Spring semester brings new programs, inspiring events to campus

The nine schools that make up Emory University head into the new semester with innovative initiatives, celebration-worthy achievements and a full slate of engaging speakers and events.

Here's a roundup of what's new and noteworthy, as listed by each school.

Candler School of Theology

Faculty highlights: In the latest example of Candler faculty representing the highest order of scholarly excellence and institutional commitment, Susan E. Hylen was installed as the Charles Howard Candler Professor of New Testament at the school's convocation on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Visiting professors are enriching the Candler learning community as well. During J-term, we welcomed the 2026 Sankofa Scholar, Derek S. Hicks of Wake Forest University, who taught a course on culinary culture in Black religious experiences. And philosopher of religion Sarah Coakley, Cambridge University professor emerita and Candler's 2025-26Alonzo L. McDonald Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Life and Teachings of Jesus and Their Impact on Culture, will return to campus in May to teach a course on prayer and the politics of contemplation.

Noteworthy events: On Thursday, Jan. 29, Candler's Aquinas Center of Theologywill host its annual Aquinas Day Lecture, featuring scholar and webcomic creator Matthew J. Cressler on "Bad Catholics, Good Trouble: Reimagining Catholic History as a Call to Action."

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, and Thursday, Feb. 5, Candler will join the Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH) to host "Mañana from a New Today," an event marking the 35th anniversary of Justo González's landmark book, "Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective."

And Candler's Pitts Theology Librarywill commemorate the 500th birthday of William Tyndale's English translation of the New Testament with a gallery exhibition launching in February and the Morgan Forum on Thursday, April 2, featuring a lecture by Mark Rankin of James Madison University.

For more information and to browse our new video library, visit the Candler School of Theology website.

Emory College of Arts and Sciences

Interim dean: Renowned historian Joseph Crespino was recently named the interim deanof Emory College of Arts and Sciences, succeeding Barbara Krauthamer, who stepped down after serving as dean since July 2023. Provost Badia Ahad announced the transition on Tuesday, Jan. 6, along with plans to launch a national search for a new dean this month.

Ellman Lectures: The Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry will present the Ellmann Lectures in Modern Literature March 1-3, with bestselling novelist Min Jin Lee exploring the theme "Can Wisdom Be Taught?" Her lectures will examine the subject of wisdom in an unpredictable world and the role of storytelling in the cultivation of knowledge, discernment and good judgment. Book sales and author signings will follow each lecture. Admission is free, but tickets are required.

Investing in students: The Emory College Pathways Center now has an official physical home for all its programs across two floors in the B. Jones Center on Dowman Drive. The renovated space includes program offices; peer advising areas; an updated Career Closet; an employer suite for industry and graduate school interviews; and meeting spaces, among other features. The new space strongly enhances the student experience and the center's mission as a hub for career discovery, while also offering more opportunities for engagement with faculty, alumni, prospective students and employers.

Ready, set, action: Emory College's Department of Film and Media celebrates the opening of a new film production and classroom space located in Emory Point. This donor-funded facility enhances the department's teaching and experiential learning opportunities for students and features a sound stage with professional lighting and sound equipment, a collaborative student lounge, a classroom and post-production facilities.

Learn more at the Emory College of Arts and Sciences website.

Goizueta Business School

30% tuition scholarship: Goizueta is thrilled to offer a 30% tuition scholarship for current Emory undergraduate students accepted into the Master in Management, Master of Finance, or MS in Business Analytics programs during the 2025-26 application cycle. Learn more about the program.

Leading in real estate: The 5th Annual Emory Goizueta Real Estate Conference returns on Tuesday, April 7. Building on last year's sold-out success, the event features panels and networking with top professionals, alumni and students. Registration opens in early February.

Empowering entrepreneurs: The 10th Emory Goizueta Entrepreneurship Summit returns on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20. The annual event educates and inspires students, alumni and community partners through interactive workshops, noteworthy speakers, networking opportunities and the highly anticipated student pitch contest.

Increased access and flexibility for Evening MBA: Designed for working professionals, Goizueta's top-ranked Evening MBA program now offers both spring (January) and fall (August) start dates. Students can tailor their experience through electives and format (online, hybrid or on-campus options). Eligible Emory employees can take advantage of the Emory Courtesy Scholarship, which covers a portion of tuition.

Expanded professional development and lifelong learning: Emory Executive Education has expanded its portfolio of learning solutions for individuals and organizations with more topics and formats. Designed to meet evolving business and career needs, courses cover topics including AI in business, leadership, strategy, analytics, communication and change management. Reduced rates are available for Emory University and Emory Healthcare employees, Emory alumni, nonprofits and groups.

Learn more at the Goizueta Business School website.

James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies

2026 LGS Awards: Nominations are now open for the 2026 LGS Awards, which honor outstanding alumni, faculty, staff and students whose work exemplifies the mission and impact of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies. Members of the Emory community are encouraged to submit nominations for exceptional representatives of the LGS community. Self-nominations are welcome. Learn more about eligibility, criteria and the nomination process on the 2026 LGS Awards website.

Student honors: Laney Graduate School nursing PhD candidate John Anthony Fuller has been awarded the prestigious Kharen Fulton Award for the 2025-26 academic year in recognition of his work advancing justice, belonging and opportunity. That same week, Fuller attended his first Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) Conference in Philadelphia, where he was presented with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Student Mentorship Fellowship Award.

Student research competition: The LGS Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) & Master's Showcase competitions challenge graduate students to deliver concise, engaging presentations of their research to a non-specialist audience. Preliminary applications are now open for students interested in participating in the spring 2026 competitions.

Graduate student flourishing: This semester, the Laney Graduate School will launch Flourishing at Laney, a new initiative that centers on the whole student and promotes academic success, well-being, mentoring and professional development. Through programming and interdisciplinary connection, the Flourishing at Laney initiative seeks to strengthen the graduate experiences by supporting students in thriving intellectually, personally and professionally.

Learn more at the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies website.

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Winter graduation: The school held commencement ceremonies in December, adding 298 graduates to its alumni community. The ceremonies were Linda McCauley's last before retiring as dean after 16 remarkable years.

MN start: The school welcomed a new cohort of students into its Master of Nursing (MN) program, which allows students with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines to earn a pre-licensure nursing degree, with options of working as a registered nurse or continuing in the Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. Emory's master's degree programs in nursing continue to be the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Upcoming lecture: The school will host the 2026 Ada Fort Lecture on Monday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. Paule V. Joseph, senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program and co-director of the National Smell and Taste Center, will deliver the lecture. She will speak on "Taste and Smell: Critical Sensory Pathways Shaping Health and Disease." The lecture will be held in Room P01 of the school's 1520 Clifton Road location.

Learn more at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing website.

Oxford College

Admissions: Oxford will welcome 179 students from our ED1 cohort. Students from this group represent six countries and 24 states. Oxford will also be continuing our London Launch program, and has welcomed 17 students from nine different states.

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: Oxford's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Service will be held this year on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Old Church. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr. He is the former president of Morehouse College and the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, and the current James T. and Berta R. Laney Chair in Moral Leadership at Candler School of Theology. There will be music by Oxappella, the Oxford Soul Collective and the MLK Interdenominational Community Choir, as well as remarks from Interim Dean Molly McGehee, Oxford students and Chaplain Brent Huckaby.

Oxford College will also have its annual MLK Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 19.

Footworks 2026: Presented by Emory Libraries, "Footwork" is a partnership with Oxford's Center for Pathways and Purpose, where we plan to bring faculty and guest lecturers, Footwork Fest and exhibitions to help welcome the World Cup in 2026.

Oxford Athletics: The Center for Healthful Living is excited to welcome Sabrina (Sieber) Bryan as the new assistant director of campus recreation at Oxford College.

Student Involvement, Leadership and Transitions: Oxford SILT is proud to announce four new hires that align with our strategic planning. Gantt Thomas Jr., associate director; LaJoi Boone, assistant director, leadership; Melanie Cason, assistant director, student engagement; and Damian Garza, program coordinator, student engagement.

OSB Celebration: January 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Oxford Science Building. From March 26-27, there will be events celebrating our Decade of Discovery in the OSB.

Learn more at the Oxford College website.

Rollins School of Public Health

Research accelerators: Rollins faculty are joining forces across disciplines as part of a new initiative to foster excellence and accelerate innovation in emerging areas of research. Six teams are collaborating in newly created research accelerators to meet critical public health needs across key focus areas, including aging; digital health and wearable technology; exposomics; maternal and child health; mental health; and nutrition.

Expanding online options: Rollins is expanding online degree options to give students more flexibility in how they complete their studies. The school added new, fully online programs, including two full-time Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in global health and behavioral, social and health education sciences and two part-time MPH programs in epidemiology and global epidemiology. The first cohort of online Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) students began their studies in fall 2025. Two new concentrations will be available starting fall 2026: the DrPH in Applied AI and Data Translation and DrPH in Leadership for Public Health Policy.

New programs coming soon: Rollins is meeting the need for public health professionals trained in data, technology and informatics with new master's degree programs. Three Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in Data Science programs will let students explore applications for data and analytics across public health disciplines. The part-time, hybrid Master of Health Administration (MHA) will train future health care leaders to use technological advances to deliver more equitable, efficient care. Both the MSPH in Data Science and MHA are now accepting applications for fall 2026 enrollment.

Learn more at the Rollins School of Public Health website.

School of Law

Upcoming events: The 2026 MLK Lecture, "Beyond Service Hours: From Transactional to Transformative Engagement," will be held Thursday, Jan. 15, at 12:15 p.m. in Tull Auditorium. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. The Thrower Symposium - "The Boundaries of Bodily Autonomy: Power, Ethics, and Law" - will be held Thursday, Feb. 5.

New courses: Launching in spring 2026, "Public Interest Pathways" recognizes that public service careers are often "forged, not found." The program equips students with the creativity needed to navigate non-standardized hiring landscapes and pioneer impactful careers in the 21st-century public sector.

"Government Lawyering" explores the unique ethical and legal responsibilities of attorneys in public office. Students examine the challenges of upholding the rule of law while mastering frameworks like the Freedom of Information Act. Through guest panels with practitioners, the course provides a transparent look into government accountability.

"Georgia Law, Practice, and Procedure" is tailored for 3L students, focusing on state law distinctions required for the Georgia Bar Exam. Covering high-stakes topics like Ethics, Torts, and Evidence - 30% of the bar score - the course uses a "flipped classroom" model to build fluency in local practice.

"AI and Legal Writing" invites students to experiment with generative technology and effective prompting. The course addresses critical ethical concerns, including confidentiality and "hallucinated" legal authorities, helping students responsibly enhance their roles as future legal writers.

Learn more at the School of Law website.

School of Medicine

Strategic focus: Under the guidance of Adam Marcus, PhD, we have developed a new research strategic plan that will position Emory to lead the next era of biomedical discovery and clinical impact by investing in bold science, integrated infrastructure and our people.

In education, we remain focused on developing innovative ways to deliver education across all degree programs. We are excited to support our teams in their continued growth as educators as they implement the new curricula, and to enhance student experience through new programs and holistic support.

New leaders: April O. Buchanan, MD, FAAP, joined Emory in January as senior associate dean for medical education. Working closely with Executive Associate Dean J. William (Bill) Eley, MD, MPH, Buchanan will play a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the School of Medicine's education mission. Buchanan joins Emory from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. Megan Henn, MD, has been named director of career advising. In this new leadership role, Henn will oversee development and implementation of a four-year longitudinal career advising program for medical students. Henn joined the Emory faculty in 2014 and is an associate professor of emergency medicine, based at Grady Memorial Hospital. Martha Ward, MD, has been named assistant dean for admissions and student affairs. In this new leadership role, she will partner with the associate dean for admissions and student affairs and the associate dean for student success to ensure consistent, student-centered decision-making and support. Ward also serves as co-chair of the School of Medicine admissions committee and an Osler/Crumpler Society advisor and small group leader.

Learn more at the School of Medicine website.