Dr. Katie S. Martin Named Director of the B.S. in Public Health Program at the University of Saint Joseph

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (October 1, 2013) – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) announces the appointment of Katie S. Martin, Ph.D., as assistant professor of Nutrition and Public Health. She will serve as director of the bachelor’s degree in Public Health program, which is being offered for the first time this fall at USJ.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health offers an exciting, interdisciplinary curriculum and prepares students to identify health needs of communities, promote health, and reduce health disparities. Public health is the science and art of preventing disease and promoting health through organized community effort with a focus on overall populations.

“Under the capable leadership and direction of Dr. Martin, the University’s newest B.S. degree program encompasses the core components of public health history and theories, community assessment and health promotion, as well as hands-on internship opportunities,” said USJ Provost Michelle M. Kalis, Ph.D.  “In addition, students will develop analytic research and evaluation skills that directly address the concerns of at-risk populations and contribute to the development of healthy communities.”

Dr. Martin remarked, “Ultimately, graduates earning a bachelor’s degree in public health at USJ will be well-prepared to work in a variety of career fields with the spirit of compassionate service and social justice that exemplifies the Mercy mission and core values of a University of Saint Joseph education.”

A graduate of Indiana University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Martin holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Nutrition Science & Policy from Tufts University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut.

Most recently, Martin served as assistant professor-in-residence in the department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. In addition to conducting research, Martin taught a graduate course in the M.P.H. program titled, “Food, Health & Politics.” Her research focuses on access to healthy food, and the link between food insecurity and obesity among disadvantaged communities. Martin received a four-year Career Development award (K award) from the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. For this award, Martin worked with three community agencies (Chrysalis Center, Foodshare and Junior League of Hartford) to help develop and evaluate an innovative new food pantry program called Freshplace. Results indicate that the Freshplace model significantly improves food security, self-sufficiency and diet quality compared to traditional food pantries. She has recently partnered with the Connecticut WIC Program and Head Start Programs to develop and evaluate a formal collaboration between both programs. Martin also conducted a multi-year research project to evaluate the food environment in Hartford, particularly in corner stores. Martin lives in Simsbury with her husband and two sons.

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