HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOR'S (SNEB) INTERNATIONAL 'S 2023 CONFERENCE
The Society for Nutrition and Behavior's (SNEB) International Annual Conference was held in Washington DC in July 20-23 2023. The theme was a timely one- "Empowering Food Citizens: Together for Nutrition and Food Systems Transformation. Re-connect, Re-nourish, Re-inspire". This conference is the only event that is specifically designed for nutrition educators. SNEB itself is an international organization of nutrition education professionals who are dedicated to promoting effective nutrition education and communication to support and improve healthful behaviors with a vision of healthy communities through nutrition education and advocacy. Attendees tell us that it was a friendly meeting filled with networking opportunities and extensive dialogue.
To get a flavor of the broad variety of topics covered, take a look at some of the first day's offerings. The conference began with advocacy on Capitol Hill with attendees meeting with the Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. They returned to the conference and settled in to exploring various tracks. For example, on the Future of Nutrition Education and Behavior included the use of mobile kitchens for teaching food and nutrition security, and another session on defining applying and measuring food literacy frameworks for health and education. Another track was on nutrition education and behavior theory, research, evaluation and policy. It included talks on qualitative data analyses in nutrition education research, and a second session focused on some of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Education (SNAP-Ed) tools to help reach nutrition targets established at the 2022 White House Conference. The capacity development and training track focused on the power of graphic style stress to help empower sustainable healthy eating behaviors. There was another session on client directed counseling. The nutrition policy track focused on community food security and nutrition in action. In addition, there were excellent plenary sessions on the role of nutrition education and leadership for healthy diets and sustainable food systems. Each of the two other days were equally varied and stimulating. For those interested in nutrition education, If you have never had the opportunity to attend a SNEB meeting, mark your calendars and do yourself a favor and attend the 2024 conference! Quite aside from a rich learning experience, count on an enjoyable and social three days in which you will meet many new friends!
Yenory Hernandez-Garbanzp, PhD, now President of the Society, pointed out in a recent editorial the theme capitalized on SNEB's expertise for promoting effective nutrition education and behavior through research, policy, and practice, and invited all to come together to identify and propose the most powerful ways to empower food citizens, who must be at the heart of nutrition and food systems transformation.
She went on to mention that "the whole world came to a halt due to the pandemic. COVID-19 unprecedently arrived on top of growing malnutrition, environmental and food systems challenges, and reaffirmed that our world suffers of unacceptable food and nutrition inequalities. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report, indicated that almost 40 percent of the world's population cannot afford a healthy diet, putting them in a vulnerable situation. A situation that affects all of us because we are all connected.'"
The SNEB conference built on the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit and the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. It fulfilled the need to re-connect, re-nourish, and re-inspire pushed everyone's effort to work towards actionable "pathways for transitioning food systems to protect human and planetary health".
SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOR INTERNATIONAL'S MOVERS AND SHAKERS
SNEB's work depends on a very active group of members who all contribute to the work of the Society. Some of the key groups and committees are described below:
The SNEB Board of Directors slate includes:
Yenory Hernandez-Garbanzo, PhD, President
Sarah Colby, PhD, RD, President-Elect
Susan Stephenson-Martin, MS, Vice President
Amy Mobley, PhD, RD, Secretary
Stephany Parker, PhD, Treasurer
Teresa Henson, MS, Director at Large
Caree J. Cotwright, PhD, RDN, Director at Large
Virginia Stage, PhD, RDN, Director at Large
Siew Sun Wong, PhD, MS, Director at Large
Suzanne Piscopo, PhD, MA, Foundation President, (ex-officio voting)
Lauren Haldeman, PhD, JNEB Editor in Chief, (ex-officio non-voting)
Monica Smith, BNut, Student Representative, (ex-officio, non-voting)
Julia McCarthy, JD, ACPP Chair, (ex-officio, non-voting)
Traci Armstrong-Florian, MS, RD, Membership Committee Chair (ex-officio, non-voting)
Other key individuals include the members of the Advisory Committee on Public Policy, who include:
Julia McCarthy, JD, Chair
Jule Anne Henstenburg, PhD, RD, LDN, FAND, Chair-Elect
Chelsea Allison, PhD, RD
Ricardo Kairios, MS
Chiquita Briley-Fisher, PhD
Sara Elnakib, PhD, MPH, RD
Laura Vollmer, MPH, RDN
Josh Phelps, PhD
Virginia Stage, PhD, RDN, Board Liaison
Tom Joseph, Paragon Lobbying
Samantha Zechiel, Staff Liaison
SNEB's Divisions are several. Their names and their current leadership include:
Digital Technology in Nutrition Education and Behavior Change
Gina Tripicchio, PhD, MEd, Chair
Emily Welker Duffy, MPH, RD, Chair-Elect
Alexandra McMillan Uribe, PhD, MS, RD, Past Chair
Food and Nutrition Extension Education Division
Geb Bastian, PhD, LN, RDN, Chair
Candy Gabel, MS, LD, RD, Chair-Elect
Pamela Bradford, MPH, Secretary/Treasurer
Sharon Austin, MD, Past Chair
Healthy Aging Division
Christina Riccardo, Chair
Christina Riccardo, Chair-Elect
Daniela Rivero-Mendoza, MS, Secretary/Treasurer
Wendy Dahl, PhD, RD, Past Chair
Higher Education Division
Rebecca Hagedorn-Hatfield, PhD, RDN, Chair
Pauline Williams, MPA, RD, RDN, Chair-Elect
Virginia Gray, PhD, MS, RDN, Secretary/Treasurer
Jennifer Zuercher, PhD, MA, LD, RD, Past Chair
Division for International Nutrition Education (DINE)
Seung-Yeon Lee, PhD, Chair
Abiodun Atoloye, PhD, Chair-Elect
Andrea Bersamin, PhD, Secretary/Treasurer
Sarah Burkhart, PhD, Past Chair
Nutrition Education for Children Division
Amelia Huelskamp, PhD, Chair
Heewon Gray, PhD, RDN, Chair-Elect
Sarah Amin, PhD, MPH, Past Chair
Nutrition Educators in the Food Sector
Het Desai-Shah, PhD, Chair
Milton Stokes, PhD, MPH, RD, Secretary/Treasurer
Nick Rose, MS, Past Chair
Public Health Nutrition Division
Betsy Anderson-Steeves, PhD, RD, Chair
Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH, Chair-Elect
Crystal Bowne, MA, MPH, Secretary/Treasurer
Matthew Landry, PhD, LDN, RDN, Past Chair
Research Division
Virginia C. Stage, PhD, RDN, Chair
Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, EdD, RD, Chair-Elect
Mackenzie Ferrante, PhD, RDN, Secretary/Treasurer
Heewon Gray, PhD, RDN, Past Chair
Student Division
Luyue (Cindy) Zheng, Chair
Cheron Copeland, NDTS, Co-Chair-Elect
Somya Gupta, Co-Chair-Elect
Nila Pradhanaga, Secretary/Treasurer
Aysha Baltaci, PhD, MS, Past Chair
Sustainable Food Systems Division
Sarah Burkhart, PhD, Chair
Ricardo Kairios, MS, Chair-Elect
Kelly Kogan, PhD, MS, JD, Past Chair
Journal Committee
Rickelle Richards, PhD, MPH, RDN, CD, Chair
Heewon Gray, PhD, RDN, Vice-Chair
Karina Diaz Rios, PhD, MS, RDN
Amy Mobley, PhD, RD
Lorraine Weatherspoon, PhD, MS, RD
Jared McGuirt, PhD, MPH
Martha Archuleta, PhD, RDN
Virginia Stage, PhD, RDN, LDN
Sina Gallo, PhD, RD, MSc
Jeanette Andrade, PhD, LDN, RDN, FAND
Rachel Vollmer, PhD, RD
Pamela Koch, EdD, RD
Emalee Hagerman, Managing Editor
Lauren Haldeman, PhD, Editor-in-Chief
Susan Johnson, Sr. Associate Editor
Lexi MacMillan Uribe, 2022 Mentored Editor
Katelyn Fox, 2023 Mentored Editor
The SNEB is also supported by the work of its Foundation. The SNEB Board of Trustees is led by these individuals:
Suzanne Piscopo, PhD, President
Vacant, Vice President
Susan Stephenson-Martin, MS, CD, CDN, Secretary
Karen Ensle, EdD, RDN;FAND;CFCS, Treasurer
Frances Coletta, PhD, RD, History Officer
Angela Abbott, EdD, RDN, CD, Trustee
Pascasie Adedze, PhD, MPH, Trustee
Sarah Ash, PhD, Trustee
Linda Drake, MS, Trustee
Geoff Greene, PhD, LDN, RD, Trustee
Andrea Morris, PhD, MCHES, Trustee
Mary Murimi, PhD, LDN, RD, Trustee
Karla Shelnutt, PhD, RD, Trustee
Yukari Takemi, PhD, Trustee
Marilyn Briggs, PhD, RD, SNS, Advisor
Yenory Hernandez Garbanzo, PhD, Ex-Officio, SNEB President (voting)
Stephany Parker, PhD, Ex-Officio, SNEB Treasurer (non-voting)
Rachel Daeger, CAE, Ex-Officio, SNEB Executive Director (non-voting)