Jan Eberth named head of the Department of Population Health Sciences

Jan Eberth grew up in upstate South Carolina with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her commitment to rural health has called her to a new leadership role at Virginia Tech and a new home amid the mountains.

Eberth is the new head of the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, bringing with her an active National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society-funded research portfolio and a vision for expanding the public health program’s reach across Virginia Tech and beyond. 

"Rural health research is the bread and butter of my work," Eberth said. "Being at a place that prizes that in its mission and is clearly engaged in the community and doing that work seemed like a very natural fit for me."

As department head, Eberth plans to expand the program's connections beyond the veterinary college to other departments across Virginia Tech. 

"There are people who are doing public health-adjacent work in urban planning, engineering, human development and family science, family and community medicine — they're all over the place," Eberth said. "The opportunity is there for broader outreach and defining ourselves to the whole university."

Eberth comes to Virginia Tech from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she spent the past three years as professor and chair of health management and policy. Prior to that, her education and career were divided between Texas and her native South Carolina.  

She was an assistant and associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Carolina for almost 10 years while also serving much of that time as deputy director and director of the Rural Health Research Center in Columbia, S.C. 

Eberth earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences at Clemson University and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology at Texas A&M University.  

She remained in Texas for a doctoral degree in epidemiology at the University of Texas School for Public Health at Houston, then gaining a postdoctoral fellowship at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

As academic public health departments are typically independent or situated within medical schools, the unique placement of a public health program within a veterinary college at Virginia Tech presented both an opportunity and a challenge that attracted Eberth to the position.  

“With its emphasis on One Health and its rural location, there are opportunities for research and practice-based learning for students and faculty that are unparalleled,” Eberth said. “The key is making sure folks on and off campus know we are here, and we have expertise in human, animal, and environmental health."

Eberth brings significant research credentials to Virginia Tech, including an National Institutes of Health Coordination Center Grant and an American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant focused on lung cancer screening in hospitals located throughout the South and Appalachian region. The multi-year study will work with 10 hospital systems, including one based in Fredericksburg, to study lung cancer screening workflows and processes in routine practice. 

"We're going to work with them over the next three years to study how they implement lung cancer screening and help them identify workflow and process improvements so that they can screen more people for the cancer that kills the most people per year in America," Eberth said.

Eberth has already reached out to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Cancer Research Center in Roanoke to explore collaborations and has interest in coordinating research with the Animal Cancer Care and Research Center operated in Roanoke by the veterinary college. 

In her department head role, strategic planning will be a priority in her first six months, involving faculty, staff, and students in a visioning process to chart the department’s direction for the next five years. 

Working closely with Ela Austin, associate dean for public health programs, Eberth also plans to conduct a review of potential degree offerings.  

“I think students really see the value and impact that public health brings to communities,” Eberth said. “But that doesn't preclude fears about the job market. That is real.  So we have to make sure that our degree programs are teaching the skills to get students job ready in a rapidly evolving technology and funding landscape."  

Eberth's leadership philosophy emphasizes holistic mentorship and faculty development, having mentored approximately 80 students and postdoctoral fellows throughout her career as well as junior and mid-career faculty. "I like to see other people succeed and bring their passions into their jobs," Eberth said. 

Eberth lives in Blacksburg with her husband John, a biomedical engineer at Virginia Tech; her two children; and their 7-year-old cat Moby, a former stray they found in a park. When not working, she enjoys hiking, reading devotionals, and exploring local restaurants and shops. 

“I’m excited to join the Virginia Tech and broader Blacksburg community,” Eberth said. “I already have a checklist of places to visit and things to experience, and I hope to add to that list.”