Harold D. Cox to be new associate dean of BUSPH
Harold D. Cox was recently appointed associate dean of BUSPH.
Harold D. Cox has been appointed the associate dean for public health practice at the Boston University School of Public Health, SPH Dean Robert Meenan recently announced. Cox, who is currently the chief public health officer for the city of Cambridge, becomes an associate professor in the department of social and behavioral sciences as well, effective September 1.
“Those who have worked with Harold know him to be a smart, strong, and engaging community leader with a keen interest in ensuring that public health resources are appropriately directed to meet community needs,” says Meenan. “He will bring vision, energy, and effective leadership to our public health practice efforts.”
Cox has more than 25 years of professional experience in a variety of public health settings. For the past 10 years, he has been responsible for managing all aspects of Cambridge’s health department. During that time he has spearheaded numerous projects, among them Clean Air Works, a regional no-tobacco initiative that brought together 19 communities to pass tobacco-free workplace ordinances. He also facilitated citywide discussions on homelessness, developed a health-oriented walking program in the city, and helped establish a collection of programs, known as Domestic Violence Free Zone, for Cambridge and the hospital system to prevent domestic violence. Recently, he has been working to coordinate a regional emergency preparedness response for 27 local health departments.
His new position as SPH associate dean “is a great next step in my career,” says Cox. “This new post gives me a chance to blend together many years of public health practice and use all of those experiences in an academic setting. BU’s School of Public Health has a long tradition of commitment to developing and enhancing the field of public health. I am very excited by the opportunity to be part of the school.”
Prior to the Cambridge post, Cox was the director of client services at the AIDS Action Committee, and held several positions serving the disabled population. He is the president of the Massachusetts Public Health Association, a member of the Massachusetts Commission on Health Disparities and the Network Health board of directors, a past chair of the Boston AIDS Planning Council and the HIV and Infectious Disease Committee for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, a past cochair of the Boston-based Black HIV/AIDS Coalition, and a past president of the Board of the Multicultural AIDS Coalition.