Starting in late March, former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper will be a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health for eight weeks.
During his time as governor from 2017 to 2025, Cooper made significant contributions. He increased average teacher salaries by 19%, invested in early childhood programs, and prioritized public health. He also expanded Medicaid to cover over 600,000 people in North Carolina and effectively led the state through the Covid-19 pandemic and various natural disasters.
As a fellow, Cooper will teach a course called “Health Policy and Leadership,” starting on March 24. This course will blend his real-world leadership experiences with lessons on decision-making in health policy.
According to Eric Andersen, the Director of the Senior Leadership Fellows Program, the focus of this fellowship is to connect academic learning with real-life leadership challenges. Students will gain insights into decision-making processes at different levels of government.
Cooper is not the only notable fellow this spring. Marcia L. Fudge, the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will also participate. Previous fellows have included Miro Weinberger, Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and Rochelle P. Walensky, the former director of the CDC.
Before becoming governor, Cooper served as North Carolina’s Attorney General and held positions in the State House and Senate. He was instrumental in creating the state’s first children’s health insurance initiative, further highlighting his commitment to health policy.
Andersen believes this program will prepare students to navigate leadership roles and understand the critical nature of decision-making in public health.
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