Elizabeth J Queathem

Elizabeth J. Queathem is a Lecturer and Interim Director (2024-25) of the Center for Prairie Studies at Grinnell College. She holds affiliations with multiple departments/centers including Education Studies, Biology, American Studies, Environmental Studies, and Comparative physiology and functional morphology. Her research focuses on the psychological and physiological effects of exercise environments, particularly how settings influence feelings of tension/relaxation, self-efficacy, and body image. She collaborates with students on projects analyzing middle-school-aged girls' cortisol levels and body image in outdoor vs. indoor exercise environments, and cross-country runners' mental states on trails vs. treadmills.

Her broader interests include nature's role in well-being, water quality, and land use. She advises students in interdisciplinary studies combining physiology, psychology, and environmental science. Current projects emphasize applied research in human-environment interactions and health outcomes.