Jan E. Ritchie, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Email address: J.Ritchie@unsw.edu.au        

  

I have worked at the University of New South Wales for the past 16 years, developing primary responsibility for the health promotion and disease prevention stream within the School's graduate public health program.  My background initially was in physiotherapy but after some years in clinical settings, I undertook a higher degree in education and moved to work in community settings where I could better use my new knowledge on adult learning.  Further study for a doctoral degree in public health was undertaken through a participatory action research inquiry which has led me to become very interested in qualitative research methods generally, and the associated techniques used in health promotion evaluation.  In Australia I have become active in researching and teaching around living with chronic disease, while in the region my greatest interest is in working with Pacific island peoples in promoting health through a ‘Healthy Islands’ settings approach.  I am committed to ecological sustainability and I am currently advocating strongly for health promotion and public health personnel to take a stronger role towards achieving a healthier global environment for the benefit of human health.  In my leisure hours, I spend time with my ever-expanding family, and enjoy sailing, bush walking and bird watching.