"Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable," Pittsburgh's own Fred Rogers. It’s easy to see why this is one of Julie Donohue’s favorite quotes when you look at her career. The Chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management, Julie’s passion is for creating impactful change through public policy by providing evidence to policymakers on the local, state, and federal levels. She also loves kicking back with a good WWII novel or movie, and some Sushi Too with her family.
Q: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A veterinarian, an archeologist (thanks to Indiana Jones), and a psychologist in that order. But I grew up in a family of educators and social workers who liked to talk about policy and politics. So I think I was always destined to become a policy wonk.
Q: What's the most interesting place you've ever visited?
A: I was fortunate to visit Hong Kong in May of 2019 with my husband. It is a bustling, vibrant and beautiful city where my husband worked over 30 years ago to run a health system for refugees from Vietnam. Hong Kong is one of many examples around the world of the fragility of democratic political institutions.
Q; What was your "go to" recipe/meal over the last year?
A: Honestly? Takeout from Sushi Too. Family dinners have been so important for all of us this year as we've spent hours a day on Zoom school or Zoom work. While we've done plenty of cooking I was incredibly grateful that many of our favorite restaurants stayed open for takeout and managed to weather the storm.
Q: What's the best book you've read over the last two years?
A. The best novel I've read in the last few years is The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I am always drawn to books and movies about WWII. For non-fiction, I really enjoyed Quiet: The Power of Introverts in an World that Can't Stop Talking.
Q: What excites you most about the new academic year?
A. I am excited to return all of our hard-working staff, students, and faculty to campus. I can't wait to be in the classroom with students and bumping into my colleagues in the hallway.
Q; What are some career highlights you would want new students to know about?
A. I am proud of the research we have done to address the opioid crisis, particularly among Medicaid enrollees. A big part of what we do in health policy and management is to provide evidence to policymakers so they can make informed decisions. Our work has influenced policy both here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and at the federal level through legislation.
Julie M. Donohue
Professor and Chair, Health Policy and Management
7/27/2021