“When I was dean, we found that among the top admitted students identified by each department, nearly all chose to come to HSPH when they were offered financial aid for both living expenses and tuition. If we aspire to train public health leaders who will make a difference in the world, then it is essential that we attract the best students from around the world, regardless of their means. Students have told me year after year that interacting with classmates of widely different backgrounds and experiences was the most rewarding part of their time at HSPH. I chose to contribute to help preserve this diversity and also to recognize the sacrifices that students make to come here–in many cases traveling great distances, interrupting careers, accumulating debt, and temporarily leaving families behind.”
Barry R. Bloom, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Professor of Public Health. Bloom was dean of Harvard School of Public Health from 1999 to 2008.