Building On a Strong Foundation

During my first half-year as dean, I have been delighted to get to know and work with our exceptionally talented and committed Columbia Mailman community. The School is a vibrant place—students are studying and connecting with one another in Riverview Lounge and Haven Plaza. Faculty and staff are conducting research in laboratories and with community partners, and teaching and mentoring students both in classrooms and online. And all of us are presented weekly with new opportunities to improve the public’s health in a complex world.

This magazine highlights just a few examples of how Columbia Mailman is making a positive difference. In a world where infectious disease outbreaks can reach anyone, anywhere, within hours, our scientists are strengthening the infrastructure of global health security across dozens of countries (“Safeguarding a Very Small World”). Alumni at various stages of their career in New York City government are meeting the complex health needs of New Yorkers (“The Alumni Powering New York”). Researchers in aging and longevity tell us their own approach to living longer, healthier lives (“Age-Well Strategies from the Longevity Lab”). This issue also includes a Q&A where I answer questions from alumni, faculty, and students (“Getting Comfortable”).

We continue to face challenges and uncertainty, including changes in federal funding priorities, criticism of higher education, and the proliferation of health misinformation. Even so, times of crisis present an opportunity to learn, find new ways to grow together, and embrace innovation. Over the next year we will continue to build on more than a century of education at Columbia Mailman, and on a foundation of strong leadership, including the work of past Dean Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, and Interim Dean Kathleen Sikkema, PhD.    

I’m grateful to them and to all of you who have welcomed me to Columbia, and confident we will thrive in the coming years.

With optimism for the work ahead, 

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH
Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health

Building On a Strong Foundation was first published in the 2026-2027 issue of Columbia Public Health Magazine.