Michelle Granner

Michelle Granner, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno’s School of Public Health, where she integrates research and teaching to advance community health equity. She can be reached at mgranner@unr.edu and is located in the EBB building, room 10.

Education

Dr. Granner’s academic preparation spans kinesiology, nutrition, and public health:

• Ph.D. in Public Health (Health Promotion, Education and Behavior) – University of South Carolina
• M.S. in Nutrition and Food Sciences – Florida State University
• B.A. in Kinesiology – University of Colorado

Research Interests

Her scholarship centers on understanding and promoting physical activity, reducing sedentary behavior, and improving nutrition across the lifespan. She investigates how built and social environments shape health behaviors, applies community-engaged strategies to advance health equity, and specializes in program evaluation, health communication, and women’s health.

Publication Themes

Across more than two decades her peer-reviewed work has clustered into five dominant strands: (1) breastfeeding promotion via WIC and social media, (2) dietary intake and food security among minority and college populations, (3) physical activity and active commuting in underserved neighborhoods, (4) cancer screening behaviors in ethnic minority women, and (5) psychosocial and environmental determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents.

Scientific Recognition

No major external awards are explicitly listed in the provided materials.

Teaching & Student Mentorship

Dr. Granner teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in health communication and program evaluation:

• PBH 310: Health and Wellness Communication
• CHS 705: Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion
• CHS 721: Program Evaluation for Public Health
• CHS 750: Advanced Theory in Health Promotion

She has mentored numerous students, many of whom appear as co-authors on her recent publications, reflecting her commitment to training the next generation of public health researchers.