Professor Dr. Elizabeth Richards

Biography

Elizabeth (Libby) Richards is a Professor and Interim Head at Purdue University's School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the individual and interpersonal influences on physical activity behavior, emphasizing the significance of social support in health behavior change. Dr. Richards has conducted health promotion interventions that positively impact community health by improving physical activity among populations. Her work has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Purdue's Center for Families, Cooperative Extension, and the American Nurses Foundation. As a public health nurse, she actively disseminates health education on the importance of vaccinations and physical activity, reaching a broad audience through media outlets such as CNN, Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek. Dr. Richards has a significant online presence, with her articles on vaccination and physical activity promotion attracting over a million readers. She currently holds leadership positions in various nursing and public health organizations, including serving as the past chair of the Physical Activity Section of the American Public Health Association and the current chair of the Ageing research interest group of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

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