Jeanine Buchanich, PhD, MPH, MEd, started her journey as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, where she traversed a winding path to her new role as the vice dean of Pitt Public Health.
Born and raised in the Steel City, Buchanich, also associate professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, credits her experiences at Pitt with fostering an interest in epidemiology, particularly in the tri-state area. A fifth-generation Pittsburgher, she is strongly committed to the region and the well-being of its communities.
As an undergraduate, Buchanich’s first interest was psychiatry, but she ultimately landed on the intersection of epidemiology and statistics. Her academic journey has been marked by a commitment to understanding and improving public health outcomes, but it was not what she had anticipated.
Wanting to continue her education, but not quite ready to begin a doctoral program, Buchanich enrolled in the school’s master of public health degree program. She was exposed to new disciplines and classes that made her realize her passion was public health. At the same time, she landed a job working for Gary Marsh, late professor emeritus of biostatistics and founder of the Center for Occupational Biostatistics & Epidemiology.
As it turns out, Buchanich was drawn to occupational epidemiology studies. She was hired as Pitt Public Health staff after graduation, and decided that it was the right time to pursue a PhD in epidemiology, with a focus in occupational epidemiology. After eight years of part-time study, two children and a torn Achilles just three weeks prior to her dissertation defense, an “unreasonably persistent” Buchanich could have given up, instead she defended sitting down. She received her PhD and joined the Department of Biostatistics as faculty, allowing her to continue her work with Dr. Marsh in occupational studies; work that has provided valuable insights into patterns and causes of diseases in the region.
Buchanich eventually transitioned into overdose work, environmental epidemiology and, more recently, maternal and child health. She continues to explore different aspects of public health, and enjoys the excitement of learning something new.
She likes to tell students that it is okay if you’re not sure what you want to do right away. “The great thing about our school is that there are tons of opportunities to explore, and you don’t know whether you’ll like something until you do it,” she says. “Try to take different classes. If you’re in the BSPH program, take classes in every department and see which ones are really interesting to you even if you think you know what you want. You can do anything at Pitt Public Health!”
When she isn’t running between meetings, teaching courses or commuting to/from Oakland, Buchanich likes to unwind with her two Border Collie rescues, Lola and Daisy, and a good book. She also follows Pitt athletics and participates in an NFL Fantasy Football league for fun, and belongs to a Sunday golf league where she gets to unplug from her phone, enjoy the outdoors and forget about emails for a while.
Buchanich is embracing her new role and is excited for what’s to come. Beyond the many community-based opportunities for students, she is especially proud of the school’s multiple centers.
“We have gotten so many centers up and off the ground which is the ultimate showcase of our collaboration and transdisciplinary work,” she says. “It’s so powerful.”
- Amber Curtaccio