Newswise — The Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) announces Marilyn Briggs, PhD, RD, SNS, as the recipient of the 2013 Helen Denning Ullrich Award of Excellence in Nutrition Education. The award was presented at the 46th SNEB Annual Conference, “Nutrition Education: Moving from Good to Great,” in Portland, OR on Sunday, August 11, during the SNEB Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony.
A passion for children’s nutrition education programs has been the hallmark of Dr. Briggs’ forty-year career. From coordinating a nutrition education program for children with dental disease while working as the staff dietitian for the US Public Health Service Hospital in San Francisco to her current position as co-director of the Center for Nutrition in School at University of California, Davis, Briggs has impacted thousands of young lives. The goal of the center is to provide research-based nutrition education programs and resources to the school community that improves student nutrition and health. Additionally, she is also editor of the Journal of Child Nutrition and Management based at UC Davis.
In her nomination of Dr. Briggs, Francene M. Steinberg PhD, RD; Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics; UC, Davis wrote, “The topic of Marilyn’s dissertation research was development of nutrition education programming to meet state school standards, which enabled her to utilize and build upon her depth of experience and knowledge in the field of school nutrition. The product of her dissertation was a set of nutrition education standards which were adopted and published by the California Department of Education in a school nutrition and health resource guide. These standards were presented and discussed at a March 2013 Institute of Medicine workshop on National Nutrition Education Curriculum Standards in Washington DC. I expect that this document will significantly influence and guide progress on the issue of nutrition standards at the national level.”
Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr, PhD; Chair, Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology; Department of Nutrition; UC, Davis wrote, “Her exceptional performance relating to school nutrition programs brought recognition to California as an innovator and leader, creating positive changes that served as a model for national health and nutrition initiatives. Further information about Dr. Briggs’ leadership in school nutrition may be found in the Congressional Records, November 12, 2002; in honor of Marilyn’s retirement the Honorable George Miller from California gave a commendation in the U.S. House of Representatives on Dr. Brigg’s career with the California State Department of Education.”
“Her leadership has shaped the foundation of the California Professional Nutrition Education and Training (Cal Pro-NET) Center at the University of California, Davis, but her legacy began many years ago shaping the current foundation for nutrition education within the California Department of Education,” added Carol Chase Huegli, MS, RD; Associate Director Nutrition Services; California Department of Education.
A longtime member of SNEB, Dr. Briggs served SNEB as president in 2001-2002, past chair of the SNEB Advisory Committee on Public Policy and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the SNEB Foundation. She also holds memberships in the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a Registered Dietitian, School of Nutrition Association with the School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) Credential, American School Health Association, American Public Health Association, American Educational Research Association, American Society for Nutrition, American Association for the Advancement of Science and Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.
Dr. Briggs has been honored by the School Nutrition Association Gold Award for Service in 2010, received the Honorary Merit (Lifetime Membership) Award – California School Nutrition Association in 2008, inducted into the Phi Sigma Biological Sciences Research Honor Society also in 2008, and received the Silver Friend of Child Nutrition Award by the National Foodservice Achievement Management Excellent (FAME) Award program in 2007. She has published in the following peer reviewed publications: Topics in Clinical Nutrition, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Journal of Child Nutrition and Management, American School Food Service Association, School Food Service and Nutrition, and California Agriculture.
The Helen Denning Ullrich Annual Award of Excellence in Nutrition Education is given each year to an SNEB member for outstanding achievement in the field of nutrition education. This award is named in honor of Helen Ullrich, a dedicated member of SNEB and the first editor of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB). Photos and information on past award recipients is online at http://www.sneb.org/about/awards.html.
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