Former School of Public Health Dean Gilbert S. Omenn knows a lot about the value of innovative, interdisciplinary faculty. Recruited to SPH in 1981 by former Dean Robert Day, Dr. Omenn eventually succeeded him and led this dynamic, science-based School for the next 15 years.
Two early initiatives he helped launch included the Cancer Prevention Research Unit with Fred Hutch and the CDC-sponsored Health Promotion Research Center with the Seattle/King County Housing Authority. Later, Dr. Omenn helped develop the Institute for Public Health Genetics as a presidential initiative with participation from multiple UW units, including the School of Law and College of Arts & Sciences.
Now, almost 20 years later, Dr. Omenn and his wife, Martha Darling, have established two endowments to reflect their commitment to securing the finest faculty members for the School of Public Health. The Gilbert S. Omenn Endowed Chair in Biostatistics will support a senior faculty member in that department, and the Robert W. Day Endowed Professorship will support a junior faculty member from any SPH department.
“We intend that the outstanding faculty who will hold these positions will make a special effort to build programmatic strength with public health genetics, environmental and occupational health sciences, and data analytics,” Dr. Omenn said. “Moreover, we hope the two faculty selected will be connected in a mentoring and collaborative relationship.”
SPH is extremely grateful for the couple’s generosity and vision for deepening its interdisciplinary strengths in these critical public health arenas.