Dr. Tyana J. Ellis started her college journey at Campbell University, earning a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations, a B.S. in Health Communication, and an M.S. in Public Health. Following that, Dr. Ellis decided to pursue her doctoral degree at the University of Alabama, earning a PhD in Health Communication with a cognate in Public Health. After earning her doctorate, Dr. Ellis moved to Richmond, Virginia, where she worked at the University of Richmond as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Health Studies, teaching classes such as Health Policy, Global Health, Health Communication, and Patient and Provider Communication. In 2023, Dr. Ellis also became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).

Dr. Ellis’ research largely centers around health disparities, such as food insecurity and mental health, in vulnerable populations, such as college students and rural communities. Dr. Ellis has presented much of her health disparity research at regional, national, and international conferences such as the Southern States Communication Association, Kentucky Conference on Health Communication, National Communication Association, American Public Health Association, and International Communication Association. In addition to presenting at conferences, Dr. Ellis is actively involved in several professional associations, serving as the Vice Chair of the Southern States Communication Association’s Health Communication Division and the Mentoring Chair of the American Public Health Association’s Food and Nutrition Section.

Dr. Ellis has several publications in press, including chapters in upcoming books on innovative approaches in narratives and health communication, communication anxiety and apprehension, and clinical and public health nutrition; an article in Review of Communication; and her first book, “The Communicative, Intersectional, and Systemic Nature of College Food Insecurity.”

Dr. Ellis is currently an Assistant Professor of Communication and Public Health at North Carolina Wesleyan University. She is very excited for the futures of both the Communication and Public Health programs at NCWU!

Selected Scholarly Work

Ellis, T. J. (in press). The Communicative, Intersectional, and Systemic Nature of College Food Insecurity. Lexington Books.

Ellis, T. J. (in press). “It’s not a matter of choice”: The intersectional and systemic nature of college food insecurity. Review of Communication Special Issue on Thinking Critically about Critical Communication.

Ellis, T. J. (in press). The Importance of Instructor Social Support for College Students’ Mental Health. In L.B. Carper (Ed.), Innovative Approaches in Narratives and Health Communication. Vernon Press.

Ellis, T. J., & Koh, L. (in press). Gastronomic solutions: Exploring enteral and parenteral nutrition for optimal patient care. In A.K. Mitra & D. Vanoh (Eds.), Essentials of Clinical and Public Health Nutrition. Springer.

Ellis, T. J. (in press). Research is in Your Reach! In-Class Research Activity. In E. E. Johnson-Young, A. Y. Goldman, & A. R. Walker (Eds.), Collaborative Team-Based and Experiential Learning: A Path to Student Innovation in Communication. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.

Ellis, T. J. (in press). Photovoice Scavenger Hunt: Critically Evaluating how Campus Environments Communicate about Health. In K. Rudick (Ed.), Teaching from the Heart: Critical Communication Pedagogy in the Communication Classroom (Second Edition). Cognella.

Ellis, T. J. (in press). Communication Apprehension about College Food Insecurity. In S. Prentiss & D. Horn (Eds.), Communication Anxiety and Apprehension. Routledge.

Franco, C. L., & Ellis, T. J. (in press). Communication Apprehension and Death: Identifying Factors and Mitigating Anxiety and Avoidance around Discussing End-of-Life Topics. In S. Prentiss & D. Horn (Eds.), Communication Anxiety and Apprehension. Routledge.

Ellis, T. J. (2024). Crisis Communication Group Case Study. In B.N. Frisby & R. Kaufmann (Eds.), Teaching Communication Series: Pedagogical Resources. Cognella.

Vahedi, L, Harb, C., Tate, S., Nguyen, A., Ellis, T., Woolsey, S., & Suen, J. J. (2023). When peace is threatened, so is public health. American Journal of Public Health 113(2), 132. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307185

Bissell, K., Ellis, T. (2021). Are children getting outplayed? Examining the intersection of children’s involvement in physical education, youth sports, and their health and well being. Handbook of Communication and Sport. (Ed. Michael Butterworth). Mouton de Gruyton Publishers.

Professional Affiliations

• National Communication Association
• American Public Health Association
• Southern States Communication Association
• Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Association Honor Society
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
• Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority

Download CV >