Brown University recently issued the following announcement.
Ronald Aubert has been appointed interim dean of the Brown University School of Public Health while Dr. Ashish Jha takes a short-term leave as the school’s leader for a temporary special assignment as the White House coronavirus response coordinator.
Aubert serves currently as interim associate dean for diversity and inclusion at the School of Public Health and faculty director of Brown’s Presidential Scholars Program. He also has faculty appointments in the Department of Health Services, Practice and Policy, and at the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America.
Brown Provost Richard M. Locke announced Aubert’s appointment in a Friday, March 25, message to the University community.
“I truly appreciate Ron’s leadership and excitement for this role,” Locke said. “The School of Public Health, which has already grown quickly since its founding in 2013, is poised to significantly expand its impact and reach through teaching, research and public service. Ron will help further the school’s progress toward its established plans for academic and operational excellence, fundraising and research space over the coming year.”
With experience in higher education, government and health care organizations, Aubert has a deep background in public health. In addition to teaching at Brown, he has held appointments at the University of North Carolina, where he received his Ph.D. in epidemiology; Rutgers University; and Emory University.
Early in his career, Aubert worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, initially in the Epidemic Intelligence Service, and later as a chief of epidemiology and commander in the U.S. Public Health Service. He subsequently moved into a series of leadership roles at health care organizations including Bayer Healthcare, Medco Health Solutions, Aetna and Research and Evaluation Analytics.
Locke said that at Brown, Aubert has been a dedicated teacher and accomplished administrator. In his time as interim associate dean of diversity and inclusion at the School of Public Health, he has focused on increasing the diversity of students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs, and helped to advance several strategic priorities including the school’s partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities.
Aubert expressed enthusiasm for working with School of Health faculty, staff and students to advance school priorities during Jha’s leave of absence.
“It is an honor to be asked to serve as interim dean while Dean Ashish Jha answers the call to serve our nation at a critical moment during this pandemic,” Aubert said. “Fortunately, Dean Jha has assembled a first-in-class executive team that will continue to implement the aggressive agenda he has laid out for the Brown University School of Public Health. I have great colleagues such as Dean Megan Ranney, and along with Provost Locke, we will continue to move things forward until Dean Jha returns."
The appointment will take effect April 4, 2022.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up