Dr. Ron Brookmeyer’s tenure as UCLA Fielding dean officially started during a once-in-a century global pandemic, and it didn’t get easier from there. Yet as he steps down from the role, the school is in a stronger position than ever before.

When it’s most effective, public health can go unnoticed. When we aren’t getting sick or injured, we’re unlikely to credit infectious disease surveillance, food-safety regulations, occupational safety measures, or vaccination programs. When our air and water are clean and the conditions in our communities are conducive to a healthy lifestyle, we don’t necessarily connect the dots to the public health research, advocacy, and policies that made it possible.

Four UCLA Fielding School of Public Health scholars were listed among Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled annually by analytics firm Clarivate: Dr. Sander Greenland, Dr. Ron Hays, Dr. Beate Ritz, and Dr. Marc Suchard. In addition, four FSPH scholars were listed among Clarivate’s 2024 Highly Cited Researchers list: Greenland, Hays, Suchard, and Dr. Carol Mangione.

AS I PREPARE MY FINAL DEAN'S MESSAGE for our magazine and reflect on our school's incredible accomplishments over the nearly eight years I've served as dean, I am filled with gratitude and pride about all we have accomplished together. Through both research and partnerships with communities and policymakers, we have helped to improve lives, all while utilizing our degree programs to educate future public health leaders — individuals who have, and will go on to join, the legions of FSPH alums making a difference locally, nationally, and around the world.