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Biography

Dr. Delores C.S. James is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Florida (UF).  She is an alumna of the College of Health and Human Performance (HHP), having received both her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Department of Health Education and Behavior (HEB).

She is both a registered dietitian nutritionist and a health educator who has worked as a licensed professional in public health, hospitals, and private practice.  She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and was the first Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Weight Management Dietetics Practice Group.  She is also licensed to practice in Florida.  Dr. James is the Past President of the Gainesville District Dietetic Association and a past Research Delegate to the House of Delegate for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  She was the lead author of two position papers on promoting and supporting breastfeeding for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  She is also a Fellow of the American School Health Association.

Dr. James has expertise in program evaluation and qualitative and mixed methods research.  She is also a trained focus group moderator.  Dr. James has been recognized by her colleagues for her teaching and research.  Dr. James is a past Teacher of the Year for HHP, has received the HEB Faculty Research Award four times, and the HEB Faculty Leadership Award twice.   

Dr. James is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Leader.  This national leadership training program builds on her existing leadership skills to work with organizations, communities, health systems, and policymakers to build a Culture of Health in America.  A significant part of her training focuses on:

1. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
2. Communication Strategies
3. Branding
4. Community Engagement and Development
5. Change Management
6. Working with Health Systems and Policy Makers
7. Working with Community Networks
8. Developing, Monitoring, and Evaluating Strategic Initiatives

Dr. James is the Founder of the Electronic Community Health Advocacy Team (ECHAT) http://www.echatgainesville.org/, which is a research, advocacy, and education group.  ECHAT develops and disseminates health education messages and programs using digital technologies to improve health outcomes, increase health equity, and create a Culture of Health in low-resource communities.  ECHAT’s short health education videos have been screened at the Global Public Health Film Festival.

Dr. James is also the Founder of the blog, Keep It Tight Sisters (KITS) https://keepittightsisters.com/.  KITS help women to love their bodies, foster a nourishing relationship with food, and achieve their health goals.   

Dr. James is honored to be actively serving her community as the Chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee for the City of Gainesville.

Research Areas

• Obesity and Weight Management
• Social media engagement
• Mobile health (mHealth)
• Online health communities
• Health literacy, eHealth literacy
• Nutrition Education
• Health Disparities (racial/ethnic, gender, age, technology)
• mHealth and eHealth
• Community-engagement Research

Research Methods

• Qualitative and mixed methods
• Community-based participatory research

Classes Taught

• Nutrition Education for Special Populations
• Minority Health Issues
• Health Promotion in Gerontology
• Health Promotions for Priority Populations
• Epidemiology
• Research Methods
• Obesity and the Environment
• Professional Writing