Dr. Nancy Messonnier, who previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Skoll Foundation, was appointed dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, according to a campus-wide email on Wednesday. Messonnier will begin her role on Sept. 1.
She will replace Dr. Barbara K. Rimer, who served 17 years as dean of the Gillings School. Rimer announced last year that she will be stepping down from her position on June 30, but will remain a part of the faculty.
Messonnier brings over 25 years of experience in public health leadership, according to the email.
She helmed the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases from 2014 through 2021 and led its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While at the Skoll Foundation, a private foundation that invests in social entrepreneurs, she continued to advance efforts to address COVID-19 and prevent future pandemics.
Messonnier earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Medicine.
"Messonnier joins the Gillings School during an exciting time of success," the email said.
Gillings is ranked the No. 1 public school of public health according to the U.S. News & World Report, and it also ranks first among schools of public health in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Faculty members have received more than $1 billion in research since 2016.
