A College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences graduate recently collaborated to spearhead a public health operations unit for care navigation and contact tracing to guide Georgetown University’s response to COVID-19.
As the director of Campus Recreation, Health and Wellness at Georgetown University, Meghan Dimsa has fifteen plus years of diverse experience in higher education. In this role, she is an executive leader/director serving 21,000 customers with ultimate responsibility for 300 staff members and accountability for a $6 million annual operating budget.
Dimsa develops strategies to support organizational initiatives in higher education and optimization of human social capital. Her degrees and credentials include an anticipated Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute, EdD from Creighton University, master’s degree (MA) in Executive Leadership Management from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and MEd in Kinesiology from Bowling Green State University.
She holds a BS degree in Sport Psychology from WVU and is a member of one of the group’s first CPASS graduating classes (2003). Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., both her father and uncle are WVU graduates.
Working within the Georgetown University Public Health operations unit, Dimsa helped with the coordination of testing sites, response and care protocol and development of a comprehensive contact tracing system. Along with this work, the public health operations unit partnered with the District of Columbia to host a vaccine clinic in Ward 8 to vaccinate as many residents as possible.
“In this capacity, I was honored to onboard, train and lead 30 plus Georgetown University professional staff members. Additionally, I worked closely with Georgetown University Chief Public Health officer to develop University protocols surrounding testing, quarantine, isolation operations and various policies to ensure the utmost safety of students, faculty and staff,” she said.
When vaccinations became available in the District of Columbia, it was a University-wide initiative to collaborate with the D.C. Government to take services to various neighborhoods that were limited with transportation and other means. “This was strictly a volunteer initiative and I am privileged to say the first clinic was a success that resulted in additional clinics being made available. To achieve this feat, the Public Health operations unit collaborated with Georgetown University medical students to inoculate individuals and answer a call to serve,” Dimsa explained.
In other roles, Dimsa serves as a project manager liaison for facilities, faculty member in Higher Education at Creighton University, holds a faculty appointment at Georgetown University School of Medicine for Adaptive Sports and serves as the board chair for the Georgetown Federal Credit Union.
Dimsa says her time as a CPASS student was exceptionally rich with experience and personal connection that ignited her passion to work in higher education. “As a young student, I did not have a clear career path and only knew one thing. I wanted a career focused on helping others become the best versions of themselves. To my extreme fortune, I was mentored by Drs. Jack Watson and Sam Zizzi who believed in me at a very young age,” Dimsa said.
In reflecting on her experiences at WVU, Dimsa suggests that students seek as many opportunities as possible. She advises that if students see something that sparks a passion, they should pursue it. “If you learn of a chance to volunteer and give back, do it; you will become richer for having done so. Even if you are uncertain about your future beyond college, take advantage of the wonderfully formative years and engage with faculty, staff and your peers to listen and learn from the richness that surrounds you,” she added.
Dimsa recommends that students have fun. “No matter where the future takes you, we are all connected with one common thread that will link us forever. We are all Mountaineers,” she said.
“The WVU CPASS program chaired by a faculty member who is the best in the field and provides a strong educational foundation, paired with applied experiences, are exceptional. The diversity of thought and academics in the program will ultimately set you up for success no matter what your future holds,” Dimsa explained.
“My mentors gave me numerous opportunities to be involved in research, teaching, public speaking and countless engagements. As a transfer into that program from psychology, I immediately knew that I found my home. Regardless of where I go in my career, WVU will always be my home.”
Full story in Georgetown University News