Advancing Loyola Nursing Science: Meet Todd Ruppar
Todd Ruppar, associate dean for research and scholarly innovation
By Mia Carvalho
December 2025
Professor Todd Ruppar is the new associate dean for research and scholarly innovation at the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, where he leads the school’s growing team of nurse scientists. He comes to Loyola Nursing from Rush University, where he was the John L. and Helen Kellogg Professor of the College of Nursing and directed the nursing science PhD program.
Throughout his career—from his start in community health, then as a researcher in vaccine development and later in memory disorders, and now in academia—Ruppar has focused on improving patient outcomes. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Saint Louis University, a sister Jesuit university, and is committed to Loyola Nursing’s mission of promoting health equity.
“I always find myself drawn to the Ignatian values and the mission of Jesuit universities of preparing people for others,” he said.
Why is nursing science important?
Any academic discipline needs its own body of knowledge. As nurses, we need evidence to support what we do. From working in hospitals to labs, our disciplines are incredibly broad. It’s important that we have our own scientific basis for what we do so nursing and all its complexities are defined by nurses, not by others.
Describe your research.
My research is focused on health behavior interventions to improve medication adherence, helping health care providers support patients in managing their medications. The goal is not to get people to take more medications—it's getting people to take them appropriately so they can be on the least number and lowest doses needed to get the health benefits from their medications.
You specialize in meta-analysis. What’s that and why is it important in research?
Meta-analysis is a method where we search for all of the studies exploring a particular research question, and use statistics to combine the results of those studies.
For example, we did a large meta-analysis project where we combined the findings of 771 medication adherence intervention studies. This gave us a better estimate overall of whether interventions are effective at improving patients’ medication-taking. We also were then able to do subgroup analyses to see which types of interventions are more effective than others, and for which patients. This can give us a lot more information than doing another primary study and helps us to design more effective intervention programs that are targeted to patients’ needs.
Your research has taken you around the world. Please share how!
While finishing my PhD, I was connected with a researcher in Europe who was also interested in medication adherence. Before I knew it, my family and I moved to Belgium, and I was part of a project studying medication adherence across the European Union, even presenting our findings at the European Parliament.
What brought you to Loyola?
I enjoy helping others’ growth in research, and my role at Loyola ties perfectly into this. I can ensure that faculty and students have the support and resources they need. Providing feedback and guidance has always clicked for me.
The Jesuit value of cura personalis (care of the whole person) resonates deeply with me, as I was exposed to it during my undergraduate and master’s programs. Loyola's focus on social justice and health equity also ties into my background in community health, where I saw firsthand how social determinants of health impact both patients and their families. Much of my work is rooted in helping people overcome barriers to managing their health effectively.
What is your vision for your new role?
We’re excited to grow our research in health equity and health care access, especially with Loyola’s Research One (R1) status. I’m interested in exploring international research collaboration opportunities, leveraging my own experience in Belgium to maximize our international reputation. Bringing diverse global perspectives to our students is important for advancing health care for everyone.
As editor-in-chief of the Western Journal of Nursing Research, I’m committed to helping the Loyola Nursing community navigate academic publishing and support our research getting published.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
My family and I love being outdoors—camping, hiking, cycling, rock climbing—it helps us keep balance between work and fun. We also love to travel; we’re big national park buffs, and really enjoy international travel, too.