Jai-Me Potter-Rutledge, previously the School of Public Health’s interim dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, will step into her role permanently, according to a Monday SPH-wide email from Interim Dean of the School of Public Health Ronald Aubert. Potter-Rutledge was named to her interim role in June 2022.
Potter-Rutledge “is integral to the School’s efforts to build our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office and continue the important work being done there,” Aubert wrote in his email. “In her interim position, (she) has been a driving force for expanding the DEI Office and the school’s ongoing work to improve our culture and foster a climate of inclusivity.”
“My goals for my tenure in this position are to grow and develop meaningful and trusting relationships with members of the School of Public Health and Brown University community so that we can foster deep collaborative efforts to make our community more welcoming and inclusive of all,” Potter-Rutledge wrote in an email to The Herald. “My goal is to make sure that we are implementing best practices around equity and health justice, and that we continue to be thoughtful about the interactions and teachings inside and outside of our classrooms.”
In 2018, Potter-Rutledge joined the School of Public Health as manager of its Diversity and Inclusion Office, according to the SPH DEI website. In 2021, she became the inaugural director of the school’s Health Equity Scholars program, which supports students from historically Black colleges and universities as well as Hispanic-serving institutions who are pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Brown.
Potter-Rutledge studied behavioral neuroscience at Simmons University as an undergraduate and earned a master’s degree in health care administration and management from Salve Regina University. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Salve Regina, according to the email announcement.
Before joining Brown, Potter-Rutledge worked with the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, a society for health professionals studying substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric disorders, according to the organization’s website. She then worked for the Care New England Health System as manager of simulation services.
According to Aubert’s email, Potter-Rutledge has demonstrated a “commitment to health equity and institutional diversity” by supporting MPH students, working as a teaching assistant at the Warren Alpert Medical School, serving on several University committees focused on diversity and engaging in research at Salve Regina.
Correction: A previous version of the story did not properly attribute the photo. The Herald regrets the error.
Neil Mehta is the editor-in-chief and president of the Brown Daily Herald's 134th editorial board. They study public health and statistics at Brown. Outside the office, you can find Neil baking and playing Tetris.
