PROVIDENCE – Dr. Francesca L. Beaudoin, who has been serving as interim dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health since January, has been named the school's permanent dean, the Ivy League institution announced Monday
Beaudoin, a member of Brown’s faculty since 2010 and an alumna of the School of Public Health, assumed the interim dean position on Jan. 1 after
Dr. Ashish K. Jha, who served as the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator at the request of then-President Joe Biden, stepped down on Dec. 31.
Beaudoin, an epidemiologist and emergency physician, has been a member of Brown’s faculty since 2010 and an alumna of the School of Public Health, has held several leadership roles at the university, most recently as academic dean.
In her new role, which she will begin on June 1, Beaudoin will oversee the school’s academic and research operations, including its four academic departments, 13 research centers and multiple graduate and undergraduate programs. She will also guide strategic planning efforts and work with faculty to expand research initiatives and educational offerings.
“I feel privileged to lead the School of Public Health as it moves into its next era with an unwavering focus on generating knowledge, training leaders and building partnerships that allow Brown to respond to the world's most urgent health needs,” she said.
Brown Provost Francis J. Doyle III said in a message to the campus community that Beaudoin brings experience as both a clinician and academic leader.
“Francesca has demonstrated a deep commitment to building the strength of Brown’s School of Public Health and its capacity to improve public health locally and globally through scholarship and teaching that informs decisions on policy and practice,” Doyle said.
Beaudoin presided over School of Public Health during Brown's conflict with the federal government,
regarding key National Institutes of Health funding. The School of Public Health would have been one of those hit hardest by the cuts, as its academic programs and research portfolio rank among the top public health schools for NIH funding, according to the university.
The school enrolls about 820 students, including roughly 660 graduate students and 160 undergraduates.
Beaudoin's research has focused on pain management, the opioid epidemic and trauma recovery. She has authored more than 190 peer-reviewed articles and received funding from federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
In addition to her academic work, Beaudoin has been involved in public health initiatives in Rhode Island, including providing addiction treatment services in Woonsocket through a mobile recovery unit operated by CODAC Behavioral Healthcare.
Before becoming interim dean, Beaudoin served as chair of Brown’s Department of Epidemiology. She holds a medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from Brown.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor of the Providence Business News. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
