Dr. Katharine B.

Dr. Buek’s work has focused on early childhood development, trauma-informed care, developmental and mental health screening and referral systems, and health systems improvement. She has conducted research and evaluation across the US, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, bringing a global, systems-level perspective to her work. Her experience includes work at Futures Group International and Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, followed by serving as a Research Project Manager at the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Texas System Population Health. More recently, Dr. Buek served as a Senior Researcher at Decision Information Resources in Austin, and currently works as a Senior Research Specialist at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin.

Across her career, Dr. Buek has led and contributed to rigorous mixed-methods evaluations, including randomized and quasi-experimental studies, large-scale surveys, and qualitative research. She has extensive expertise in psychological and educational measurement, advanced statistical modeling, and the design of high-quality research instruments. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Child Maltreatment, BMC Nursing, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly, and has informed policy and practice in child welfare and public health systems. She has also presented her work nationally, including an oral presentation at the Society for Prevention Research on postpartum depression screening, referral profiles, and policy priorities. 

Dr. Buek has held multiple leadership roles on numerous research and evaluation studies across sectors at local, state, federal, and international levels. She has first-authored several publications and served as Co-Principal Investigator and Project Director in her academic and research consulting work. She has also mentored Master’s students at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Buek has extensive experience mentoring students and early-career researchers in academic and applied settings. She has guided trainees through all stages of the research process, including developing research questions, designing studies, conducting data analysis, and producing clear, compelling written work. Her greatest strengths as a mentor include helping students translate broad interests into feasible, high-impact research projects, strengthening their analytical thinking, and supporting them in communicating complex ideas.

As a research mentor, Dr. Buek’s approach is structured, collaborative, and highly individualized. She works closely with each student to build technical skills and confidence, while emphasizing research integrity, ethical practice, and real-world relevance. She is particularly passionate about supporting students interested in medicine and public health, and believes that research is a powerful tool for developing critical thinking, deepening scientific curiosity, and improving outcomes for individuals and families.