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Bio

Vinita Agarwal, Ph.D. (Purdue University, 2009) is Professor of Communication in the Department of Communication. She offers graduate and undergraduate courses in Health Communication, Health Engagement & Advocacy, Health Behavior Change, International Public Relations, Digital Strategy, and Digital Public Relations. Her research theorizes whole person health communication from a social justice framework (including its relationship with ecosustainability and intersubjectivity) and is grounded in principles of global health ethics (WHO), One Health (CDC), whole-person health (NCCIH), and traditional and complementary integrative health approaches (T&CIH). She foregrounds an experiential, relational, and dialogic approach.

She is the author of two books on whole person health communication from a social justice perspective:

Author:
Book: Agarwal, V. (2024). Health Communication as Social Justice: A Whole Person Activist Approach. Routledge
[Pedagogical materials including instructor manual and resources available for instructors from the publisher + materials from a short course developed and led by me at NCA 2024 are available upon request]
and
Book: Agarwal, V. (2020). Medical Humanism, Chronic Illness, and the Body in Pain: An Ecology of Wholeness. Lexington Press

Dr. Agarwal is currently editing two volumes on mental health and communication (under contract, Routledge), and co-editing a handbook (under contract, Routledge). Both the forthcoming volumes and the Handbook engage her work in whole person health communication with a social justice sensibility:

Editor:
Book: Agarwal, V. (Ed.).(Forthcoming; Under Contract).Communication and mental health in global contexts:Opportunities for transformation, representation, and social justice (Vol.I). Routledge.
Book: Agarwal, V. (Ed.).(Forthcoming; Under Contract). Mental health disparities, challenges, manifestations: A communicative perspective (Vol. II). Routledge.
and
Handbook: Agarwal, V., & Beck,C.S. (Eds.). (Forthcoming; Under Contract). The Routledge handbook of health communication and social justice. Routledge.

Dr. Agarwal's work has been published in Health Communication, Qualitative Health Research, Frontiers in Pain Research, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Frontiers Integrative Neuroscience, and the Journal of Patient Experience. She has authored encyclopedia entries on yoga and Ayurveda for the International Encyclopedia of Health Communication (published by ICA) and several book chapters including on the semi-structured interviewing method for SAGE Handbook of Medicine and Health and the Handbook of Communication in (Pre & Post) Pandemics: South Asian Perspectives on Securing Health and Well-Being (in press). Her paper on whole person health frameworks integrating whole system medicine and whole person health approaches was recently recognized as the Top 2 Outstanding Article Award (2024) by the Spiritual Communication Division of National Communication Association (NCA).

Her work has been presented in top paper panels at NCA, Eastern Communication Association, and Central States Communication Associations and in national and international interdisciplinary conferences including the International Congress for Integrative Medicine and Health and the International Association of Yoga Therapy and is the recipient of the Fulton Award for Excellence in Scholarship and the University System of Maryland Women’s Health Foundation Award.

As SU, she currently serves as chair on the department's Faculty Development Committee (including as its T&P chair) and as member on Fulton School's DEI Committee (2023–2026). She has been a past member of the Salisbury University Student Research Conference (SUSRC; 2011–2016); as past Faculty Co-Advisor, Lambda Pi Eta Communication honors society (2011–2018); as past Director of the newly founded Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (Fall 2015–Spring 2016), and as past member (2020–2021) and chair (2021–2022), SU Membership & Elections Committee.

She is the recipient of the Presidential Citation Award from NCA’s President for her service including her role serving as past chair of the Teaching and Learning Council (2021–2023; member 2017–2020) and as its past Executive Committee member (2021–2023). In leadership positions at NCA, she has also served member of the Legislative Assembly (2020–2023) and as past officer and chair (2022) of the Feminist and Gender Studies Division (2018–2022). She is the owner of Whole Person Health Consulting, LLC.