School of Public Health

Education

• Ph.D. in Family and Child Ecology at Michigan State University, 2001
• M.A. in Family and Child Ecology at Michigan State University, 1998
• B.A. in Speech Communication and African American Studies at Indiana University, 1994

Background

• (2008). Summer Instructional Research Fellowship, "Media as a pedagogical strategy for building classroom resiliency among ethnic minority professors: Implications for Indiana University Faculty Retention." Dean of Faculties Office, Indiana University. ($8,000) Principal Investigator.
• (2008). Faculty Research Support Program Award, "Physical Activity Perceptions and Determinants in African American Families," School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University. ($15,285). Principal Investigator.
• Invited Research Investigator and Faculty Fellow, Center for the Study of Health Disparities, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
• Appointed Liaison - Office of Strategic Hiring and Support, promoting scholarship and retention among ethnic minority faculty.

Research:

My primary area of research is focused on understanding resiliency traits and support systems within African American families. This includes exploring the interaction between African American families and religiosity/spirituality, media usage, and social resources. Current research activities include: Impact of popular media images on perceptions of ethnic populations and its influence on research scholarship; popular media depictions of African American sexuality and the impact on African American families; influence of African American family and community cultural beliefs on nutrition choices related to diabetes prevelance among African Americans; religiosity/spirituality patterns among African American families, including social support provided by African American churches; impact of community, religious, and social support resources on sexuality education in schools and families.

Publications

Publications, Presentations, and Projects:

Murray, M.J. (2008). "The Lens of Professional Experience: Media Messages as Invisible Ecological Determinants of Perceptions of African American Families." Featured Seminar Series, Center for the Study of Health Disparities, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, April 11.

Murray, M.J. (2008). Symposium and Paper. Pedagogical Experiences: Perceptions of Building Classroom Resiliency Among African-American Professors. Annual National Teaching and Learning for Empowerment Conference: A Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference for Minority Serving Institutions and Institutions Serving Minorities. January 18-21, Atlanta, GA.

Murray, M.J. & Henderson, T. & (2007). In search of truths about Hurricane Katrina: Lived Experiences and Media Portrayals. Invited Groves Conference on Marriage and the Family, May 30-June 3, Detroit, MI.

Shaw-Perry, M., McMillian, J. & Murray, M.J. (2006). Distorted perceptions of sexuality in the Black community: Implications for family wellness. 49TH Annual Conference for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Las Vegas, NV, November 9 - 12, 2006.

Murray, M.J. & Williams, O. (2006). Exploring the Connection between African American Cultural Norms and Health Promotion: A Revised Consideration of African American Families. Annual Hawaii International Conference on Social Sciences, Honolulu, HI, May 31-June 2, 2006.

Books:

Murray, M.J. (2007 - Signed contract). Families, Health, and the Media. Book in progress, Springer Books, New York, NY.

Murray, M.J. (2007). Ethnicity responsibility for others, not myself: Forward-thought for all educators to include ethnicity in all curriculum courses. Book chapter in McMorris, M. Hostile Corridors: Advocates & Obstacles to Educating Multicultural America. Second edition, ISBN: 13:978-0-7593-9541-1, Thomson Learning Publishing Company, p.338-347.

Articles:

Tanner, A., Reece, M., Legocki, L., & Murray, M.J. (2007). Informal sexuality education in schools: Student's sexuality-related questions asked of public school personnel. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 2(2), 79-96.

*McAdoo, H. P., Younge, S., Hughes, H., Hanshaw, C., & Murray, M.J. (2003). Use of coping resources among African American and Latino parents: Implications for intervention. Race and Society, 6(2), 125-140.

Courses Recently Taught

HPER F150 Introduction to Life Span Development

HPER F258 Marriage and Family Interaction

HPER F348 Human Development 3: Early, Middle, and Late Adulthood

HPER F370 Family Health and the Media - Undergraduate Section

HPER F517 Family, Health, and the Media - Graduate Section

HPER F417 African American and Latino Families - Undergraduate Section

HPER F510 African American and Latino Families - Graduate Section

HPER F453 Family Life Education - Undergraduate Section

HPER F543 Family Life Education - Graduate Section