USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Dean Donna Petersen is one of six women across Florida who earned the American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network “She Stepped Up Award: Recognizing Extraordinary Leadership in Facing 2020’s Unprecedented Challenges.” 

The ACE Women’s Network is a national network that supports women in higher education. The award honors Dean Petersen’s contributions in helping USF address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dean Petersen has been serving as chair of the USF COVID-19 Task Force from the onset of the pandemic last year.

The task force oversees the “development of policy and plans not previously addressed or implemented in response to an incident of this magnitude” for the university. The 14-member task force is composed of senior leadership working with numerous departments across USF.    

“Donna has been instrumental in the COVID-19 response within the university and the larger Tampa Bay community,” said Paige Beles Geers, deputy chief of staff at USF and executive board member of the ACE Women’s Network of Florida, in the nomination written for Dean Petersen. “She chairs the USF COVID-19 Task Force, which is responsible for all aspects of our COVID-19 response and recovery, including the transition to remote learning last spring, testing and vaccine site coordination, fielding event requests, and ensuring the utmost health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. She has been consistently working 80+ hour work weeks and weekends to make sure USF is always maintaining a safe environment.”

“Serving the university through the work of the COVID-19 task force for the past year has been incredibly rewarding and humbling.  I’ve had the good fortune to work with an incredible team of dedicated professionals and to get to know people across our campuses that I would never have known otherwise,” Petersen said.  “I now fully appreciate how complex this institution is and I have enormous respect for our essential employees who have been doing their jobs, on our campuses, for over a year, supporting our students, faculty and staff, facilities and grounds, and the general well-being of our university.”

“Dr. Petersen answered the call to serve the University of South Florida as chair of my COVID-19 Task Force, and ever since she has gone above and beyond to help USF prioritize the health and safety of our campuses and communities,” said USF President Steve Currall. “Dr. Petersen has helped USF students, faculty and staff increase our understanding of the pandemic so we could respond in safe and effective ways. From why, how and which face coverings to wear, to the importance of hand washing and physical distancing, Dr. Petersen has been a trusted voice in our battle against COVID-19. Her relentless efforts have undoubtedly contributed to USF’s success in keeping case counts relatively low compared to our peers across the state. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of recognition for her extraordinary service to USF, our region and our state.”

Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, said Dean Petersen took a leadership role alongside USF and USF Health to promote vital public health practices and keep everyone safe during the COVID pandemic.

“She literally stepped up and took the bull by the horns,” he said. “She would not back down on anything that would compromise the health of the students, faculty and staff. She was grace under fire and showed true courage.”

He also said she has played a vital role in implementing pooled testing and surveillance among students, faculty and staff and the testing of surfaces across campus.  

“The combination of her developing the appropriate protocols to minimize the risk of infection and testing protocols is one of the reasons why USF has one of the lowest infection rates of any American university,” he said.

Dr. Douglas Holt, director of the Florida Department of Health – Hillsborough, said that Petersen has a way of making everyone feel heard.

“Whether it’s the president of the university or an individual on the street, you feel very much that she’s listening and treats everybody with respect,” he said.

He said he admires her ability to create positive change, such as in her work with a health equity program in St. Petersburg and the way she’s helped the COPH become and remain a consistently ranked top public health program in the country during her tenure as dean.

“I see results, and based on that, she must not sleep!” he said. “It’s hard to imagine how someone could be everywhere, and not just superficially, but with influence and contributing in such a substantial way; the list goes on.”

Dr. Randall Russell, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, has worked with Dean Petersen in her role as vice chair on the board of trustees for the Foundation.

“Dr. Petersen’s ongoing journey with race equity illustrates her ability to lead with humility. She teaches as she learns, utilizing a keen ear to courageously but kindly challenge the status quo that are anti public health. Racism and public health are linked at the core and Donna is indeed an antiracist in action,” Russell said.

Dean Petersen received her award during the ACE Women’s Network Florida’s Annual State Conference held virtually on April 9.

“It’s been gratifying to see everyone step up and do their part, on our campuses, as volunteers on the front lines of the pandemic or just as good role models in the community. Everyone’s hard work and dedication have paid off; we’ve managed to keep our case numbers lower than those in the surrounding counties. And we’ve done it together,” Dean Petersen said.

Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health