Public health leadership

Melissa J. Perry named Top 2025 Health Care Innovator by Washington Business Journal

Taylor Thomas — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:29:22 +0000

Melissa J. Perry named Top 2025 Health Care Innovator by Washington Business Journal Taylor Thomas Thu, 08/28/2025 - 10:29

In This Story

Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS, MBA

The Washington Business Journal has named Melissa J. Perry, renowned environmental and occupational health scientist and inaugural dean of the College of Public Health, to the list of top 12 Health Education Innovators.

Read the full article here.

Melissa J. Perry, Inagural Dean of the College of Public Health. Read the full article here.

The Innovator in Health Care award is bestowed annually to Greater Washington’s clinical and business leaders working to solve the industry’s biggest challenges. The honor reflects Perry’s commitment to a technology-first, human-centered approach to public health education.

“This award reflects the commitment and achievements of the faculty and staff in the College of Public Health who strive for innovative solutions to improve public health each day. Together, we reimagine how immersive, interdisciplinary, and globally informed learning experiences can prepare students for health careers. I am deeply honored to represent the college as an innovator in health education,” said Dean Perry.

Under Perry’s leadership, the college has earned national recognition for its technology-enhanced curriculum. She championed the expansion of the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation, a simulation-based workforce development and research center that offers students real-world scenarios to hone their skills before entering the field. From social work students navigating complex client interactions to nursing students providing life-saving care in a virtual hospital, the Lab engages students in technologically driven education singularly available at the college. The college is also the first public health institution in the world to be accredited by the prestigious Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

The college recently became the first in Virginia to be awarded accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health. This accreditation affirms that ��'s public health programs provide the comprehensive, interdisciplinary training essential for cultivating the next generation of leaders in vital fields such as community health, epidemiology, global health, health policy, and health services research.

A renowned epidemiologist and environmental and reproductive health expert, Perry has been at the forefront of improving population health regionally and globally. Perry champions cross-national public health collaboration and facilitates scientific dialogue that transcends borders. She has published over 170 frequently cited manuscripts, technical reports, book chapters, commentaries, and book reviews that have furthered the field of epidemiology. Her research has been cited over 7,000 times. Perry is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today through her insightful column, The Mindful Epidemiologist. Perry’s impact as a scientist and educator has earned her the title of one of Northern Virginia’s top 50 most influential people, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Recently, Perry graduated with an MBA from George Mason’s Costello College of Business, expanding her expertise to include the cross-section of public health and business strategy.

As a leading voice for innovation, Perry envisions the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation as a place where all College of Public Health students can build cutting-edge skills well into the future.

Dean Melissa Perry (center), pictured with Alex Orfinger, Market President and Publisher of the Washington Business Journal and Monica Schmude, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia, at the recent awards ceremony.
Photo credit: Nicholas Griner

Topics

College of Public Health

Public health leadership

Leadership

Washington Business Journal

Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)

Faculty and Staff News

Alumni

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 09 May 2022 20:18:57 +0000

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/09/2022 - 16:18

In This Story

Dr. Germaine Louis gives a patient a COVID-19 vaccine at the Mason and Partners Clinic vaccination event with Prince William Health District on February 23, 2021.

As Dean Germaine Louis retires at the end of the 2021-22 school year, we reshare this story where she reflects on the similarities in the beginning and end of her career.

When Germaine Louis became Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, she never envisioned serving during a pandemic like COVID-19. “Certainly, when I accepted the position in 2017, a pandemic was not on my horizon—what was on my horizon was bringing together the College’s faculty, staff, and students to become a college of public health.”

When asked about leading the future college of public health during COVID-19, Louis is quick to point out that the COVID-19 is not the first pandemic in her lifetime or her 30+ year career as an epidemiologist, referencing the AIDS pandemic which peaked in the U.S. while Louis was completing her graduate studies. “Becoming an epidemiologist during the AIDS pandemic was impactful for me on so many levels, as this new infectious agent disproportionately took the lives of young men and women. I sadly recall the stereotyping and other shaming actions on the part of some towards affected individuals. As a reproductive epidemiologist, I understood why individuals with risky behaviors were often being blamed for their disease, and I recall with great pride the many scientific advances that led to successful treatment and a more compassionate understanding of AIDS."

“Of course, COVID-19 is very different from AIDS in many regards with a larger susceptible population and its airborne transmission,” says Louis. Still, COVID-19 is an important reminder why public health is essential for contemporary life. “COVID-19 has taught us that it’s almost impossible to imagine a world without a strong public health infrastructure to protect the health and safety of all people.”

Louis credits the College's faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their many contributions in fighting COVID-19 and protecting communities, saying “I’ve been incredibly impressed with everyone in the College each of whom has stepped up to make sure we deliver on our academic mission and one that includes practice and community service.”

Leading by example, the Dean has also been active in the University’s response to COVID-19 – from helping develop Mason’s randomized surveillance testing plans to administering vaccines for the community at the Mason and Partner Clinics. Louis can clearly see how her early career as a nurse and then as an epidemiologist led to this moment.

“I used to tell my nursing colleagues that being a nurse made me a better epidemiologist. What I’d learned in a hospital setting really helped me design better study protocols when focusing on clinical populations. I could think about what it meant to implement a research protocol in a hospital setting for busy nurses and physicians or patients under varying stages of duress. And I really do think that my experience as a nurse was formidable in the success that I experienced with clinical studies (e.g., Buffalo Women’s Health Study, ENDO Study, and NICHD Fetal Growth Study). What I didn’t expect at the time was that I would be using some nurse skills as an epidemiologist in responding to a pandemic,” says Louis.

She reports that prior to volunteering at the MAP Clinic vaccination events, after years of not administering an intramuscular (IM) injection, she was required to refresh her injection skills and have her competency checked. “All of a sudden, I was very anxious about vaccinating after years of not doing so as some technical guidance had changed. Mason’s student nurses were a great source of reassurance, and they shared tips with me. I have found that early training really never leaves you, and it kicked in when I needed it most. It does remind me of the importance of lifelong learning.

Louis shares a story about an opportunity to also bring her training in reproductive epidemiology to bear while vaccinating a group of early childhood workers. A young female worker asked if Louis had a few moments to talk with her after her vaccination. She wanted advice on when to safely begin trying for pregnancy following her vaccination. “And I thought, 'Now that is something I know about,’” said Louis.

Dr. Germaine Louis began her career in nursing before becoming an epidemiologist.

After 30 years as a reproductive epidemiologist and working with couples trying for pregnancy, she was reminded how desperate people are for reliable information about pregnancy-related exposures and lingering data gaps. “My advice to her was that healthy pregnancies and babies start with healthy women and mothers. And, first and foremost, unless there is a contraindication from her physician, the woman was doing the right thing to ensure her own health by being vaccinated. I could see the woman’s smile behind her mask and knew there was a good chance she would take that message back to sisters, friends, and coworkers who may have similar questions about the vaccine.”

“It is rewarding to think about taking nursing skills to epi and now epi skills back to nursing,” says Louis.

When asked for advice she would share with future generations of men and women about empowering women who wish to make history in science, health, and leadership - Louis’ response is simple and clear: mentorship.

“I know what made a difference it made in my life – and that was having a mentor (who happened to be a man) who believed in me. When I was worried about finishing my dissertation, he was already talking about my first faculty appointment—before I was even thinking about a position. When I was in my first faculty position and worried about tenure, he was already talking about my next career move. Having someone believe in you or to see something in you that you may not see in yourself is impactful - you need to pay attention to that.”

Louis believes that academicians have an obligation to seek out students who may have natural leadership abilities or who otherwise have a skillset or narrative that sets them apart and to talk with them ... encourage them for even more. “We should support everyone, but we will always need leaders,” she says. “We also need to do a better job of cultivating hunger in our graduates. By that, I mean helping students really think about and become excited about pursuing a career beyond having a job.

Louis closed the conversation by sharing a story about Ruth Kirschstein (former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, deputy director of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 1990s, and acting director of the NIH in 1993 and 2000-2002) who during a presentation to female leaders at NIH once said that women sometimes need to ‘remind people to think of you.’ “Her advice has always resonated with me,” said Louis. “It’s ok to self-nominate or to apply for positions even if not invited to do so, as long as you have the qualifications.” Louis also says that women can help others by nominating them for awards and special recognitions. “Most nominations take time and effort to do well," cautions Louis, “But, if we don't create a culture of recognition for women and for future women leaders then we will never have the same recognition as others.”

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

Epidemiology

Public health leadership

Public Health

College of Health and Human Services

CHHS News

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics

John Brandon Cantrell — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 15:57:17 +0000

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics John Brandon C… Mon, 03/22/2021 - 11:57

In This Story

Dr. Germaine Louis gives a patient a COVID-19 vaccine at the Mason and Partners Clinic vaccination event with Prince William Health District on February 23, 2021.

Dr. Germaine Louis began her career in nursing before becoming an epidemiologist.

“It is rewarding to think about taking nursing skills to epi and now epi skills back to nursing,” says Louis.

Topics

coronavirus; covid-19

Epidemiology

Public health leadership

Public Health

College of Health and Human Services

CHHS News