Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Food in the South: Health, Happiness and the Economy

On September 8, 2011 at 4:30 pm in the Kresge Foundation Common Room (039) at the Johnson Center for Undergraduate Excellence in Graham Memorial Hall, Professor Ammerman will present Food in the South:  Health, Happiness and the Economy.  She will explore the multiple roles of food in the lives of southerners, ranging from family and social connections and celebrations to the foundations of a transitioning agricultural economy. Participants will share their views about the role of local sustainable food systems and whether all NC citizens can benefit from this rapidly developing this rapidly evolving development.

Dr. Ammerman is a professor of nutrition in the Gillings School, as well as the director for the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She has created strong collaborations across the state to address childhood obesity and was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor to serve on the Childhood Obesity Study Committee. More recent research interests focus on school nutrition policy associated with obesity, sustainable agriculture as it relates to improved nutrition, and social entrepreneurship as a sustainable approach to addressing public health concerns.