COVID-19 experts share 2020 SFU Media Newsmaker Award

Mathematician Caroline Colijn in the Faculty of Science and Kelley Lee in the Faculty of Health Sciences were jointly award the 2020 SFU Media Newsmaker of the Year for their extensive contributions to the understanding of COVID-19.

Colijn, a Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health has been researching and sharing her models of COVID-19 transmission in Canada and internationally. 

She has been quoted, interviewed and mentioned more than 1,600 times internationally, nationally and across B.C. including 9News Australia, CBC, the Globe and Mail and many others. She has contributed to BC’s and Canada’s public health response to the pandemic and helped raise public awareness through her media interviews.

Colijn was also recently recognized by Radio-Canada with a Scientist of the Year Award and by the Faculty of Science with an Excellence in Science Public Engagement and Outreach Award.

Kelley Lee’s expertise on global infectious disease governance and the cross-border pandemic response has contributed to increasing awareness and public debate online and in the news.

 A professor and Canada Research Chair Tier I, Lee is no stranger to media in Canada and across the globe. Lee has close to 600 mentions, including quotes and interviews in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and Rolling Stone Magazine. Her comments on topics related to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) response to COVID-19 received international coverage in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. 

The annual SFU Newsmaker Awards recognize the commitment of SFU faculty and staff to sharing their expertise with the larger community through the media and social media to benefit our community.  Read about other SFU Newsmaker Award recipients here.