Heather Mendez, MPH, CPH received her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Health Sciences from the University of South Florida (USF) in 2016. She completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Public Health Practice from the University of Florida (UF) in 2023.
She has worked as an epidemiologist for communicable and environmental diseases and emergency preparedness, as well as for surveillance systems, informatics and analytics. She has worked as an adjunct instructor teaching undergraduate courses in the College of Public Health at USF.
She obtained her Certification in Public Health (CPH), was awarded the MPH Exemplary Student in Public Health Practice, and has been inducted into several honorary societies, including Delta Omega.
She is an active member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Florida Public Health Association (FPHA), and participates in mentorship programs at UF, APHA and FPHA.
Her work includes developing maternal and child health communications for minority populations, a surveillance system for infectious disease for a state health department, which has gained interest to be scaled to other programs within the country and will help tailor health interventions that will alleviate the burden of communicable diseases, and has overseen chronic disease screening programs within family health and wellness at a local health department.
Her research with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed approaches has helped raise awareness and build resilience within early childhood facilities within the community.
Her research interests include community health, disease prevention, social determinants of health, sociocultural risks and protective factors, health equity, resilience-building and health promotion for vulnerable and underserved communities.
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