Remembering Jim Yager, 1943–2024
The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) is saddened by news of the death of our good friend, Jim Yager, who died at home on July 14, 2024, from complications of leukemia.
Yager was a leader in environmental health science, joining the Bloomberg School faculty in Environmental Health Sciences (now Environmental Health and Engineering) in 1989. He held numerous leadership roles at the School including senior associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2000 to 2013, leading educational programs during a remarkable period of growth and innovation. In EHE, Yager rebuilt and directed the Division of Toxicological Sciences, directed the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Training Program in Environmental Health Science, and held leadership positions in the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, the Center for Urban Environmental Health, and the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute.
Yager was also a wonderful mentor to students and faculty and an excellent teacher who continued teaching until his retirement in 2019. As our current dean of the Bloomberg School Ellen MacKenzie, PhD '79, ScM '75, said this week, “He will hold a cherished spot in our memories and hearts.”
From its founding in 1996, Yager was a true advocate and supporter of CLF, serving as an Advisory Board member, and most notably he stepped in as the Center’s interim director from 2016 to 2017, overseeing the leadership transition and management of CLF during his tenure. In 2016 when Yager was appointed, Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH ‘87, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, “Jim is a senior leader at the Bloomberg School who served as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for 13 years and who has had a long professional and personal interest in the issues of sustainability and the environment.”
He will be missed by all who worked with him, especially those at the Center.
“Jim Yager was an early and constant friend of the CLF. He was a true believer in the vision and goals of the CLF and, whenever he could, Jim participated in our conferences, review boards for fellowships, and other activities. Jim often went to bat for the CLF, adding his clout to help make things happen. Jim was also an early participant in the Greening of Johns Hopkins, an endeavor that was organized by the CLF. And then Jim stepped up in 2016 to keep CLF going when we needed him. Jim was quiet and unassuming, a good friend and a wonderful person. Indeed, he will be missed.” —Polly Walker, Senior Fellow and former associate director, The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
"For me, working with Jim in the Dean's office until 2006 and in EHE afterwards was a major highlight of my time at Hopkins. Jim was a wonderful colleague and friend, always a reliable source of encouragement or friendly advice to try a different tack when I encountered challenges in my work. He was also a steadfast supporter of the CLF from its earliest days. His memory is already a blessing." —Robert S. Lawrence, founding director, The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
“Jim was a beloved colleague for so many people. While I am one among many in that regard, it is my honor to be able to say that he was also my friend and ally. I appreciated Jim’s sense of humor and his great ability to listen, learn and provide insightful guidance and encouragement. I admired his readiness to take action and share credit with others in success.
On behalf of everyone at CLF, I echo our Department Chair, Marsha Wills-Karp, PhD, in extending our heartfelt condolences to all of Jim’s colleagues, students, and family during this time of loss. Jim’s impact on the Department, School, and CLF was enormous, meaningful, and will be felt for many years to come.” —Shawn McKenzie, director, The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future