Professor, Allied Health Sciences (Principal Investigator)

Valerie B. Duffy (PhD, RDN) and her team have two complimentary research interests. First, we attempt to understand variation in chemosensory perception in humans and how this variation influences food flavor, food preference and food intake. Our ultimate goal is to understand how chemosensory variation influences our ability to follow a healthy diet for the prevention of chronic disease and obesity. Second, we collaborate with community agencies across the state to promote healthy diets and healthy weights of children and their, particularly those of economic disadvantage. Through involvement of undergraduate and graduate student research, we are investigating the effectiveness of community-based interventions to improve vegetable intake and level of physical activity of children. Dr. Duffy and her students have numerous publications and presentations at national and international meetings. She has received several awards for excellence in teaching, research and service. Students who have trained with Dr. Duffy are advancing nutrition and health through research, practice or public health leadership.

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Extension Educator

Tina is an Extension Educator in the Department of Allied Health Sciences. Implementing curricula she developed, combined with a rich partnership network, Tina supervises dietetics Masters students through community nutrition practicum courses that include hands-on experiences and the opportunity to deliver tailored nutrition education to the income challenged and food insecure in multiple communities in CT. Tina has been funded by USDA SNAP Education for over 20 years. Tina also engages in several multi-disciplinary projects with UConn and UCHC faculty. She has served as the President of the CT Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and as its Delegate and Secretary. Tina is married with three children, and in her spare time enjoys exercise, cooking and gardening.

SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator

Donna joined the UConn School & Family SNAP-Ed nutrition team in 2009 with a broad background in food service management, health promotion, and marketing communications. She currently oversees dietetics undergraduates, interns, and Masters students during their community nutrition rotation within the Allied Health Sciences Dietetics Coordinated Program and Internship. She also oversees SNAP-Ed program reporting for the UConn School & Family SNAP-Ed project. Donna is committed to helping others make healthy dietary and lifestyle changes to enjoy the benefits of eating well and feeling great.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Daniela is a Graduate Student, Research Assistant studying Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Daniela is an international student from Brazil and earned a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition from the Federal University of Vicosa. Also, she completed an exchange program at State University of New York at Plattsburgh and Summer Internship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is passionate about learning how to prevent obesity, especially in disadvantaged populations. Daniela's research focuses on improving dietary outcomes through interactive nutritional strategies such as leveraging technology.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Kate Walder is a registered dietitian, graduate assistant, and first year master’s student studying Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Connecticut. After graduating from UConn’s undergraduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics and obtaining her RDN in 2021, Kate provided nutrition counseling services to patients with obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases as an Outpatient Clinical Dietitian at Backus Hospital. Kate’s research interests include school-based obesity prevention through Farm to School initiatives and school gardening programs.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Julia is a registered dietitian and graduate assistant studying Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She graduated from UConn in May 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Dietetics after completing the Dietetics Coordinated Program. Julia is passionate about behavior change counseling and helping people improve their diet quality while fostering a healthy relationship with food and body. In her free time, Julia enjoys hiking, teaching dance, cooking, and relaxing with a good book.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

Brittany is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), research assistant, and master’s student in the Health Promotion Sciences program. Brittany graduated from the University of Connecticut Coordinated Dietetics program and became an RDN in 2012. After graduation Brittany began her career at a managed care organization where she provided nutrition counseling to health plan members and most recently worked as a project manager. She is passionate about assisting individuals with creating sustainable, long-term behavior changes to improve their health. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Faculty Advisors

Professor, Department of Communication

Professor Lin (Ph.D. in Media and Information) focuses her research and teaching on topics concerning health, risk, science, environmental, marketing, multicultural and computer-mediated communication at individual, community and societal levels.  Motivated by her interest in the emerging digital technologies, she founded the Communication Technology Division at the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication. Professor Lin has developed or co-developed a commercialized bioinformatics system, a serious game for health and a mobile application for personal risk management. Combining this eHealth expertise with her marketing communication background, her work has examined the persuasive effects of positive health promotion messages on motivating the acceptance and adoption of healthy behavior. Since 2014, Dr. Lin has been partnering with Dr. Duffy in developing communication messages to promote healthy eating habits and physical activity among children. She has also collaborated with Dr. Duffy on projects that assess the effectiveness of community-based intervention programs to help children develop healthy lifestyles that can be sustained throughout their adulthood.   

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr. Shane J Sacco is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University. His primary focus is applied statistics. Dr. Sacco shared his expertise as game developer for Healthy Family Connecticut, UConn's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Outside of academia, Shane enjoys hiking, reading, and playing video games.

Student Collaborators

Graduate Student

Jillian is currently a first-year master’s student studying Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Connecticut, and she is the Graduate Assistant in the Native American Cultural Program. She graduated from the University of Connecticut as a University Honors Laureate and Honors Scholar with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Sciences and minors in both Spanish and Molecular & Cell Biology in August 2024, where she was also a four-year veteran of the UConn Dance Team. As a first-generation, Native American, female graduate student in the STEM field, Jillian’s research focuses on enhancing efforts to encourage healthy eating in Northeastern Native Americans with messages and materials that are grounded in culturally important food beliefs and patterns. With goals of becoming one of the first Native American Reproductive Endocrinologists, Jillian aspires to attend medical school in the Fall of 2026. Outside of academia, Jillian works as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in the Andrology and Endocrinology Laboratories at The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services in Farmington, CT, where she is also involved in research. As a Mohegan individual herself, she is also deeply involved with the UConn Tribal Education Initiative. She also works collaboratively with Dr. Sandy Grande and others on Indigenous initiatives at The UConn Center on Aging and the Pepper Center. Additionally, she sits as a member of the Mohegan Board of Education. In her free time, Jillian likes to spend time with her family and friends and play with her puppy!

Graduate Student

Brenda is a second-year graduate student and research assistant in the Health Promotion Sciences program and peer mentor for undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars & CAPS Research Scholars Program. She graduated in May 2023 as an Honors Scholar with a bachelor’s degree in Allied Health Sciences and minor in Psychological Sciences from UConn. As a second-generation Latina, Brenda is passionate about addressing diet disparities among Latinos in the US and improving food resources for Spanish-speakers.

Graduate Student

Marielys is a first-year graduate assistant in Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health Sciences from UConn in May 2024. As a first-generation Latina student, she is deeply committed to promoting health equity and reducing healthcare disparities, particularly in underserved, low-income communities. Beyond her academic pursuits, Marielys is an active member of Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Incorporated, a multicultural organization that empowers women and provides a platform to address societal issues, striving to make a meaningful impact.

Honors student, Junior in the Special Program in Dental Medicine

Grace is a junior at the University of Connecticut. She is an Honors student in the Special Program in Dental Medicine, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. She hopes to be a general or pediatric dentist in the future and work towards advocating for increased access to healthcare globally. Grace’s research focuses on using pediatric adapted liking surveys and tailored messages to promote healthy eating and oral hygiene behaviors in children within a pediatric dental office setting and the use of social media for the health education of parents. In her free time, she volunteers as a dental sterilization tech and an EMT, and she is involved in community service addressing social determinants of health and advocacy on campus.