Julia K. Buchanan is an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and serves as the founding program coordinator of the Exercise Science program. The program comprises an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science, along with master’s degrees in Health and Wellness Management and Exercise and Sport Science, the former of which she worked to develop. While at UC, she has developed 13 new undergraduate and graduate-level courses focusing on topics such as Exercise Psychology, Innovative Wellness Leadership, Health and Wellness Coaching, Evidence Based Practice and Interpreting Research in Wellness, Administration of Exercise & Fitness Programs, and more.
 

Dr. Buchanan has received multiple awards for teaching and service during her time at the University of Cincinnati, such as the Golden Apple Award, Outstanding Service Award, and most notably, the Faculty Excellence Award in 2024. The award, sponsored by the Office of Research and Office of the Provost, is given to just 16 faculty members across the university system each year who have made significant contributions in teaching, research, service, and leadership.
 

Prior to her role in academia, she served for over a decade in fitness and wellness program management roles within university settings, including the University of South Florida, University of Kentucky, and North Carolina State University. She has also been practicing in the private sector as a health and wellness coach, group fitness instructor, and personal trainer for many years. Currently, she serves as the appointed academician for behavior change and exercise psychology on the Exercise Physiologist sub-committee of the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) Committee on Certification and Registry Board (CCRB). She has co-authored multiple articles for the ACSM Health and Fitness Journal’s Fitness Safety Column with Dr. Eickhoff -Shemek, and has contributed to several popular-press articles on topics related to health behavior change.