Faculty Directory

Betty Izumi, PhD, MPH, RD is a Professor in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, and the Director of Portland State University’s AANAPISI Project. Her research focuses on critical issues at the intersection of nutrition, sustainability, and health equity. Dr. Izumi is a Nisei, born and raised in Canada to Japanese immigrant parents. Her father, a Buddhist minister, often received boxes of vegetables and freshly caught salmon from members of his congregation. The memories of this local food community, and preparing and storing the food with her mother, have shaped her career as researcher and educator.

Since 2010, Dr. Izumi has worked closely with non-profit organizations, school districts, early care and education programs, and local public health agencies to carry out food and nutrition research that bridges academic inquiry with public relevance. Utilizing a community-based participatory research approach, she explores how diet quality and health can be improved among underserved populations in ways that simultaneously promote vibrant, resilient, and equitable local food systems. She is currently the lead evaluator for Multnomah County Health Department’s CDC-funded project that focuses on reducing chronic disease risk among Multnomah County residents with low incomes through produce prescription (PRx) programs that provide increased access to locally grown fruits and vegetables.

As an educator, Dr. Izumi augments her lectures and classroom discussions with guest speakers and field trips to enable students to apply academic theory to real-world situations. In addition to increased knowledge of health and nutrition concepts, she strives to foster inquiry and critical thinking and a sense of responsibility to contribute to a more equitable food system.
Expanding her commitment to experiential learning, Dr. Izumi created “Community Nutrition in Japan,” an immersive, fast-paced short-term study abroad course, allowing her to share her cultural heritage with students while examining the policies that make Japan one of the healthiest countries in the world.

Dr. Izumi is a prominent campus leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2023, she successfully led efforts surrounding PSU’s historic federal designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution. In her role as Project Director, she oversees nearly $2 million in federal grant funding dedicated to expanding critical support, resources, and services for Asian American and Pacific Islander students, making PSU the first public university in Oregon to achieve this milestone.

Dr. Izumi completed her foundational education in Canada, earning a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of British Columbia in 1998. She then completed a Master of Public Health in 2000 and earned her Registered Dietitian credential in 2001, both from the University of California, Berkeley, before earning her Doctor of Philosophy from Michigan State University in 2008.
 

Education, Degrees

B.S., University of British Columbia, 1998
M.P.H., University of California, Berkeley, 2000
R.D., University of California, Berkeley, 2001
Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2008
 

Awards and Honors

• 2017, Core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award (Japan)
• 2016, Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Mid-Career Professional Achievement Award
• 2016, Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Nutrition Education Program Impact Award for Harvest for Healthy Kids
• 2013, Portland State University College of Urban and Public Affairs Craig Wollner Memorial Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty
• 2012, Portland State University Civic Engagement Award for Excellence in Community-based Research