geographic information systems (GIS) to suggest an association between living near chemical plants and childhood leukemia in Taiwan; a study of how the body fights DNA damage triggered by exposure to nitric oxide, which has implications for cancer associated with chronic inflammation; a book that vividly documents through full-color pictures how women and children have increasingly become intentional targets in armed conflicts; and, closer to home, research conducted within a Boston public housing complex that shows how pest management and thorough cleaning can significantly lower allergens within the home, easing asthma risk.

HSPH students participated this year in a series of three symposia on health disparities that brought prominent international health officials to the School. The series highlighted the need for action, as disparities widen within and between countries, despite unprecedented wealth and technology in the world.

We look forward to the future accomplishments of our graduates, and we always welcome their return as alumni. This year, we have had the good fortune of working with alumna Charlene Worley, who received the Albert Schweitzer Award at the 2003 Commencement ceremony. Dr. Worley has helped organize the sharing of a Native American honor song at this year's ceremony. The song will commemorate the founding of the Harvard Indian College 350 years ago and will recognize relationships between Harvard and Native American groups.

Every year, we have the privilege of meeting a new group of HSPH students. When we ask them what they enjoy most about the School, they unfailingly point to their fellow students. We agree.

Our best wishes to the Class of 2005.

Sincerely,

Barry R. Bloom, Dean

James H. Ware, Dean for Academic Affairs