Staff Member of the Month: October 2020

Hannah Menefee

Public Health Program coordinator

Department of Population Health Sciences

FROM DR. CORNELIA DEAGLE

Hannah deserves this recognition because of her ongoing, demonstrated commitment to the department and all our faculty, staff, and students, especially during challenging times. She participates in all department activities and takes on additional duties to ensure we accomplish our objectives. She is collaborative and always follows up on tasks in a timely manner. She is essential to the smooth running of our department.

Hannah keeps the department abreast of state and national public health events, activities, policies, and efforts. She applies this knowledge to our internal departmental policies and procedures to ensure we are up to date. For example, she is always knowledgeable about the AASPH (Association of Schools of Public Health), CEPH, and other governing public health bodies.

Hannah works with me in the development of the BSPH program, particularly the evolution of the cumulative experience. She has researched other programs, talked to experts, and contributes invaluable knowledge to this work.

FROM DR. KATHY HOSIG
Hannah is the glue that holds our public health program together through overwhelming situations like the pandemic and routine but challenging and critical issues, such as program accreditation, program assessment, and keeping students and faculty on track for meeting requirements for student practicum experiences. She quietly and competently supports students and faculty to ensure that our program operates smoothly and meets expectations at every level. Hannah is a true team player.

FROM DR. ALASDAIR COHEN
As a new faculty member at Virginia Tech, this past year I required a good deal of support and assistance as I acclimated to the college, my department, and attempted to understand different aspects of the MPH and BSPH programs. In every instance where I had questions, Hannah responded quickly and professionally, often going above and beyond what I had expected in order to ensure that I would be well equipped to understand and fulfill my new roles and responsibilities (including drafting multipage documents to synthesize information on MPH-related programs and then making time to meet and review the documents in person).

FROM DR. CASSIDY RIST
Hannah consistently demonstrates compassion for students in the MPH program and has done so with particular care during the changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic this spring and summer. She is also a wonderful member of the PHS department, responding rapidly to questions and concerns.

FROM DR. SOPHIE WENZEL
Hannah continues to be a shining star of the Department of Population Health Sciences. She really has been serving as the backbone of the program for several years now. From recruiting students to monitoring their PHPEs, to mentoring the student ambassadors, to planning the graduation and much more, she is the go-to person for any student need in the public health program, and the students know this! As a faculty member, I know I can count on her for an answer or at least to try to find the answer. She is inclusive, friendly, approachable, and an all-around good person.

FROM LYNN MARGHEIM
Hannah continually surprises me with the amount of responsibilities that she maintains in the department to keep our MPH program running. She does most of her work behind the scenes, helping students to enter and exit the program successfully and to manage all the tasks needed to keep the program up to date for the accreditation evaluation process. She is involved at all levels and never seems to step back on any new task that comes her way. I appreciate her professionalism and dedication to the students, staff, faculty, and college to make the MPH program a great success for all. The program would not be the same without her.

FROM ELIZABETH CATON
Hannah has never hesitated to respond when I’ve had an ask — whether it be graphic design assistance, proofreading help, or simply acting as a sounding board and helping to generate ideas. I appreciate her calm nature, her positive attitude, and all she does behind the scenes to support the success of everyone in our department.