Dr. Mary Murimi is a professor of Nutrition in the college of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University where she teaches online graduate classes on Nutrition education methods, International nutrition, and community nutrition among others. Dr. Murimi has mentored over 20 graduate students and 3 post doctorate fellows and four doctorate students.
Dr. Murimi’s research interests include understanding the effects of the community environment on the nutrition status of the residents, and identifying coping strategies for food insecurity and factors that influence dietary behavior, especially among low-income populations. Similarly, Dr. Murimi investigates the effects of the school environment on the weight status of school children, and the effect of nutrition education at both formal and informal settings. Dr. Murimi applies the ecological approach and train the trainer model in her community based participatory research. Dr. Murimi has been able to bring more than 1M in grant money that has enabled her to direct community-wide outreach projects aimed at behavior modification in the prevention of obesity and the related chronic diseases among rural residents of Northern, Louisiana. Dr. Murimi directed a diabetes education project among selected African American churches in Louisiana. Internationally, Dr. Murimi has been a visiting scholar in China and was a consultant for a Nutrition Project for Schools in Grenada in the Caribbean in conjunction with the Food Agricultural Organization of United Nations. Dr. Murimi is working on developing collaborations with professionals from Malawi and South Africa in fight against food insecurity. Dr. Murimi has reported the findings of her research at both international and national settings with over 50 presentations in either oral, or publications at peer reviewed scientific journals. Dr. Murimi has been recognized by her peers for her scholarly achievements, as distinguished alumni by her graduate school and by the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior for mid-career achievement award.
Dr. Murimi is currently serving her profession as the vice president for the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior, and an Associate editor for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.