October 14 - Pull up a Chair
Join us on October 14 when Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis, will meet with the Arnold School community from 2-4 pm at the Pastides Alumni Center to discuss leadership.
July 10, 2026 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
When long-time health promotion, education, and behavior (HPEB) professor Daniela Friedman officially took on the Arnold School’s Associate Dean for Research position in 2025, the role came with an extended title and a pioneering charge rarely seen in academic units. In addition to overseeing the vast research activities of the Arnold School (e.g., $54 million across 303 grants and 774 peer-reviewed publications in FY25), Friedman has taken on Leadership Development as well.
"Public health is rooted in collaboration and collective impact," Friedman says. "We do our best work when we create environments where people feel supported to contribute ideas, make thoughtful changes, ask difficult questions, and continue growing throughout their careers."
Tapping into her extensive experience in this area, collaborating with other experts and resources in the field, and surveying members of the Arnold School community, Friedman, Pamela Gillam, Olivia Burnitz, and their team have developed the Arnold School's Voices in Leadership program. Designed to cultivate inclusive, intentional, and engaged leadership for Arnold School faculty, staff and students, this professional development initiative includes Pull Up a Chair (i.e., intimate ‘fireside’ chats where the Arnold School community can converse with public health and healthcare leaders across institutions). A series known as Leadership Demystified offers practical seminars and interactive workshops, like when Dr. Denys Lau, Editor-in-Chief for the American Journal of Public Health, presented a seminar and led workshops in April (pictured above with Friedman (left) and Dean Tara Sabo-Attwood (right)).
When I think about the leaders I admire most, they’re the ones who stay curious, ask questions, listen, and keep evolving. We can’t expect new doorways to appear while sitting comfortably in the exact same chair doing the exact same thing.
Under the umbrella of Voices in Leadership, each academic year, the Arnold School will also select a cohort of highly engaged faculty seeking deeper, intentional leadership development to participate in PH GLIDE (Public Health – Growing Leadership that is Inclusive, Deliberate, and Engaged). Thirteen faculty members have been chosen to join the inaugural cohort [pdf], which focuses on value-driven leadership, building and sustaining relationships, enhancing communication skills, managing conflict, wellness, and strategic decision-making in public health contexts.
“PH GLIDE was created with the spirit of a growth mindset, and this inaugural cohort
of GLIDErs represents faculty members across all tracks and ranks of the Arnold School
who embrace growth, reflection, learning together as a community, and investing in
themselves and their peers,” Friedman says. “The 13 faculty members in this cohort
each bring unique experiences, strengths, and perspectives that will enrich this program
and our broader Arnold School community.”
