Dear Members of the Harvard Chan School Community,
I write to share news that Katie Hope will be stepping down early next year as Executive Dean for Administration. Her departure will be a major loss for the School, but we are so grateful for all her tremendous contributions — and we know she will enjoy a rewarding retirement with her family.
Katie was promoted to her current role in February 2020 and, among her many contributions, has helped lead the School’s administrative response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working together with Dean for Academic Affairs Jane Kim and the three COVID-19 working groups, she played a key role in safely and efficiently moving the School to remote operations in March 2020, returning the first wave of bench-lab researchers to campus in June 2020, and, this year, planning for the return to campus of our students, faculty, researchers, and staff. Katie has also been working with HR and other members of the Harvard Chan community to plan for a post-COVID-19 “flexwork” environment. As Administrative Dean, she oversees the Office of Financial Services, Operations, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Sponsored Programs Administration.
Prior to joining the Dean’s office, Katie had served as the School’s CFO. In that role, Katie directed strategic and financial planning, the budgeting process, and accounting and finance functions. During her tenure Katie has always focused on supporting the School’s mission and goals in a financially sustainable way. She is notable for her commitment to transparency about the School’s financial performance and, as many of us know, her clear and insightful presentations of financial information.
In her roles both as Administrative Dean and CFO, Katie has demonstrated her dedication and commitment to Harvard Chan School, its mission, and its people. Katie’s last day will be March 1, 2022, which thankfully gives us a few more months to benefit from her wisdom and leadership. We will begin the search for Katie’s replacement in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Michelle
Michelle A. Williams, ScD
Dean of the Faculty, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Angelopoulos Professor in Public Health and International Development,
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Kennedy School
