Professor Mary Murimi
Professor of Nutrition in the college of Health and Human Sciences at Texas Tech University.
Professor Mary Murimi is a professor of Nutrition in the college of Health and Human Sciences at Texas Tech University. In her capacity as a professor, teaches online graduate classes on Nutrition education methods, international nutrition, and community nutrition, Introduction to research methods, evolution of Food insecurity among others. She has mentored over 25 graduate students and 3 post doctorate fellows. Professor Murimi’ s students have conducted research in Kenya, United States, Mexico, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
Professor Murimi’ s research work includes understanding the effects of the community environment on the nutrition status of the residents, identifying factors that influence dietary behavior especially among low-income populations, and identifying coping strategies for food insecure households. As a result of working among low income, low literacy population, Professor Murimi applies low literacy strategies to effectively communicate nutrition education and change behavior among low literacy population. To explore global understanding of effective nutrition education methods, Professor Murimi has conducted three systematic reviews on effective nutrition education among general population, children and online interventions. Internationally, Dr. Murimi has been a visiting scholar in China and 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 has conducted research and food insecurity interventions in Malawi, where she looked at the effect of using goat meat among food insecure communities. In Vietnam, Professor Murimi and her graduate student conducted a study on calcium intake among menopausal women. In Kenya, Professor Murimi has conducted interventional study assessing the child feeding practices among the nomadic Turkana people of Kenya and educating mothers on proper complementary food preparation for their children. In Bangladesh, Professor Murimi study looked at ways of combating stunting in selected rural communities. In Ethiopia, professor Murimi directed a titled: Linking cattle nutrition to human nutrition: A value chain approach to improving the production, handling, and consumption of animal source foods in Ethiopia.
Professor Murimi has reported the findings of her research at both international and national settings with over 80 presentations in either oral, or publications at peer reviewed scientific journals. She 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. Professor Murimi’ s expertise on effective methods of nutrition education and health communications, the Helen Denning Ullrich Annual Award for Lifetime Excellence in Nutrition Education. This esteemed award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of nutrition education and behavior, with recipients demonstrating a minimum of 20 years of exemplary service. Professor Murimi has served her profession as an associate editor of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, as the President of the Society of Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior and her country of Kenya as a Chancellor of Daystar University 2016-2021