Rate My Professor Misty Rhoads

Dr. Misty Rhoads serves as a Professor in the Department of Public Health & Nutrition within the College of Health and Human Services at Eastern Illinois University. She holds a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University (2009), an M.S. from Eastern Illinois University (2005), and a B.S. from Eastern Illinois University (2005). Certified as a Zero Balancing Practitioner since 2019, she also possesses qualifications in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Dr. Rhoads frequently teaches courses including HST 2800 Research Methods I, HST 3500 Human Sexuality, HST 3560 Women's Health, HST 3800 Research Methods II, HST 5810 Graduate Research Methods, and EIU 4126 Body Image and Society. As a dedicated educator and researcher, she facilitates the Mindfulness Initiative at Eastern Illinois University and maintains professional affiliations with organizations such as the American School Health Association (ASHA), Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (IAHPERD), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), American Public Health Association (APHA), and the Zero Balancing Touch Foundation Research Committee.

Dr. Rhoads' research and creative interests encompass Zero Balancing, Human Sexuality, LGBTQ Issues, Women's Health, Campus Health Issues, Body Image and Societal Issues, and Undergraduate/Graduate Research. She serves as editor of the Journal of Health Education, Research, and Applied Practice, as well as the International Journal of Zero Balancing and Transformative Touch (IJZBTT), contributing editorial leadership to these publications. Key publications include "Belonging: Students Exploration of SDOH through Photovoice" (2023, co-authored with DeRuiter-Willems, L. J., Hillier, N., Harvey, A., Knight-Davis, S.), "Escaping Boredom: Connecting Classroom Content with Escape Boxes" (2023, co-authored with DeRuiter-Willems, L. J.), "Eye on Health: Giving Students a Voice through Photography" (2011, co-authored with Phillips, K.), and "Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Oral vs. Podcasting Reviewing Techniques" (2010). Additional works feature "Grounded in Touch: The Science Behind Anxiety Relief and Human Connection" (2025) and "Investigating the Effects of Zero Balancing" (2021). She received the AY 2021-22 College of Health and Human Services Undergraduate Research Mentor Award and serves as Principal Investigator for the PHN 3060 Mindfulness and Stress Reduction OER Course Content project (2024-2025), funded by the Illinois State Library.