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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 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 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
[Includes Instructor manual and resources for instructors ]
and
Book: Agarwal, V. (2020). Medical Humanism, Chronic Illness, and the Body in Pain: An Ecology of Wholeness. Bloomsbury Publishing

Dr. Agarwal is currently editing two volumes on mental health and communication (forthcoming, Routledge), and co-editing a handbook (forthcoming, Routledge):

Editor:
Book: Agarwal, V. (Ed.).(Forthcoming).Communication and mental health in global contexts:Opportunities for transformation, representation, and social justice (Vol.I). Routledge.
Book: Agarwal, V. (Ed.).(Forthcoming). 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.

As SU, she currently serves on the department's Faculty Development Committee (including T&P, past chair) and as an At-Large elected member of the Faculty Welfare Committee. 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 a two-time recipient of the Presidential Citation Award from NCA’s President for her service [in 2023, as past chair of the Teaching and Learning Council (2021–2023; member 2017–2020; and as VLO presenter, 2025) and as its past Executive Committee member (2021–2023)]. In leadership positions at NCA, she has also served as a 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 a certified Health and Well-Being Coach, Duke Health; a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Educator; practitioner, Vipassana meditation (Dhamma Giri, Nasik, India); and founder/owner, Whole Person Health Consulting, LLC.