Patricia Buchanan

Patricia Buchanan is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Statistics at Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the Eberly College of Science. She joined Penn State in 1989 and specializes in statistics and STEM education, with a focus on pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum development. Her work includes advancing simulation-based inference methods in courses like STAT 200.

Education:

• M.A. in Statistics, Penn State University, 1988
• M.S. in Physiology, Penn State University, 1987
• B.S. in Chemistry and Biology, Lock Haven University, 1978

Research & Teaching: Buchanan leads initiatives to reform general education and improve teaching practices. She collaborates with the Center for Excellence in Science and Education (CESE) and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE). Her projects include NSF-funded curriculum comparisons and the Tombros initiative to integrate constructed response assessments in STAT 200.

Awards:

• 2017 C.I. Noll Award for Excellence in Teaching

Teaching & Mentorship: She teaches courses such as STAT 100, STAT 200, and STAT 460, and mentors graduate students in teaching roles. She has presented her work at national conferences through invited panels.