Selection of Dr. Adnan Hyder as Dean of Boston University School of Public Health
From Dr. Gloria Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Last fall, as you may remember, we launched a national-level search for a new dean of the Boston University School of Public Health (SPH). After a competitive process that fielded an exceptional pool of candidates and included the broad consultation of the SPH community, President Gilliam and I are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Adnan Hyder as Boston University’s Robert A. Knox Professor and the next dean of the BU School of Public Health, beginning in the fall 2025 semester.
Dr. Hyder is senior associate dean for research and innovation and professor of global health at the George Washington University’s (GWU) Milken Institute School of Public Health, where he has been on the faculty since 2018. Recognized among the world’s premier scholars in health systems and policy, Dr. Hyder has spent over 25 years working to improve global health in low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and pioneering empirical work around system design and constraints, biomedical ethics, and injury prevention in the developing world. At GWU, he leads the nation’s first center dedicated to commercial determinants of health affecting people in the United States and globally. His National Institutes of Health-supported research has made significant contributions to our understanding of the epidemiological burden, risk factors, potential interventions, economic impact, and the socio-cultural correlates of non-communicable diseases and injuries around the world.
Dr. Hyder has authored over 400 scientific peer-reviewed papers, 30 book chapters, and numerous world reports on road safety, child injuries, and health systems. He is a past international president of the World Health Summit, is chair of the Lancet Commission on Global Gun Violence and Health, and has received the C. Everett Koop Medal of Distinction from SafeKids Worldwide as well as GWU’s Distinguished Research Career Award. Prior to his work at GWU, Dr. Hyder served for 20 years on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s (JHU’s) Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he was director of the health systems program and associate chair in the department of international health and associate director for global bioethics at the JHU Berman Institute of Bioethics. In addition to his academic work, he has held several prominent advisory and chair positions affiliated with the World Health Organization and the World Bank. Dr. Hyder received his MD from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan and his MPH and PhD in public health from Johns Hopkins University.
Through our extensive conversations with Dr. Hyder, it was evident from the outset that his principle-driven approach and ability to articulate a clear, compelling organizational vision, develop important new fields of research, and build strong rapport across all constituencies are an ideal fit for our needs at SPH as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2026. We are confident Dr. Hyder will build on SPH’s legacy as a top 10 school of public health known for innovative approaches across public health practice, global engagement and leadership, and eliminating disparities in access and outcomes. He has expressed a strong interest in expanding SPH’s current educational programs and developing new programs of study, and we are excited for the possibilities this presents. Dr. Hyder will officially join BU on August 15 and will hold a faculty appointment as professor of global health.
We will be delighted to formally welcome Dr. Hyder to Boston University next month. In the meantime, I would like to extend our gratitude to Professor Michael Stein, who has been an outstanding steward of SPH as dean ad interim since this past January and has graciously agreed to stay on through mid-August and assist in the transition. I would also like to express thanks to our dean search advisory committee and its chair, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Dean Jack Dennerlein, for their terrific work over the last academic year and their dedication to cultivating an exceptional field of candidates. We believe strongly that Dr. Hyder’s leadership and the collaboration of an outstanding community of researchers, teachers, practitioners, and staff position SPH for a new era of excellence as one of the nation’s preeminent public health institutions.
Search Advisory Committee for the Dean of the School of Public Health
Chair:
Jack Dennerlein, Dean, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (selected by the University Provost)
Members:
Howard Bauchner, Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (elected by the Faculty Council)
Rena Conti, Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy & Law, Questrom School of Business (selected by the University Provost)
Maria Glymour, Professor and Chair of Epidemiology, School of Public Health (elected by the School of Public Health)
Ira Lazic, Associate Dean for Administration, School of Public Health (selected by the University Provost)
Emily Rothman, Professor and Chair of Occupational Therapy, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (elected by the Faculty Council)
Madeleine Scammell, Professor of Environmental Health, School of Public Health (elected by the School of Public Health)
Veronika Wirtz, Professor of Global Health, School of Public Health (elected by the School of Public Health)
Staff Liaison:
Gina Ford, Project Manager, Office of the Provost
Selection of Dr. Adnan Hyder as Dean of the BU School of Public Health – 7.21.25