معرفی
Stephanie Lynn Richards is a Professor in the Environmental Health Sciences program within the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University's College of Health and Human Performance. She serves as the Graduate Program Director for the MS Environmental Health and Environmental Health Foundations Certificate Programs at ECU. Dr. Richards is actively engaged in numerous professional organizations including the North Carolina Mosquito and Vector Control Association (NCMVCA), where she serves as Treasurer with previous appointments as Secretary, Vice-President, and President, and the Mid-Atlantic Mosquito Control Association where she has served as Vice-President and President.
Dr. Richards earned her bachelor's degree in Biology and MS in Environmental Health from East Carolina University, followed by a PhD in Entomology from North Carolina State University. She completed post-doctoral training in vector biology/arbovirology at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory (University of Florida).
Her research program spans vector-virus interactions, vector competence, insecticide resistance mechanisms, mosquito control methodologies, and personal protection strategies against pests. Dr. Richards has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, one book chapter, and numerous electronic publications, with her work demonstrating consistent growth in impact across multiple disciplines including entomology, public health, and environmental health sciences. Her recent publications show increasing focus on interdisciplinary approaches, connecting vector control with environmental health, occupational safety, and disaster preparedness.
Dr. Richards has received multiple prestigious awards including the College of Health and Human Performance Outstanding Researcher Award (2024-2025), 3rd place in the Blue Economy Pitch Competition (2023), the Mike and Sherri Felts Regional Impact Research Award (2021), and the Hamilton Stevens Award from the NC Mosquito and Vector Control Association (2021).
As Editor-in-Chief for the international peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Insights, Dr. Richards contributes significantly to scholarly communication in her field. She has mentored dozens of undergraduate and graduate students throughout her career and currently leads multiple research grants totaling millions of dollars in funding from sources including NIH, NCInnovation, and various state health departments. Her laboratory work focuses on developing novel tools for mosquito control assessment, including a compact wind tunnel for insecticide testing, and she maintains strong collaborations with public health agencies for mosquito identification and insecticide resistance testing services across multiple North Carolina counties.
