Staff Spotlight: Mona Deprey

Background

Mona is originally from Maine and earned her B.S. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of New Hampshire. A lover of the outdoors, she split her time during undergrad between her studies, a part time job and the cross-country ski team – a division 1 program that required up to 15 hours of training a week. “I learned how not to procrastinate because my time was booked solid with school, work, and training,” she said.

She then attended Oregon State University for her graduate program in health education. She put her education to good use as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova, teaching Health Education to 7th and 8th graders in the language of Romanian.

“Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe,” she said, “I am heartened to see their incredible response to the Ukrainian refugees entering their country.”

Work Life

Mona joined the Division of Hematology in June 2021. As Division Administrator, she oversees finances, operations and grant submissions for her division, but she is also an active player in many projects and initiatives throughout her division and the department.

“I appreciate the variety of tasks my role requires and the variety of people that I am able to interact and work with to accomplish the goals of the division and DOM,” she said.

Hematology Division Head Dr. Janis L Abkowitz describes Mona as “tremendous - organized, efficient, a quick learner, and an absolute pleasure to work with.”

Among her duties, Mona is currently excited to be working on the Wellbeing workgroup as part of the DOM Strategic Plan. The Wellbeing workgroup is one of several workgroups of faculty, trainees and staff charged with devising strategies to implement the goals outlined in the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.

“A large amount of my professional career was supporting behavior change NIH-funded Grants, so being on the Wellbeing workgroup allows me draw on my previous professional experience,” she said.

Additional workgroups include Research, Clinical Innovation, Diversity Council, Professional Development and Education.

Department of Medicine Vice Chair of Finance and Administration, Betsy Buswell enjoys her opportunities to work closely with Mona on a variety of projects.

“Mona is an asset to the division and the department,” Betsy said. “She is thoughtful, diligent and a nuanced thinker, and I appreciate her positive approach and sense of humor in challenging situations.”

Outside of Work

Coming from a big family in “the most northern town in Maine where winter starts in October and ends in April”, Mona enjoys many outdoor activities during all seasons including Nordic skiing, trail running, mountaineering, and backpacking. And when “too tired to play outside, I enjoy cooking and reading.”