Sara Bennett Named Director of the Doctor in Public Health (DrPH) Program

Sara Bennett, PhD, MPhil, an expert in comparative health systems, has been named director of the School’s Doctor in Public Health (DrPH) program. An associate professor in the Health Systems Program in the Department of International Health, Bennett’s research encompasses health financing, the role of the private sector, and changing roles of government and the impact of health initiatives on health systems.

"Sara brings a wealth of experience to this vital responsibility," said Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH '87, dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. "In addition to an active research portfolio, she has consulted on projects for the World Bank, DFID, USAID and UNICEF. We are fortunate to have such exemplary leadership guiding this vital effort."

Bennett completed her Bachelor of Arts, in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, from St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford and her Masters in Philosophy, in Economics, from King’s College, University of Cambridge. She received her PhD from the London School Economics and Political Science. Bennett came to the Bloomberg School in 2009. She has a particular interest in institutional and capacity challenges in promoting stronger governance for health in developing countries.

Bennett is the editor-in-chief of the journal Health Policy and Planning, a board member of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research and vice chair of the Board of Health Systems Global.

The School’s DrPH program, designed for students who already have a MPH or equivalent degree, is offered through seven of the School’s 10 departments. "Our DrPH program stands at the core of our mission as a School," said Dean Klag. "Our graduates go on to policy and programmatic careers in the U.S. and across the globe equipped with the skills and knowledge essential for their efforts on the front lines of public health practice."

As director, Bennett says her priority is to increase accessibility to the DrPH program to people across the globe, including those in full time employment. "An increasing proportion of our graduates seek careers in policy and programmatic positions, it is critical for the School's academic programs to truly equip students to succeed in today's workplace," said Bennett. "This means offering programs that pair the outstanding training Hopkins can offer in analytical skills, with competencies in leadership, communication, policy and management. Further, we need to provide students with opportunities to integrate multiple competencies so as to address practical, real world, problems."

Bennett takes over for Laura Morlock, PhD, who led the DrPH program for the past six years and who was appointed Associate Dean for Education last year. "Sara has enormous shoes to fill," said Klag. "The world class DrPH program that exists today is due in great degree to Laura’s vision, leadership and tireless energy."

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health media contact: Tim Parsons at 410-955-7619 or tmparson@jhsph.edu.