Gary Kreps
Director, Center for Health and Risk Communication
Chair, Communication
Health communication/promotion, multicultural relations, social organizations, applied research methods, health informatics, communication campaigns, social change
Gary L. Kreps is a University Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at George Mason University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Communication Research, Health Communication, Organizational Communication, Consumer-Provider Health Communication, Health Communication Campaigns, and E-Health Communication.
Dr. Kreps received his BA and his MA in Communication from the University of Colorado, Boulder and his PhD from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Kreps' areas of expertise include health communication and promotion, information dissemination, organizational communication, information technology, multicultural relations, risk/crisis management, health informatics, and applied research methods.
He is the Director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication, serves on the Governing Board of the Center for Social Science Research, and is a faculty affiliate of the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, the Center for Health Policy & Ethics, the Center for the Study of International Medical Policies and Practices, the Climate Change Communication Center, the Center fo Consciouness & Transformation, and the Center for Health Information Technology, at George Mason.
Prior to his appointment at Mason, he served for five years as the founding Chief of the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute (NIH), where he planned, developed, and coordinated major new national research and outreach initiatives concerning risk communication, health promotion, behavior change, technology development, and information dissemination to promote effective cancer prevention, screening, control, care, and survivorship. He has also served as the Founding Dean of the School of Communication at Hofstra University in New York, Executive Director of the Greenspun School of Communication at UNLV, and in faculty and administrative roles at Northern Illinois, Rutgers, Indiana, and Purdue Universities.
His published work includes more than 350 books, articles, and monographs concerning the applications of communication knowledge in society.
For detailed information about Dr. Kreps’s career, research interests, and accomplishments, please view his Curriculum Vitae.
Current Research
Working with:
National Minority AIDS Council to increase minority support for HIV vaccine research
Merck Pharmaceutical Inc to study ways to encourage patients with chronic deiseases to adhere to prescription medication instructions
Entertainment Industries Council to promote effective coverage of mental health issues in the media
National Recreation and Parks Association to evaluate the influences of revitalizing an inner-city DC park on minority youth physical activity and community public health policies
Fairfax County Health Literacy Initiative to enhance health information dissemination and support for vulnerable and at-risk populations in Northern Virginia
Selected Publications
Kreps, G.L., Villagran, M.M., Zhao, X., McHorney, C., Ledford, C., Weathers, M., & Keefe, B. (2011). Developing and validating motivational message interventions for improving prescription drug adherence with consumers confronting chronic diseases. In R. Batra, P. Anand Kellar, & V.J. Strecher. (Eds.). Leveraging consumer psychology for effective health communications: The obesity challenge (pp. 233-250). Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.
Kreps, G.L., & Finney Rutten, L. (2011). Building the evidence base in cancer communication: Next steps. In L. Finney Rutten, B. Hesse, R. Moser, & G.L. Kreps, (Eds.), Building the evidence base in cancer communication (pp. 315-322). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Kreps, G.L., & Neuhauser, L. (2010). New directions in ehealth communication: Opportunities and challenges. Patient Education and Counseling, 78, 329-336.
Kreps, G.L., & Maibach, E.W. (2008). Transdisciplinary science: The nexus between communication and public health. Journal of Communication, 58(4), 732-748.
Kreps, G.L., & Sivaram, R. (2008). The central role of strategic health communication in enhancing breast cancer outcomes across the continuum of care in limited-resource countries. Cancer, 113(S8), 2331-2337.
Kreps, G.L. (2008). Strategic use of communication to market cancer prevention and control to vulnerable populations. Health Marketing Quarterly, 25(1/2), 204-216.
Kreps, G.L., Gustafson, D., Salovey, P., Perocchia, R.S., Wilbright, W., Bright, M.A., & Muha, C. (2007). The NCI Digital Divide Pilot Projects: Implications for cancer education. Journal of Cancer Education, 22 (Supplement 1), S56-S60.
Kreps, G.L. (2006). Communication and racial inequities in health care. American Behavioral Scientist, 49(6), 760-774.
Courses Taught
399- Health Communication
400- Research Methods in Communication
600- Introduction to Graduate Studies
620- Health Communication
635- Organizational Communication
720- Consumer-Provided Health Communication
721- E-Health Communication
798- Communication Research Projects
820- Health Communication Campaigns