Howard Stevenson

Provost Stevenson pointed to the fact that six directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are HSPH graduates, and noted the varied work of the School-from disease modeling to health sector reform to working with public health leaders in developing countries.

The Leadership Council brings together members of the School's different advisory councils and others who have a strong interest in and commitment to activities at HSPH. The Council met to discuss "21st Century Solutions"-how and where the School can have the most impact on the public's health. During the daylong meeting, attendees learned about the unfinished agenda of infectious diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and emerging infections; the new epidemics of chronic diseases, including obesity, asthma, heart disease, cancer, and diseases of aging; environmental and social threats to health, such as pollution, violence, war, human rights violations, and bioterrorism; health policy dilemmas and health disparities at home and abroad, including patient safety, quality of care, and access to care.

During the meeting, Mr. Stephen Kay, a retired senior director of Goldman Sachs & Company, received the Third Annual HSPH Volunteer Leadership Award for his service to the School and to Harvard University. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, Mr. Kay has undertaken various volunteer roles at Harvard for more than 40 years. A former chair of the HSPH Visiting Committee, he now serves on HSPH's Dean's Council.

Mr. Kay has supported many different programs and initiatives across the School, but has been especially generous in providing financial aid for students. The Kay Family Public Health Scholarship Fund was established in 1995 to create an endowment fund to provide merit-based fellowships to students working toward a degree at HSPH. The fund was established to attract the most talented students to the School and to reward their commitment to public service and to helping others less fortunate.

	Stephen Kay (left) and Dean Bloom

As has been done in prior years for Volunteer Leadership Award recipients, the School established a scholarship in Mr. Kay's honor. This year's recipient is Lingling Zhang, a second-year doctoral candidate in the Health Systems concentration of the Department of Population and International Health.

Dean Barry Bloom noted the importance of resources such as the Kay Family Public Health Scholarship Fund, particularly in helping students who come from developing countries. Approximately 30 percent of the School's student population comes from overseas, he noted, and the majority return home to apply what they have learned to their own countries.

The Julius B. Richmond Award was also given as part of the Leadership Council meeting.