ASPHN's 2021 Annual Meeting • Virtual • June 14–23

In early-2021, we began preparing to meet the changing needs of our communities towards a post-pandemic world. ASPHN’s 2021 Annual Meeting, “Resilience in Practice: Pivoting to Address Changes in Public Health Nutrition” invited all nutrition professionals to obtain the information and tools they need to prepare for changes ahead. Our agenda featured a well-curated collection of sessions from several renowned experts in science, medicine and nutrition, who shared their expertise and cutting-edge findings, federal updates from the CDC-DNPAO, MCHB and USDA, a special state sharing session for volunteers to share their pandemic challenges and lessons learned and a call for a national priority on fruit and vegetable consumption.

View our 2021 Annual Meeting agenda and our recorded sessions and presentations below.

View the Agenda

ASPHN AWARD WINNERS

ASPHN announced the 2021 Award Winners at the 2021 Annual Meeting. Congratulations to our professional and student award winners! See the Awards Winners!

POSTER SESSIONS

ASPHN pre-recorded 36 poster presentations from both professionals and student authors. The poster presentations ranged in duration from 5- to 15-minutes in length. Browse the posters and poster presentations and advance your knowledge across a variety of public health nutrition topic areas! See the posters and recordings!

Presentations & Resources

MONDAY, JUNE 14

WELCOME & VIRTUAL LOGISTICS
Mary Ann Ellsworth, MS, RDN, President-elect, ASPHN, New Jersey

Recording

LEARNING TO LIVE WELL AS WE EMERGE FROM COVID ISOLATION
Laurel Kramer, PhD, Psychologist, Jefferson City, MO

NUTRITION AND METABOLIC HEALTH IN A POST-COVID-19 WORLD: POLICY AND SYSTEMS PRIORITIES
Dariush Mozzaffarian, MD, DrPH, Dean, Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts University

Recording

FEDERAL UPDATE – CDC/DNPAO
Janelle Gunn, MPH, RDN, Associate Director, Policy, Partnerships and Communications, CDC-DNPAO

Recording

TUESDAY, JUNE 15

USDA FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE PANEL: PROGRAM UPDATES & GUIDANCE
Facilitator: Donna Johnson-Bailey, MPH, RDN, Senior Nutrition Advisor, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
Panel: Shelly Pierce, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Lisa Mays, MPH, RD, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Debbie Nigri, MA, RD, Child Nutrition Programs (CNP), Sara Olson, Sc.M., RDN, Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Program (SNAS), TusaRebecca Pannucci, PhD, MPH, RD, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP)

Recording

STATE SHARING FROM NEVADA, MICHIGAN AND SOUTH CAROLINA

FOOD INSECURITY AND HEALTH OUTCOMES: RESEARCH UPDATES
Hilary Seligman, MD, MAS, Professor, University of California San Francisco

Recording

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16

INTERACTIVE CONVERSATION
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President & CEO, Produce for Better Health Foundation

ANNUAL AWARDS
Tiffani Grant, MS, RND, LD, (MS), President, ASPHN

Recording

BREASTFEEDING CONTINUITY OF CARE
Emily Bernard, MA, IBCLC, Program Consultant, National Association of County and City Health Officials

Recording

FEDERAL UPDATE – MCHB
Michael D. Warren, MD, MPH, FAAP, Associate Administrator Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA

Recording

LEARNING TO LIKE THE TASTE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: FROM THE BEGINNING
Julie A. Mennella, MS, PhD, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA

Recording

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION AS A NATIONAL PRIORITY: HONORING THE PAST, TAKING ACTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE & CLOSING REMARKS
Speakers: Desiree R. Backman, DrPH, MS, RD, Program Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research University of California, Davis & Danielle Conlon, MPH, RDN, CD, Health Program Coordinator UT Department of Health
Closing Remarks: Mary Ann Ellsworth, MS, RDN, President-elect, ASPHN, New Jersey

Recording

“Each day of informative and collaborative sessions will walk our attendees through the steps towards building a healthier nation. Join us as we set the tone for addressing change, discuss challenges we faced and how to successfully change course in a time filled with unknowns and, finally, learn how to build a stronger, healthier generation.”

– MARY ANN ELLSWORTH, MS, RDN, NEW JERSY WIC PROGRAM, ASPHN PRESIDENT-ELECT

ASPHN Annual Meeting Highlights

POST-COVID-19 NUTRITION AND METABOLIC HEALTH

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DRPH is a cardiologist, Dean, and Jean Mayer Professor at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical School. Dr. Mozaffarian has authored more than 400 scientific publications on dietary priorities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and on evidence-based policy approaches and innovations to reduce these burdens in the US and globally.

FOOD INSECURITY AND HEALTH OUTCOMES

Hilary Seligman, MD, MAS is a professor at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Seligman directs the National Clinician Scholars Program at UCSF, School of Medicine and is an expert in food insecurity and its health implications across the life course. Her policy and advocacy expertise focus on federal nutrition programs, food banking and the charitable food network, hunger policy, food affordability and access, and income-related drivers of food choice.

AN EARLY TASTE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Julie A. Mennella, MS, PhD, with the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, has made significant discoveries on the development and function of the flavor senses and early nutritional programming. Her research has revealed that volatiles from the mother’s diet can flavor her amniotic fluid and breast milk, impacting her child’s later eating preferences.

NO SMALL MATTER – A DOCUMENTARY

Our future depends on our youngest citizens. On how many words they hear in their first months of life. On how often they are held. On the kinds of experiences they have. Yet even with business interests, scholars, and politicians on both sides of the aisle lining up to support the early childhood education cause, millions of American children are still not getting the care they need to succeed—or even to keep up. No Small Matter is the first feature-length documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated and powerful force for good in America today: early childhood education. A free viewing of this powerful and thought-provoking film was provided to all Annual Meeting registrants.

SHARING OUR EXPERIENCES

ASPHN’s 2021 Annual Meeting built in a number of knowledge sharing opportunities designed to help attendees learn from one another and bond from common experiences and challenges. From the poster question-and-answer sessions, to the state sharing session and round table breakouts, attendees addressed the changes they’ve encountered over the past year and shared the pivot or “a-ha” moments that have brought discovery and clarity. A special event for students provided valuable information on post-doctoral research and fellowship opportunities, how to navigate their careers and the post-pandemic job outlook.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CALL-FOR-ACTION

As nutrition professionals, we know the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption across the nation. Unfortunately, American diets have not improved in this area over the past 30 years. During the Annual Meeting, we’ll learned about the history, data and programs that have tried to move the needle on fruit and vegetable consumption. We also explored the feasibility of making this issue a national priority and shared the steps ASPHN will be taking to advance fruit and vegetable consumption and to improve nutrition and decrease disease through a renewed sense of purpose!

Save the Date For Annual Meeting!

ASPHN AWARD WINNERS

POSTER SESSIONS