February 15, 2017 – Steven Beshear, former Governor of Kentucky, and Gina McCarthy, former Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are on campus at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health this spring as Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellows.
Under the Senior Leadership Fellows Program, those who have recently served in top-level positions in government, multilateral institutions, nonprofit organizations, and journalism have an opportunity to share leadership vision and experiences through mentoring and teaching students who aspire to similar roles, interacting with faculty, and participating in campus life at both Harvard Chan School and Harvard University. As part of the program, Beshear and McCarthy will each teach a half-semester leadership development course reflecting their individual careers.
Concurrent with her Menschel Fellowship, McCarthy is also an Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School this spring.
Beshear’s course, titled Health Policy and Leadership: A Governor’s Perspective on Leadership, will shed light on where states fit into the broader U.S. system of government and how state government is unique from federal operations. The course will also explore the intersection of state and federal policy and will show how health policy is affected by federalism.
In McCarthy’s course, titled Leadership in Environmental Health: Integrating Science, Public Policy, and Political Rhetoric, students will learn how environmental protection is public health prevention and will explore case studies about pressing environmental policy issues. The course will demonstrate the need for scientific communication, policy advocacy, and public service from the public health community.