Environmental Health Scholar Andrea Baccarelli to Lead Harvard’s School of Public Health

Andrea A. Baccarelli, an environmental health sciences professor at Columbia University’s School of Public Health, will serve as the next dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, University President Claudine Gay announced Wednesday afternoon.

Baccarelli’s selection concluded an 11-month search for the school’s successor to Dean Michelle A. Williams, who stepped down from the role at the end of June. In May, Gay appointed Jane J. Kim, a professor of health economics, to serve as dean in an interim capacity as the search for the school’s next permanent leader continued.

Gay has now filled all four of the dean vacancies she inherited after she was selected in December 2022 to serve as the University’s 30th president. The announcement also came exactly one week after Gay said in an interview with The Crimson that the HSPH dean search was “nearing the end.”

Gay, however, is still leading searches for two positions on the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — and for a new dean at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Baccarelli said in an article in the Harvard Gazette — a University-run publication — that being named the next dean of HSPH is “a profound honor.”

“We stand at a pivotal moment in public health history, facing challenges and opportunities that

demand collective action and innovative thinking,” he said. “Whether it’s the threats of pandemics, the complexities of mental health, the multifaceted challenges of environmental and social determinants of health, or new opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, data science, and the latest discoveries in human biology, together, we can craft solutions and drive change.”

“I am eager to lead and learn alongside the dedicated students, trainees, staff, and faculty at the Chan School,” he added.

Baccarelli, who was born and raised in Italy, will not be a stranger at Harvard or in Longwood when he makes the move from Manhattan to start his tenure on Jan. 1.

Prior to joining the Columbia faculty, Baccarelli served as an associate professor of Environmental Health at HSPH from 2010 to 2016 and also spent six years as an assistant professor in environmental and occupational health at the University of Milan.

Gay told the Gazette that she was “thrilled to welcome Andrea Baccarelli back to Harvard.”

“He brings a clear understanding of current challenges and emerging opportunities at the Chan School, a deep appreciation of its culture and strengths, and a fresh perspective on how it can contribute to local, national, and international conversations around improving public health and equity,” Gay said.

In 2020, ​​Baccarelli was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and he currently serves as president of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology. ​​Baccarelli’s research has also informed the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to enact stricter guidelines for human exposure to air pollution, and he has been featured in the annual Web of Science list of the most influential and highly cited scientists of the past decade.

University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 — who co-led the search with Gay — also praised Baccarelli for being an “outstanding scientist, educator, and leader.”

“He is known both for his multidisciplinary approach to research and for his collaborative leadership style,” Garber said in the Gazette. “I am confident that he will serve the School, the University, and the field of public health with great distinction.”

In her interview with the Gazette, Gay also praised Kim, who will continue serving as the school’s interim dean until Baccarelli takes over in January.

“Jane continues her long record of exceptional service to this community,” Gay said, “and we are so thankful for her leadership as interim dean.”

​​—Staff writer Miles J. Herszenhorn can be reached at miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @mherszenhorn or on Threads @mileshersz.

—Staff writer Claire Yuan can be reached at claire.yuan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @claireyuan33.