Betty Izumi¹
Biography
Betty Izumi is a registered dietitian and Interim Associate Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs in the School of Public Health. Her research focuses on issues at the intersection of nutrition, sustainability and health equity. She uses a community-based participatory research approach to explore the question: Can diet quality and health be improved among underserved individuals in such a way that promotes vibrant and resilient local food systems?
She is the principal investigator for Harvest for Healthy Kids, a nutrition intervention developed in partnership with Mt. Hood Community College Head Start and Early Head Start. Harvest for Healthy Kids connects children in early care and education settings to local agriculture through classroom education, food service modification and family engagement. In 2016, Harvest for Healthy Kids was awarded the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Nutrition Education Program Impact Award.
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
¹ CEPH Primary Instructional Faculty
² CEPH Non-Primary Instructional Faculty
Experienced Faculty With Diverse Backgrounds
More than 150 faculty members work within the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. They have a wide range of expertise, from monitoring and assessing health risks and opportunities in populations, to helping build health-supporting social environments through policy, advocacy, and programs. They are educators, advisors, researchers, practitioners and community leaders. They come from backgrounds in quantitative, behavioral, environmental and social sciences, policy and government, exercise and health sciences and anthropology, among many other areas. They all work in collaboration with each other and with community partners, and are especially focused on the training and education of future leaders and practitioners in the public health fields.
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