Friedman School Leadership Update

June 1, 2023

Dear Tufts community members,

I write to you to share two exciting updates about the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy: Christina Economos will be appointed the school’s dean effective July 1, 2023 and Dariush Mozaffarian will be taking on a new leadership role to build a cross-school initiative.

This past year, Dariush (Dary) Mozaffarian took a one-year assignment away from his role as Friedman School dean to serve as special advisor to the provost and dean of policy for the Friedman School. In these roles, he focused on the translation and dissemination of scientific evidence into public awareness, policy, and innovation, as he worked to help inform last fall’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Dary will now be taking on a new leadership role on July 1, 2023, supported by university leadership, to build a new cross-school initiative around Food is Medicine that will combine research, education, patient care, and community engagement to highlight the power of nourishing food. In recognition of his scholarly accomplishments and leadership of the Friedman School, Dary is also receiving the honors of Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus.

Christina (Chris) Economos has successfully led the Friedman School as dean ad interim over the past year. Building on a career’s worth of service to and achievement at the Friedman School, Chris launched the development of a growth and sustainability plan for the school, strengthened communications and culture, and focused on bringing new faculty to the school. Chris is well poised to continue this essential work to move the Friedman School forward into its next chapter and will be appointed dean effective July 1, 2023. Among her priorities for her deanship will be evolving the school’s educational programming, growing Friedman’s research portfolio, and continuing to commit to diversity, equity, inclusion, interdisciplinarity, and impact, leveraging the school’s strong track record of productive collaboration with other schools, centers, and public-private partnerships.

Read Chris’ and Dary’s Tufts Now interviews to learn more about their thoughts on their new roles and what they plan to accomplish.

I am grateful to Chris and Dary—both nationally recognized leaders in nutrition—for their service to the Friedman School and Tufts, and I look forward to all they will accomplish in their new roles.

Please join me in congratulating Chris and Dary.

Warm regards,

Caroline

Caroline Attardo Genco
Provost and Senior Vice President ad interim