Chisom Blessing Okoli
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
PhD Student
136 Barrow Hall
115 DW Brooks Dr.
Athens, GA 30602
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.Sc | Nutrition & Exercise Physiology | University of Missouri, Columbia | 2019 |
| B.Sc | Nutrition & Dietetics | University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria | 2013 |
Research
My research focuses on childhood obesity. I am currently in the childhood obesity nutrition intervention laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Cotwright Caree. We use innovative and interactive methods such a entertainment learning, food demos in educating children on the importance of healthy eating such as increasing fruits and vegetable consumption, reducing SSBs intake, increasing water consumption.
https://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn/research-childhood-obesity-nutrition-intervention-laboratory.
Teaching
Teaching appearances:
- FDNS 4510/6510 (Nutrition related to Human life cycle): (1 semester , Fall 2021, UGA)
- FDNS 4660/6660 (Food and Nutrition Education Methods): (1 semester, Fall 2021, UGA): Developed recipe and taught student how to conduct food demo to target audience (Guest speaker)
- FDNS FDNS 4630- Cultural Aspects of Foods and Nutrition (2 semesters, Fall 2019 & 2020, UGA): As a guest speaker on African cutlure and conducted food demo on an African dish.
- NEP 1034/ 1034H:- INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN NUTRITION (UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, COLUMBIA)
Awards
| Award Name | Awarded By | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Leila A. Mize Ritchie Endowment Fund | FACS, UGA | 2021 |
| Mary Swartz Rose Memorial Graduate Scholarship | The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND) | 2021 |
| FACS Fund for Excellence | FACS, UGA | 2021 |
| Glenn and Helen Burton Feeding the Hungry Scholarship | FACS, UGA | 2021 |
| NOPREN Student research scholarship | NOPREN, CDC | 2021 |
| Summer Research Grant | UGA's Graduate School | 2021 |
| Owens Institute for Behavioral Research (OIBR) grant | OIBR, Institute, UGA | 2021 |
| UGA Obesity Initiative Statistical Consulting Grant | UGA Obesity Initiative | 2020 |
| Cooking Matters Inc. Grant | Share Our Strength | 2020 |
| Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship | College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens | 2019 |
| Deaton's Institute Seed Grant | Deaton's Scholar's Institute, Columbia, Missouri | 2018 |
| Best graduating student in Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Set "2013" | University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria | 2014 |
Service
| Organization | Title | Year(s) | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Student Organization (GSO, Department of Nutritional Sciences | Secretary | 2021 | Deparmental |
| African Graduate Professionals Student Association (AGPSA, University of Missouri, Columbia) | Public Relation Officer (PRO) | 2018 | Community |
Advisory Committee
Dr. Caree J. Cotwright, PhD, RDN
Dr. JUNG SUN Lee, PhD, RDN
Dr. Janani R. Thapa, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Thompson, PhD
Dr. Sun Joo Ahn, PhD
Areas of Expertise
Data collection (Quantitative and qualitative)
Data analysis
Research reporting
Project design/ development
intervention implementation
Current Research
Our lab's current research focuses on developing nutriton education message centered on decreasing sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption among children and their families within the community.
Job Description
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) working in Dr. Cotwright's Childhood obesity prevention (CHOP) Lab. Currently, we conducted statewide focus groups among Black families to understand perceptions and barriers to consuming and serving sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to their young children. Findings from this study has informed the development of beverage messages, which we have tested to use in a statewide campaign (SHIFT). SHIFT is aimed to encourage parents consume and serve more water and other healthy beverages to their children over SSBs.
Additionally, I am working on my dissertation centered on developing a parent-focused eLearning beverage training to improve healthy beverage comsumption among Black families.
My job role include: recruiting participants, conducting focus groups & interviews, provide feedbacks via detailed reports, analysis of data (quantitative and qualitative), literature review, writing and submission of paper for publication, intervention development & design, grant writing and food demos.
Journal Articles
Cotwright CJ, Alvis C, de Jesus Jimenez F, Farmer P, Okoli C, Delane J, Cox GO (2020). Improving willingness to try fruits and vegetables among low-income children through use of characters, Health Equity 4:1, 84–90, DOI: 10.1089/heq.2019.0113
Publications
Cotwright CJ, Alvis C, de Jesus Jimenez F, Farmer P, Okoli C, Delane J, Cox GO (2020). Improving willingness to try fruits and vegetables among low-income children through use of characters, Health Equity 4:1, 84–90, DOI: 10.1089/heq.2019.0113.
Chisom Ezemaduka (2019). Association between Iodine status and insulin resistance in the US population using NHANES data (2011-2012). https://hdl.handle.net/10355/75826