Provided by Megan Ranney
The debate over New Haven's best pizza is long-running, but Megan Ranney, dean of the School of Public Health, has a clear favorite. “Sally's,” she said. Another favorite restaurant in the city is Gioia, located across the street from the famous pizza restaurant and its rival Pepe's.
Mr. Ranney was appointed Dean on July 1, 2023, and is settling into his new role well. Pizza aside, she's enjoying her new life in New Haven. Her favorite things about the university campus and downtown include the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Rose Walk, and the close proximity to old friends from high school and college, where she was able to reconnect. . But most importantly, Ranney was able to enjoy the “enthusiasm” of Yale and the broader New Haven community, all of whom, she said, were very welcoming.
“My favorite part of being dean of the School of Public Health is getting to know this great community,” Ranney wrote in an email to the News. “Our faculty, students, and staff are all great people with big, transformative goals. I am so impressed by their energy, cheerfulness, humanity, and tireless commitment to the health of all people. I am receiving it.”
Mr. Ranney previously served as Associate Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and Professor of Behavioral Sciences, Social Sciences and Health Services at Brown University. At Yale, he replaced interim dean Melinda Pettigrew and former dean Sten Vermand. returned to teaching and research July 1, 2021.
Ranney came to Yale last year with two big goals in mind. The first was getting to know the Yale School of Public Health and the New Haven community; Successfully transitioning the School of Public Health to an independent model, the School of Public Health will be organized as an independent professional school rather than a department within the School of Medicine. Ranney believes it will take many years to achieve both of these goals, but she believes she has made significant progress on both goals.
Lanny continues to stay very busy getting to know the community. She works with people throughout the Yale and New Haven communities, including university leadership, the Yale New Haven Health Department, the Mayor's Office, the New Haven Health Department, and various health initiatives and programs such as the Wu Tsai Institute. We meet every day.
Ranney also hosts monthly breakfasts and lunches for students and faculty. Still, the School of Public Health has hundreds of students and staff, and Lunney admitted he was infected. If she wants to fully understand the community she leads, “we need to meet more and learn more.”
But Ranney believes the biggest challenge in the deanship will be overseeing the School of Public Health's transition to an independent school. Because there's a lot to do. Last year, Ranney and her team revamped the school's budget model, began planning a new building, hired new faculty, and redesigned faculty governance and faculty tracks.
Nevertheless, Ranney said the transition requires more than advanced planning and recruitment.
“While there are operational projects, there is also the 'soft side' of the transition. We are working to transform our community and culture to that of an independent school,” Ranney wrote. “It takes relationships, time, trust, trial and error. And none of this happens overnight, so we need to pace ourselves. The themes of change and transition are perhaps the most important to me as a dean. will continue throughout my first term in office.”
In addition, Ranney said he wants to continue working on “spatial planning” in the School of Public Health and hopes the new building will serve as “the emotional and intellectual center of the public health community.” .
Of all the things she has learned over the past nine months as dean, Ranney said learning about the history of Yale and New Haven has been the most important.
“A leader once told me that a leader's most important job is to weave the organization's past into its future,” Ranney wrote. “The wealth of knowledge of people across the university and their generosity in sharing their experiences and stories has enabled me to better engage with this core work.”
Mahroque Irani currently serves as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives at the School of Public Health. She previously worked with Ranney at Brown University, where she served as associate director for dean initiatives and special projects in the School of Public Health. Ms. Irani said that when she had the opportunity to work with Mr. Ranney at Yale, “she didn't hesitate for a second.”
Mr. Irani also praised Mr. Ranney's contributions to the Yale community and the field of public health in general.
“Despite the fast-paced transition to an independent school and developing a forward-thinking vision for the School of Public Health and the field of public health, Megan’s determination to be there for our community never wavered. ” Irani wrote in an email. news. “She goes the extra mile and reaches out to schools, universities and people across New Haven, fostering strong relationships and paving the way for a brighter future.”
Melinda Irwin, associate dean for research in the School of Public Health and the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology, chaired the department's new dean selection committee. She believes the School of Public Health is “lucky” to have Ranney leading the school during this “critical time in public health.”
“Her attention to detail, organizational skills, effective communication skills, and her vision will continue to drive us to create even more impactful research, education, and practice for our local and global communities.” Yes,” Irwin wrote in an email to the News.
Lanny is 7th Dean of the School of Public Health.
