50 Years, Countless Champions
Since 1976, the BUSPH community has hosted many
influential, instructive, and impactful public
health advocates. Here, we feature 50 who
stand out.
Norman A. Scotch was a distinguished medical anthropologist and academic who was one of the key founders of SPH. After serving in the U.S. Army, he used the G.I. Bill to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston University before completing a PhD in anthropology at Northwestern University. He initially joined the BU medical faculty as chair of the Department of Socio-Medical Sciences and Community Medicine, where he became a vital catalyst for establishing a dedicated public health program in 1976. Scotch successfully guided the institution through its official accreditation process, leading to its designation as an independent, standalone school in 1979. Throughout his leadership, he championed a practice-based curriculum, pioneered flexible part-time education models for working professionals, and emphasized an enduring commitment to excellence in classroom teaching.
Dr. Robert F. Meenan is a physician, academic leader, and rheumatologist who served as Dean of SPH for 22 years. Before transitioning into administrative leadership, Dr. Meenan built a distinguished medical career as a professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Rheumatology at the BU School of Medicine, and director of the Arthritis Clinic at Boston City Hospital. During his time as from 1992 to 2014, he expanded student enrollment, increased research funding, oversaw the physical consolidation of the school into the iconic Talbot Building, and elevated SPH’s national ranking to 11th in the country. Beyond his academic roles, he has contributed extensively to public health policy by serving on national advisory boards for the CDC and the Arthritis Foundation, while also serving as the President of the Mary Christie Foundation.
Dr. Sandro Galea is a physician, epidemiologist, and author who led SPH as dean and Robert A. Knox Professor for a decade. He currently serves as the inaugural dean of the School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. His research explores social epidemiology, mental health, and the consequences of mass trauma. Recognized as one of the most widely cited scholars in the social sciences, Galea is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and also contributes frequently to public discourse on population health and health policy.
Leonard H. Glantz is an emeritus professor in the Department of Health Law, Policy & Management at SPH and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Boston University before beginning his public health teaching career at BU in 1974. Over a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years, he also served as the School’s very first Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a leadership role he held for 25 years. As a widely published scholar, Professor Glantz has focused his research heavily on constitutional health interventions, human subject regulation, privacy, and the rights of children. His exceptional impact in the classroom earned him the prestigious Norman A. Scotch Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest teaching honor at SPH, presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the School’s education program.
Theodore Colton, a pioneering biostatistician and epidemiologist, is a professor emeritus at SPH. He earned his Doctor of Science in biostatistics from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and previously held academic appointments at Harvard Medical School and Dartmouth Medical School. From 1980 to 1999, he served as the founding chair of the SPH Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, where he established the school’s very first doctoral degree track, in epidemiology. He authored the foundational textbook Statistics in Medicine and co-edited the comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biostatistics. Colton is also recognized as a founding editor of the prominent peer-reviewed journal Statistics in Medicine and has served on the editorial board of the New England Journal of Medicine.
For more than three decades, David Ozonoff merged a love of mathematics with a love of public health and retired from active academic work at SPH as professor emeritus and chair emeritus of environmental health. He originally joined the School as the inaugural chair of the Department of Environmental Health, serving in that leadership role for 25 years. His core research areas were the community health effects of toxic exposures, particularly around hazardous waste sites. His academic work also focused on the mathematical foundations of epidemiology and the application of scientific evidence in court. Throughout his career, he has also served as co-editor-in-chief of the online journal Environmental Health and the director of the BU Superfund Research Program, a multidisciplinary effort funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to understand basic scientific problems connected with the federal Superfund Program.
Judith Bernstein is an emeritus professor of Community Health Sciences at BUSPH and Emeritus Professor of Emergency Medicine at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. As both a nurse and public health professional for the past 60 years, she has worked with both inner-city and rural communities to develop comprehensive, equitable and integrated approaches to women’s health. Dr. Bernstein holds an MSN in psychiatric nursing and a doctorate in health policy, is certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and is the 1995 recipient of the prestigious National NCC award. Her research focused on innovative intervention strategies, notably pioneering patient-centered programs that integrate peer-led public health screenings directly into emergency department settings.
Ralph B. D’Agostino Sr. was a renowned statistician and educator who dedicated 58 years of his academic career to Boston University. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BU, he completed his PhD in statistics at Harvard University before becoming a professor of mathematics, statistics, and public health at Boston University. He was twice the chair of BU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and successfully co-directed the Department of Biostatistics’ joint MA/PhD program for more than 30 years. D’Agostino achieved global prominence through his three decades as the director of data analysis for the landmark Framingham Heart Study, where his development of cardiovascular risk prediction models saved lives worldwide. An incredibly prolific researcher and award-winning teacher, he authored over 700 peer-reviewed papers and mentored generations of students until his passing in 2023.
Jette, a physical therapist and public health leader, served as dean of Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and professor of Health Policy and Management at BUSPH, where he directed the Health & Disability Research Institute. An international expert in functional outcomes, Jette developed widely used assessment tools, including the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument, the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care, and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, revolutionizing how patient disability and recovery are measured globally. He also chaired the Institute of Medicine’s landmark panel on disability in America. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine, Jette also served as Editor-in-Chief of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal.
Knecht served as the first Associate Dean for Administration at SPH. She dedicated 30 years of service to Boston University, spending 20 of those years shaping the administrative foundation of SPH. Following her impactful career, Knecht officially retired from her university leadership role in September of 2002. To honor her legacy of citizenship and exceptional accomplishment, the school established the annual Dzidra J. Knecht Staff Award for Distinguished Service. This accolade remains the highest school honor presented to SPH staff members who make outstanding, sustained contributions to their departments.
Source: https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2026/50-years-countless-champions