Dr. Mary Jo Trepka

Leadership/experienced/hardworking/innovative/excellent communicator

As doctoral students in the Department of Epidemiology at Florida International University (FIU), it is with great pleasure that we nominate our chair and professor, Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, for the Society of Epidemiological Research Above and Beyond Coronavirus Distinction award. Dr. Trepka is well suited for this award because of her tireless efforts and innovative approaches in establishing FIU’s COVID-19 response to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff, and her leadership role in Miami-Dade’s County response to COVID-19.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Trepka has provided her service to the university and our Miami-Dade County community. She currently serves as the chair of the COVID-19 screening, testing, tracing, and disinfection subcommittee of FIU’s Repopulation Task Force as well as a member of the FIU Task Force’s Health Subcommittee. In these roles, she developed essential protocols and promoted recommendations on safety measures against COVID-19, including masking, hand washing, physical distancing, lockdowns and travel restrictions. She has invested her resources in promoting mitigating measures to COVID-19 transmission by holding several webinars and FIU townhalls to the students, faculty and staff. Dr. Trepka is also a member of the Miami Phased Comeback Committee, which is a committee of mayors, emergency managers, healthcare, and public health leaders of cities and municipalities within Miami-Dade County. This committee interprets COVID-19 data and makes recommendations about COVID-19 control for the County, and her active participation in it was critical to the committee’s success in devising and communicating a clear action plan to confront COVID-19 in Miami-Dade County. During the past year, she has provided over 180 media appearances related to the COVID-19 outbreak where she informed and educated the general public about the virus and provided real-time updates on prevention, treatment, and vaccination measures. She was featured in prominent news channels including CBS 6, NBC 6, WFTX (Fox), National Public Radio (NPR), WLRN, WIOD, Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times, Orlando Sentinel, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, Politifact, Daily Beast, and Five Thirty-Eight.com. She is also the co-creator of the Miami COVID Project (miamicovidproject.com), which produces reports of trends in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Miami, South Florida, and Florida.

It is our honor and privilege to nominate Dr. Trepka for the Above and Beyond Coronavirus Distinction award.Through her dedication, hardwork and commitment in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Trepka has made a remarkable contribution and difference at our university, community, Miami-Dade County, and the state of Florida. Her foundational knowledge and skills in infectious disease epidemiology, enthusiasm and passion in public health research makes her an outstanding candidate for this award. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

PhD Epidemiology Students

https://news.fiu.edu/2020/stempel-professor-among-fiu-physician-leaders-tapped-for-miami-dade-county-mayors-covid-19-advisory-pan