Associate Teaching Professor
Ph.D. Urban Systems, Rutgers University-Newark; MS. Ed Urban Education, City University of New York at Brooklyn College; B.A. Psychology, State University of New York, College at Old WestburyContact
- Room 545, Civic Square Building
- (848) 932-2935
- patti.richardson@rutgers.edu
Teaching and research Interests
- Urban public health disparities
- Education policy
- Social justice
- Race, class, and gender policies
Dr. Patricia O’Brien-Richardson is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. For the past ten years, she has been the CEO and Founder of Move it Nation, Inc., a public health non-profit organization whose mission is to empower youth to move their bodies and minds. She is also the author of a clean-eating book for busy professionals and students. Previously, she spent ten years living in sub-Saharan Africa supervising faith-based humanitarian projects in eight countries including South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar, Botswana, and Mozambique.
Dr. O’Brien-Richardson’s work focuses on health disparities and socio-cultural determinants of health among youth, in particular adolescent girls and women of African descent. She is the creator of multicultural and well-being programs and curriculum which has been included in the Boston Public Schools, the Newark Public Schools, the New York City Department of Education, and several schools and organizations across the northeast region of the United States.
Her research explores social, cultural, and structural factors that influence the health of women and girls of African descent, such as hair, and has been featured in Elle.com, NJTV News, and presented widely contributing to the growing body of literature addressing the need for public policies on hair discrimination including The CROWN Act in California and the expansion of the New York City Human Rights Law to protect the rights of New Yorkers to maintain natural hair and hairstyles.
Selected Publications
https://rutgers.academia.edu/PattiOBrienRichardsonPhDMSEd
Refereed Original Articles in Journals
- O’Brien-Richardson, P. (2019). The Case for Hair Health in Health Education: Exploring Hair, Physical Activity, and Obesity Among Urban African American Girls. American Journal of Health Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2019.1571959
- O’Brien-Richardson, P. (2019). Hair Harassment in Urban Schools and How it Shapes the Physical Activity of Black Adolescent Girls. The Urban Review. https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/hair-harassment-in-urban-schools-and-how-it-shapes-the-physical-/16530790
- Zha, P., Qureshi, R. I., Porter, S., Chao, Y., Pacquiao, D., Chase, S. M., O’Brien-Richardson, P. (2019). Utilizing a Mobile Health Intervention to Manage Hypertension in An Underserved Community. Western Journal of Nursing Research. https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/QHXI7PRSHYYPKSADTGC2/full.
- Bowen, F., O’Brien-Richardson, P. (2017). Cultural Hair Practices and Obesity Among Urban African-American Girls. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Dec;29(12) 754-762. Doi 10.1002/2327-6924.12513. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28945016
Books, Monographs and Chapters
- O’Brien-Richardson, P. Resume and Reboot Journal. (2019). Available on Amazon.
- O’Brien-Richardson, P. Purge it with Patti – 28-Day Body Reset for Busy Professionals and Students. (2016). Available on Amazon.
Curriculum and Educational Tools
- Curls on The Move. (2019). A culturally sensitive hair and health curriculum created to address the sociocultural influence of hair on the decision of adolescent girls of African descent to participate in physical activity. Approved by National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
- Move Ya Mind. (2019). Mindfulness, Meditation, and Resilience training and instructor certification course for educators and student development professionals addressing toxic stress and latent trauma among students.
- Roots-n-Riddims. (2018). Culturally relevant, cardio-respiratory fitness curriculum and instructor certification course addressing obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity among Caribbean and African-American women approved by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA).
- Move it-n-Groove it. (2009). Elementary school fitness curriculum and video series created to address socioeconomic health disparities and childhood obesity in urban schools.
Areas of Expertise: Gender and Family Policy, Health Policy, Public Health, Social Policy/Inequality and Disparities