Ellen J. MackenzieShe served as dean for seven years. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Having driven the research, education and advocacy that has made the Bloomberg School a global leader in public health, he has decided to step down from his role effective June 30, 2025, university leaders announced today.
Image caption: Ellen J. Mackenzie
An internationally recognized public health expert, a prominent researcher in trauma care systems and policy and an inspiring academic leader, MacKenzie spent more than 50 years at the Bloomberg School, enrolling as a graduate student in biostatistics “looking for a meaningful way to apply his love of mathematics and problem solving,” the JHU president said. Ron Daniels and the President Ray Jayawardene Today I sent a message to the Hopkins community.
“Her journey from young doctoral student to dean of the world’s first and largest graduate school of public health is marked by a legacy of achievement,” they added. “As a faculty member since 1980 and as longtime dean of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Ellen has made her mark in successive leadership roles that have elevated applied practice as an integral part of the department’s mission, fostered a core policy curriculum, and established a faculty development program that has become a model for other departments.”
McKenzie will remain on the Bloomberg School faculty after his departure, and details of the search for his successor “will be announced at a later date, with a new leader who will build on the School’s historic strengths and incredible trajectory,” Daniels and Jayawardene wrote.
“As we look at the enormous challenges we face, from environmental threats to emerging infectious diseases to health disparities, we must move forward with even greater urgency,” MacKenzie said in a message to the Bloomberg School community today. “The challenges ahead are daunting, but you have the intellect, ambition, and heart needed to meet them head on. I am pleased to have a new dean who is ready to lead in the pursuit of better health for all, with vision and commitment, and who believes deeply in the incredible potential of our people and the Bloomberg School.”
MacKenzie earned her Master of Science in Biostatistics in 1975 and her PhD from the Bloomberg School in 1979. She then joined the faculty and was promoted to Professor in 1991. School of Health Policy and Management From 2005 to 2016, MacKenzie became the 11th dean of the Bloomberg School in October 2017, succeeding Michael J. Klug.
Her research has shaped the field of trauma services and outcomes, improving the quality of life for both military and civilian patients with severe extremity injuries. She was appointed a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2017, joining a distinguished group of scholars at Johns Hopkins working to address some of the world’s most vexing challenges, and she also holds professorships in the School of Medicine’s departments of Orthopaedics, Emergency Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
“As we look at the enormous challenges we face, from environmental threats to emerging infectious diseases to health disparities, we must move forward with even greater urgency. The work ahead will be difficult, but you have the intellect, ambition, and heart needed to meet it head on.”
Ellen J. Mackenzie
A message to the Bloomberg School community
As Dean, MacKenzie positioned the Bloomberg School to reach its full potential to meet the evolving needs of the public health field and work toward a healthier, more equitable world. She expanded the School’s faculty, including hiring 24 outstanding faculty members. Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Programa recent groundbreaking ceremony to build a state-of-the-art facility in East Baltimore to refresh the campus’ physical image and champion the role of evidence-based advocacy in public health; Lerner Center for Public Health AdvocacyHer tenure has been marked by a remarkable commitment to health equity and deepening partnerships to serve communities in Baltimore and around the world, from expanding space for reimagining; Indigenous Health Centre Strengthening our connection to the city of Baltimore through the continued growth of our Office of Practice and Community Engagement and our Service Learning Center sauce.
Under Mackenzie’s leadership, the Bloomberg School has become a trusted leader in providing expertise and information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing informed analysis, launching important research initiatives, and ensuring that evidence-based practice and policy are at the forefront of the global discussion. At the same time, Mackenzie helped the Bloomberg School respond organizationally to the challenges of the pandemic, creating a more vibrant culture of collaboration and problem-solving that will continue to strengthen the School for years to come.
“Ellen brings humanity, humility and creativity to any challenge she faces,” Daniels and Jayawardene wrote. “This is exemplified by her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the early stages of the pandemic, she mobilized all aspects of the School’s response – from launching free contact tracing courses that reached more than one million people in 150 countries, to groundbreaking research into the incubation period of SARS-COV-2 and convalescent plasma therapy, to launching critical investigations into Long COVID.”
The Bloomberg School of Public Health is the world’s largest public health institution, with 10 academic departments, more than 1,800 core and affiliated faculty, more than 80 research centers, and more than 3,200 students from 93 countries. US News & World Report Since 1994.
“It is the greatest honor of my life to call you all colleagues and friends,” MacKenzie wrote. “We have accomplished much together, and in the coming months we will have the opportunity to reflect on the past, celebrate accomplishments, and plan for the future. For now, I want to sincerely thank you for your unwavering support of the school and its mission. Your partnership has been invaluable to me, and I look forward to another vibrant academic year as your dean. There is still much work to be done, but I look forward to continuing our work together.”
