Rebecca Ellis
Professor - Program Coordinator Kinesiology and Health- Education
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Florida
Master of Science in Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Florida
Bachelor of Arts, Oglethorpe University
- Specializations
Psychology of Physical Activity
- Biography
Rebeccca Ellis is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health and co-director of the Psychological Research on Exercise and Physical Activity Promotion Lab. Her research focuses on understanding and promoting physical activity participation among inactive and high-risk populations by assessing barriers to and potential mediators of behavior change. Given the global reach of physical inactivity, her research lends itself to interdisciplinary study. This has enabled Ellis to provide professional leadership as an affiliate faculty member, where she contributed to invited lectures, participated on expert panels and served on committees for the Gerontology Institute, the Partnership for Urban Health Research, the Center for the Study of Stress, Trauma and Resilience and the Center for Movement and Rehabilitation Research.
For over a decade, Ellis led the implementation, evaluation and dissemination of Desire2Move (D2M), an annual eight-week physical activity challenge at Georgia State University. Since its creation, more than 1,500 administrators, faculty, staff and graduate assistants from 40 different departments on the downtown Atlanta and Perimeter campuses have participated in D2M. The university’s Office of Employee Development and Wellness Services also honored Dr. Ellis in 2018 for her D2M leadership.
- Publications
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Fabre, J. M., Moore, D. S., & Wood, R. H. (2013). Proximal determinants of falls risk among independent-living older adults. Research on Aging, 35(4), 420-436. doi:10.1177/0164027512446940. Published online May 16, 2012.
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., & Symons Downs, D. (2013). Moderators of youth exercise intention and behavior. Health Education & Behavior, 40(3), 305-310. doi:10.1177/1090198112441000. Published online July 5, 2012.
Kosma, M., Ellis, R., & Bauer, J. J. (2012). Longitudinal changes in psychosocial constructs and physical activity among adults with physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 5, 1-8.
Moore, D. S., Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Fabre, J. M., McCarter, K. S., & Wood, R. H. (2011). Comparison of the validity of four fall-related psychological measures in a community-based falls risk screening. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 82(3), 545-554.
Antikainen, I. E., & Ellis, R. (2011). A RE-AIM evaluation of theory-based physical activity interventions. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33(2), 198-214.