Sarah McKee

Graduate Student, Human Development and Family Studies (Affiliate)

Research Overview

Broadly speaking, I am interested in research examining the internal and external factors that influence both our attitudes towards food and our eating behaviors. I am particularly interested in applying the findings of this research to create effective policies and programs that promote healthy behaviors. Specifically, I am interested in the ways in which existing systems (such as school lunch programs, child care centers, and emergency food systems) can be used to disseminate evidence-based and research-validated health interventions.

Currently, I am working with Dr. Marlene Schwartz on studies involving child care centers’ implementation of policies designed to promote healthier environments for children, the role of emergency food systems in promoting health equity, and evaluation of schools’ implementation of wellness policies.

My past research has involved examinations of parental feeding practices, preschoolers’ eating behaviors, and antifat attitudes in preschoolers and in college students.

Education

B.A. Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, 2010