Expertise

Dr. Acharya is a scholar in health sciences with expertise in public health communication, health promotion and marketing. He is work is focused on improving the health outcomes of vulnerable and marginalized communities who suffer from significant health inequities/ disparities. He has a strong academic background and field experience in community health issues, applied and translational work done in participation with community health organizations both in the United States and in India.

Dr. Acharya’s research examines the different pathways to influence health behavior and address health disparities through participatory health communication and health promotion interventions. Under this thematic area, he works on addressing health behavioral issues and disparity outcomes in the fields of mental health and environmental health, especially in adolescents, college students and vulnerable communities.  Most of his research is with minority, immigrant, indigenous and vulnerable communities in the US and in India.

Dr. Acharya has worked extensively in the field of Public Health, Social Development, Communication and related issues in the corporate sector, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Keywords: Health Communication Campaigns; Health Disparities; CultureCommunity/Child Participation

Affiliations
Past Affiliations

Assistant Professor, Department of Consumer Science, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University (past)
2011 - current

Communication Officer, United Nations Children's Fund
2003 - 2007

Communities
Family and Consumer Sciences
Degrees
PhD, Purdue University, Health Communication, 2011
MBA, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, Marketing, 1993
BS, Utkal University, Physics, 1991