Rate My Professor Jessica Mitro

Dr. Jessica Pope Mitro is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Global and Community Health within George Mason University’s College of Public Health, specializing in Health Science. She holds a PhD in Education: Kinesiology from George Mason University (December 2021), with a dissertation titled “A participatory exploration of women athletic trainers’ experiences in the workplace.” Her master’s degree is in Health and Human Performance: Athletic Training from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (May 2009), complemented by two bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech: BS in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise (May 2007) and BS in Business Management (July 2006). Mitro’s career spans academia, healthcare, and research. Since August 2022, she has been at George Mason, following a stint as Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (2022-2023). Previously, she served as Program Manager at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (2021-2022) and held various athletic training roles, including Head Athletic Trainer at Trinity Washington University (2012-2016), Athletic Trainer at Carnegie Mellon University (2010-2012), and positions at Inova and Novant Health systems. She has also taught as an instructor at George Mason, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Dr. Mitro’s research focuses on injury and illness prevention, organizational and systems improvement, and quality of life across the lifespan, utilizing community-engaged quantitative and qualitative approaches. She is passionate about knowledge access and mobilization to support public health professionals. Selected publications include: Mitro JP et al., “Access, Utilization, and Implementation of Research among Rehabilitation Nurses: A Qualitative Study” (Rehabilitation Nursing, 2022); Pope J et al., “The Mitigation of Racial Disparities in Cervical Cancer Screening Among US Active Duty Military Service Women” (Military Medicine, 2021); Pope J et al., “Multifactorial Exercise and Dance-Based Interventions are Effective in Reducing Falls Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Comparison Study” (Gait & Posture, 2019); and Koehlmoos TP et al., “The Comparative Effectiveness and Provider-Induced Demand Collaboration (EPIC) Project” (Military Medicine, 2023). Certified as a Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT) and Athletic Trainer Certified (ATC), Mitro has earned awards such as the SAAC Service Award (St. Mary’s College, 2009-2010) and Academic Graduate Assistantship (UTC, 2008-2009).