HER NOPREN Student Poster Presentations 2021

As part of the HER NOPREN Summer Student Speaker Series, ten students were selected to develop a scientific poster highlighting their summer research or public health nutrition practicum experience. Poster topics include: (1) food & nutrition security; (2) school wellness; (3) early childhood; and (4) healthy food retail. Click on each poster title below to read more about their exciting work! You can also click here to read the abstracts from all of the students featured in our virtual presentation and poster sessions.

Missed the HER NOPREN Summer Speaker Series for Students? You can find the full recordings and slides here


Food & Nutrition Security

Food Insecurity & CVD in Lower-Income U.S. Adolescents

Aarohee Fulay
Degree Seeking: PhD, Nutritional Epidemiology
University: University of Michigan, School of Public Health
Research interests: Food security, nutrition security, nutrition programs and policies, food environment

Will Encouraging Dollar Stores to Become WIC Vendors Increase WIC Participant Access to WIC Vendors?


Anna Jackson
Degree: PhD, Nutritional Sciences, Community Nutrition
University: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Research interests: Food insecurity and food provision mechanisms, with a specific emphasis on populations that experience health disparities
NOPREN-affiliated faculty: Elizabeth Anderson Steeves


School Wellness

USDA Summer Food Service Program: Insights from the COVID-19 Distribution Response


Ashlyn Anderson
Degree seeking: Bachelor’s degree, Food Security and Public Health Nutrition major
University: University of Tennessee Knoxville
Research interests: Food justice, sustainable food systems and policy infrastructure

Supporting the Whole Child: How Parents Can Ensure a Healthy and Active Summer


Eden W Gebreyes
University: Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health
Degree: MPH, Behavioral and Health Education Sciences
Research interests: Maternal and child health, health equity, and emergency response
NOPREN-affiliated faculty: Sarah Sliwa & Caitlin Merlo


Early Childhood

Age of Bottle Cessation and BMI-for-Age Percentile among Children Aged 36 Months Participating in WIC

Morium Bably
University: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Degree Seeking: PhD, Public Health Sciences
Research interests: Infant feeding practices, maternal and child health, nutrition, childhood asthma, and reproductive health

Associations between Ad-Supported Media and Ultra-Processed Food Intake among Pre-School Age Children

Jennifer Carroll
University: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Degree seeking: PhD, Epidemiology
Research interests: Food marketing, childhood obesity, nutrition, cancer prevention


Exploring a Theory of Change: Are Increases in Parental Empowerment
Associated with Healthier Weight-Related Parenting Practices?



Cristina Gago
Degree: PhD, Public Health Nutrition
University: Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Research interests: Barriers that caregivers face to accessing resources and services for the promotion of healthy weight in young children from low-income households


Associations between Peer Counseling and Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration among WIC Participants: A Meta-Analysis


Yarisbel Melo Herrera
University: University of Rhode Island
Degree: PhD, Health Sciences
Research Interests: Perinatal nutrition, women's health, and public health nutrition
NOPREN-affiliated faculty: Alison Tovar


Healthy Food Retail

The Impact of a Pricing Manipulation Intervention on Food Sales in a Small Community Grocery Store in Baltimore City



Samantha Sundermeir
University: Johns Hopkins University
Degree: PhD, Human Nutrition
Research interests: Interventions targeting multiple dimensions of food security and healthy food retail to improve diet quality and reduce obesity and chronic disease
NOPREN-affiliated faculty: Joel Gittelsohn

A Literature Review of Implemented Food Service Guideline Research Over the Last 10 Years: Major Themes and Outcomes


Odessa Seng
University: University of Washington
Degree: Bachelor’s degree, Public Health Nutrition major, Public Policy minor
Research interests: interactions between industry, policy and health, to ultimately work towards structural change at the policy level to implement equitable, evidence-based solutions based in providing the system-level support necessary for nutritious food to be affordable and accessible within communities
NOPREN-affiliated faculty: Jessi Silverman