Contact: Daniel P. Jones, 860-380-1282, cell 203-605-5152 or daniel.p.jones@uconn.edu
UConn Rudd Center Director Marlene Schwartz Honored
For Her Influence on Children’s Nutrition Policies
Hartford, Conn. – The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame has named Marlene Schwartz, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, a 2016 Women’s Wellness Honoree.
Dr. Schwartz is being recognized as a researcher and advocate for food and nutrition policies that will improve children’s diets and health.
“I am grateful for this honor, and hope that our work with the UConn Rudd Center will inspire others to take action to improve the food environment and protect the health of young people,” Schwartz said. “I thank the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame for this recognition, and applaud the efforts of so many Connecticut women who have made great contributions to our state and the nation.”
Founded in 1994, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame is an educational outreach organization whose mission is to honor the achievements of Connecticut women, preserve their stories, educate the public and inspire the continued achievements of women and girls.
The organization will hold its 23rd annual induction ceremonies on Nov. 2 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
Rebecca Lobo, UConn basketball star, Olympic Gold Medalist, TV analyst and advocate for breast cancer research; and Jane Pauley, broadcast journalist and health advocate, will be inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. Dr. Joyce Yerwood, the first African-American physician in Fairfield County and a pioneer in drug treatment programs, will be inducted posthumously.
This year’s theme is women’s wellness, and Dr. Schwartz is among the 2016 honorees being recognized for their influence in this area.
In addition to directing the Rudd Center, Schwartz is Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at UConn. Her research and community service have focused on school wellness policies, the preschool nutrition environment, the effect of food marketing on children, the relationship between food insecurity and nutrition, and how federal food programs can improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, 3rd District, who consistently advocates federal support for children’s nutrition, praised Schwartz’s efforts to improve policies to help children.
“Marlene Schwartz and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut are leading the fight to ensure that our children can grow up healthy and strong,” Congresswoman DeLauro said. “At a time when childhood obesity is reaching record levels, Marlene’s work is making a difference in the way our nation sets national food and nutrition policy and I thank her for her tireless work. This recognition is well deserved and I congratulate Marlene on this remarkable achievement.”
Dr. Schwartz earned her PhD in Psychology from Yale University in 1996. She earned a BA from Haverford College and a Master of Science and Master of Philosophy degrees from Yale.
She is a prolific writer and scholar, having published two books, 17 book chapters and 79 peer-reviewed journal articles. She has spoken at numerous national and international professional conferences and has been interviewed by media outlets, including The New York Times, The Hartford Courant, CNN, National Public Radio, CBS This Morning, and John Stewart’s The Daily Show.
In Connecticut, Dr. Schwartz has collaborated with the State Department of Education to evaluate nutrition and physical activity policies in schools and preschools; co-chaired the Connecticut Obesity Task Force; and has provided expert testimony on obesity-related state policies. She also served three terms on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Food Bank, where she continues to support their work to promote nutritious foods.
Dr. Schwartz has received research funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Partnership For A Healthier America, the Horizon Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. She served as deputy director of the Rudd Center from 2005 to 2013, when she became director. In 2015, she oversaw the Rudd Center’s successful move from Yale to join the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy (InCHIP) at the University of Connecticut
Prior to joining the Rudd Center, Dr. Schwartz served as Co-Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders.
###
About the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity
The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut is a distinguished multi-disciplinary policy research center dedicated to promoting solutions to childhood obesity, poor diet, and weight bias through research and policy. The Rudd Center is a leader in building broad-based consensus to change diet and activity patterns by conducting research and educating policy makers and the public. For more information, visit www.uconnruddcenter.org or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/uconnruddcenter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uconnruddcenter.
For more information, contact: Daniel P. Jones at 860-380-1282