September 12, 2024—Andrea Baccarelli became dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on January 1—the 16th dean since the School’s founding in 1913.
A distinguished scientist who investigates the molecular mechanisms by which environmental exposures cause human disease, Baccarelli previously worked at Harvard Chan School as a visiting scientist, followed by six years as an associate professor. In 2016, he left for New York to serve as chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. He spoke with Senior Writer Meg Murphy about the early months of his deanship and offered a glimpse into areas on which he’d like to focus. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Andrea Baccarelli became dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on January 1—the 16th dean since the School’s founding in 1913.
Q: You’ve been in the dean role for about nine months now. What have you learned about the School’s strengths and opportunities?
Baccarelli: We have so many strengths, starting with a capacity for innovation that’s unmatched anywhere else. We have a rich tapestry of people with an incredible diversity of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, skill sets, and goals. And we have a remarkable capacity to work with local and global communities, to listen deeply to their needs and work with them to envision and develop solutions.
As a school, we need to be about action and transformation. The world is asking for solutions to so many major challenges and we need to be able to answer. Our science, our creativity, our ability to educate great leaders—all that positions us to inquire into possibilities for change, envision solutions, and bring them to life in ways that shape a healthier world.
Q: Understanding that it’s still early, can you give us a peek into your vision for Harvard Chan School’s future?
Baccarelli: First, it’s important to say that this is not about my vision. It’s about our vision. We need input from every segment of our community, including our alumni and supporters.
During my listening tour, I heard several recurring themes. People identified the need to collaborate more; to build community; to innovate in both our educational programs and our research; and to strengthen the impact we have in the world. These are all key elements of our collective vision.
Harvard Chan School has been a public health leader for decades. I want to build on our strengths; I dream of a school that continually identifies and calls into being creative solutions that improve health for everyone.
Q: When you think about the School’s impact, how does that look to you?
Baccarelli: There are many ways to measure impact. We are used to tracking the number of publications in high-impact journals, the satisfaction of our students and trainees, the career trajectories of our graduates, and the number and quality of our partnerships.
But there are many more metrics that tell the stories of all the lives we touch—from the vaccines and drugs we help to develop, to the new data tools we create that are used worldwide, to the crucial information we share with the general public through our Studio programs and interviews with our faculty.
I’d like to know: How many people do our graduates help in their careers? How many start-ups grow out of our research? How effectively has global public policy been shaped by members of the Harvard Chan community?
Above all, how many lives are improved by the work we do?
I’d love to develop a metric that gives us insight into that question. Our mission is to build a world where everyone can thrive. That’s the impact we want; it’s our guiding star and we never want to lose sight of that imperative.
Q. What’s next in your strategic planning process?
Baccarelli: Based on feedback from the listening tour, as well as outputs from a daylong retreat with academic chairs and senior leadership, I have launched three working groups.
One is focused on education strategy. It’s charged with reviewing our degree and nondegree programs and developing plans to strengthen our curricula, expand our reach, and ensure we are continuing to attract the best students in the world. The second is taking on School finance and governance. The third is overseeing recruitment for a new leadership position, a dean for research, who will be tasked with developing creative strategies to nurture world-class discovery, translation, and collaboration.
The working groups launched this summer. Their work is complex and will take time. In the meantime, it’s clear to me that we all share the same big-picture vision: We want Harvard Chan School to be a place where the best faculty work with the best students and trainees to solve the most important challenges of our time, with the indispensable support of highly qualified staff.
Q: You’ve talked about the importance of building stronger partnerships across Harvard and externally. What might that look like?
Baccarelli: All my life, I’ve believed in the value of collaboration. Never have I turned down a promising collaboration. That’s more important than ever now.
In the 21st century, we cannot afford to compartmentalize. To be effective, we must open ourselves to the world through effective collaboration, not just with other academic institutions but with policymakers, local communities, and industry. We already do that quite well at Harvard Chan School. I hope to build on that strength, including by finding ways to collaborate more with nontraditional partners.
Over the summer, I sat through a rehearsal of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7. Public health itself is symphonic. The majesty of symphony is in the overall effect of a large numbers of musicians all performing at their highest level. Each gives a contribution that sometimes may be hard to pinpoint but together has a tremendous impact.
Q: Finally, can you quickly share a highlight of your deanship so far?
Baccarelli: Without a doubt, it’s all the people I’ve met.
These days, the news is often filled with stories that are negative and frightening. At Harvard Chan School, it’s the opposite. There’s a level of optimism, of generosity, of wanting to do right by your colleagues and do good for the world. And that makes it really fun to be here.
Get to know Dean Baccarelli
What book are you currently reading?
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, by Gabor Maté
Who’s your public health hero?
My late mentor, Pier Alberto Bertazzi. He was quiet but inspirational. He made a world of difference to many people across the world, including me.
Favorite meal at Sebastian’s?
The ramen noodle bowl. I never miss it on Tuesdays!
Favorite spot on the Harvard Chan campus?
The Kresge cafeteria and atrium. It feels like the center of the community.
Favorite place to go walking in the Boston area?
Arnold Arboretum. I love plants and flowers way too much!
Photo: Kent Dayton