Patricia Documét celebrates Pitt Public Health
Patricia Documét, MD, DrPH, associate professor of behavioral and community health sciences at Pitt Public Health, feels thankful to have called beloved late faculty member Karen S. Peterson, RN, MPH her mentor and friend.
Peterson, who earned her MPH at the school in 1970, spent more than three decades as a faculty member until her retirement from the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS) in 2003. She passed away in 2011 and soon after, a scholarship was named in her honor. A great supporter of Documét, both personally and academically, Peterson emphasized the importance of giving back through governance as well as philanthropy.
Documét, who serves on the 75th Anniversary Committee for the school, takes what she learned from Peterson to heart. “I think it’s important to be involved in the destiny of the school,” she says. “I want us to do well and I want our students to do well, because when they shine, we shine.”
The committee, which includes faculty and staff from a number of departments at the school, was established this year to garner awareness of Pitt Public Health’s ongoing influence, and to build a culture of philanthropy.
“I think that doing anything we can do to support students and their studies is a good thing,” says Documét.
A native of Lima, Peru, Documét came to the school in 1991, earning her doctoral degree in BCHS. She left the school for a short time before returning to teach, and now directs the department’s doctoral program.
“I came back [to Pitt] for two reasons, to teach students and to increase our research with Latinos,” she says.
A donor to the school for many years, Documét believes in doing all you can to support students at the school. “I like to know that my money is supporting a student who needs it.”
-Slone Astorino
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If you would like to make a donation or to learn more about the 75th Anniversary Campaign, visit the campaign page. Please contact Sloane Astorino, director of development, if you have any additional questions.