Ebola fighting doc named one of 10 outstanding women leaders

March is Women’s History Month and it kicks off with an event honoring some of the most influential women in South Florida, including Dr. Aileen Marty, professor of infectious diseases at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

Aileen Marty, M.D., is one of ten women receiving the award.

The 27th annual In the Company of Women Awards is hosted by the Miami-Dade Commission for Women, The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, and Miami-Dade Parks Recreation & Open Spaces and will honor 10 outstanding women who have impacted our community in a positive way.

Dr. Marty, in protective gear, transporting a suspected case to an Ebola ward in Nigeria.

Marty, who within the past six months has twice gone to West Africa as part of the World Health Organization’s effort to curb the Ebola epidemic, is this year’s pick in the Health and Human services category.

“This is a very special award because it evokes wonderful memories of the strong and loving women who have influenced my life,” said Marty, “as well as the important role that parks and open spaces play in all of our lives.”

Dr. Marty and one of her greatest role models, mom Judy.

Marty calls her great-grandmother, a professor and author; her grandmother, a lawyer; and her mother, an award-winning high-school principal, her greatest role models. She also fondly recalls learning how to ride a bike in a park across the street from her childhood home and learning statistics by studying the snails at John Pennekamp State Park.

She is certainly in the company of some other very special women. You can read the entire the list of winners here. Prior winners include HWCOM Associate Dean for International Affairs Eneida Roldan, M.D.

The awards ceremony will be held March 5 at the Coral Gables Country Club.