Mary Ann Johnson and US Department of Agriculture

Mary Ann Johnson, the Bill and June Flatt Professor in Foods and Nutrition at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, received $29,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support a 2014 strategic planning conference where participants will help develop a certificate program in childhood obesity for the Southeast. Seven of 11 Southeastern Conference states are among the top 10 states with the highest prevalence of obesity among 10- to 17-year-olds. More than 40 representatives from SEC states will gather to identify the core curriculum, learning objectives, evaluation plans and strategies for collaboration. The ultimate goal is to prepare skilled graduates who can enter the workforce and help address the problem of childhood obesity. Co-directors for this project include representatives from four colleges. They are: Marsha Davis (College of Public Health), Linda Campbell (College of Education), Neale Chumbler (College of Public Health), Joan Fischer (College of Family and Consumer Sciences) and Clifton Baile (College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences).