Nancy Fey-Yensan ,PhD, RD
Professor of Health Sciences and Nutrition
EDUCATION
- PhD - Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut
- MS - Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut
- BS - Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut
COURSES TAUGHT
- BI 215 Biology and Health Sciences Seminar
- BI 235 Human Health and Nutrition
- BI 302 Food Systems
- BI 337 Advanced Nutrition
- GLE 101 First Year Experience
ACADEMIC PROGRAM(S)
NutritionRESEARCH INTERESTS AND AREAS
- Community Health
- Hunger and Food Security
- Poverty and Food Access
- Obesity Prevention
- Food Systems
- Performance Nutrition
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Professional Memberships
- Genetics Society of America
- American Society for Cell Biology
- Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NEAAHP); 2008-2015
Conferences Attended
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Society for Nutrition Education
- Gerontological Society of America
- Society for Behavioral Medicine
- American Geriatric Association
- American Public Health Association\
- Oil Chemist’s Society
Grants Received
Co-Principal Investigator, USDA/FNS and State of RI Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Nutrition Education (SNAP-ED)
The principal source of funding for my work with low-income audiences has been through the USDA/FNS Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Nutrition Education (SNAP-ED). This project required an annual proposal and reapplication, with a 1:1 match obligation (non-federal sources). Funded by USDA (FNS) and the State of Rhode Island Department of Human Services (RI DHS), this project brought over $8 million to the University providing $2 million in indirect cost recovery during my tenure there. In addition, match of $8 million from state and municipal partners brought the total expenditures of the project total to close to $17 million.
Fiscal Year Total Amount
October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 $ 1,900,000.00 ($ 950,000.00 federal/$ 950,000.00 state)
October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010 $ 2,834,000.00 ($ 1,417,000.00 federal/$ 1,417,000.00 state)
October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009 $ 2,516,000.00 ($ 1,258,299.00 federal/$ 1,258,299.00 state)
October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008 $ 2,232,000.00 ($ 1,116,414.00 federal/$ 1,116,414.00 state)
October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007 $ 1,728,000.00 ($ 864,000.00 federal/$ 864,000.00 state)
October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006 $ 1,018,000.00 ($ 509,263.00 federal/$ 510,791.00 state)
October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005 $ 947,000.00 ($ 473,760.00 federal/$ 473,760.00 state)
October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2004 $ 900,900.00 ($ 450,450.00.00 federal/$ 450,450.00 state)
October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2004 $ 21,000.00 ($ 21,000.00 state of Connecticut)
October 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003 $ 827,090.00 ($ 413,545.00 federal/$ 413,545.00 state)
October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002 $ 874,000.00 ($ 437,000.00 federal/ $ 437,000.00 state)
October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2001 $ 1,093,800.00 ($ 546,929.00 federal/ $ 546,929.00 state)
October 1, 1998 to September 30, 1999 $ 145,864.00 ($ 72,932.00 federal/ $ 72,932.00 state)
Body Image Assessment in Low-income Children using a 3-D Video Survey, July 1, 2005- June 30, 2006 (Co-Principal Investigator) $ 5000.00 Child Health Foundation (1 year)
USDA NE-172 (2000 – 2004) and USDA 1023 (2004-2008): Multi-state Nutritional Risk Assessment in the Elderly (Co-Principal Investigator, Co-PI C. English, Funded 1996-2008; total funding for 8 years $160,000.00, RI AES)
University of Rhode Island President’s Interdisciplinary Partnership on Food, Hunger and Nutrition
(Co-Principal Investigator and Co-Director with K. Gorman, Co-Investigator C. Padula, Co-Investigator, P. Clark) (Funded 2004-2007, $ 450,000.00 for three years; $ 150,000 per year)
University of Rhode Island Council for Outreach, Outreach Development Funds Program, Principal Investigator, $5,000.00, Community Foods Program Equipment grant, January 2005.
Service
Franklin Pierce University Service:
- Member, FPU Honors Committee 2023
- Member, FPU Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 2023 -
- Member, FPU Long Range Planning 2023 -
- Member 2023/2024 Academic Showcase Committee
Personal Interests and Service (community and non-profit contributions):
- Town of Fitzwilliam, NH, Trustee of the Fitzwilliam Library
- Vice President, Fitzwilliam District Nursing Association
LGBTQ+ Health (non-profit educator)
Community-based, Food Stamp (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) Nutrition Education
I was awarded University recognition for Excellence in Outreach in 2004, demonstrating a deep understanding of the value of community outreach to the Universities I serve and the communities seeking our assistance. The extent of our outreach activities for low-income Rhode Islanders enhanced and strengthened the relationship between the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, College of Human Science and Services and stakeholders in the community. Provision of outreach contributed to our ability to build a strong graduate community nutrition program over a fifteen year period, and provided opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in interdisciplinary experiences outside of the classroom. Outreach associated with this project was composed of four different approaches: distance information transfer; face-to-face community-based nutrition education (stakeholders and agency personnel), media, and social marketing campaigns. Examples of outreach publications and videos are available upon request (examples of those provided free to low-income populations: Good News Café (Quarterly Newsletter- readership 10,000, 4 issues per year since 2000); Nutrition to Go (Monthly Newsletter – readership 4,000 per month since 2000); Healthy Cooking for Seniors (40 Video/DVD Productions since 1996); The Farm Fresh Table (Nutrition newsletter for RI Farmers’ Market patrons).
University of Rhode Island Service
University of Rhode Island Marshal
For eight years I served as the Commencement Marshal for the University of Rhode Island. Responsibilities included the planning and coordination of marshalling activities for both the Graduate and Main Commencements (two separate events on two different days), including the identification and training of faculty marshals, organizing each platform party and student lines of march and seating, coordination with facilities, the Graduate School, and with the Office of the President.
Professional Memberships
- Registered Dietitian (RD, national clinical credential), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (1984-present)
- Member, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Member, NH Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
HONORS AND AWARDS
University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, Connecticut
Since 2020, I have been teaching Nutrition for Nursing Practice, a required on-line
course for junior level nursing students. Utilizing Blackboard as the LMS platform,
I have been able to successfully engage with students as they progress from basic
nutrition concepts through the application of medical nutrition therapy using self-reflection,
discussion, assessments and practical clinical case studies with special attention
to cultural and economic conditions related to effective nursing care.
Keene State College, Keene New Hampshire
In my role as Provost, I provided primary oversight to an academic enterprise serving
over 3400 students and laid the groundwork for all new academic minors, majors and
graduate degree programs. This includes the introduction of new micro-credentials
and certificates and the initiation of the development of a much needed First Year
Experience course for our incoming, first-year students, which I taught using Canvas
as the LMS platform to support a hybrid delivery design (course was partially in person,
partially on-line during COVID). As Executive Director of Research and Graduate Studies,
I developed the first draft of a strategic plan designed to augment on-line graduate
education, and, created the first set of graduate policies, and first graduate handbooks
for both graduate students and graduate faculty at the institution. I overhauled the
graduate scholarship review and distribution process, convened and managed the College’s
Graduate Council and managed the development of all new graduate curriculum. In addition,
I provided oversight for the College’s research enterprise.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
In my role as Dean at UNC Charlotte, I provided primary oversight to an academic enterprise
serving over 4,000 majors and over 7,000 students overall (this includes majors, minors
and other students engaged in our curriculum). The College of Health and Human Services
led the University in on-line course and degree offerings, many of which had attained
Quality Matters and other quality certifications. The College became the test college
for a new first year experience course for the University, Prospect for Success. Teaching
this hybrid course for four years during my tenure as Dean, I was directly involved
in the development of the curriculum, configuration of learning modules, and establishment
of learning objectives. The course was taught initially using Moodle as the LMS;
we adopted Canvas as a preferred teaching platform after a few years based on an assessment
of the capacity and intuitive nature of each option for both students and teaching
faculty. During my tenure as Dean, I was involved and supported the development and
delivery of 1 new undergraduate degree program and 5 new graduate degree programs
University of Rhode Island
Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences
I was promoted to Full Professor in 2006, functioning as a tenured faculty member
with responsibilities related to instruction, research and outreach in public health
nutrition and policy, gerontology, assessment of low-income populations, obesity prevention,
food insecurity, food access, nutrition education and food behavior assessment. I
have successfully instructed students from a spectrum of disciplines, including nutrition,
biology, dietetics, nursing, kinesiology, psychology and human development, among
others. I am very proud of my recognition as a professor of excellence, winning teaching
awards and accolades from my department chairs and dean. Upon my subsequent appointment
as a dean at UNC Charlotte, I was named Professor Emeritus at the University, a designation
based on my teaching, research, service and mentoring accomplishments.
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Publications
Brendan
Greene, G, Fey-Yensan, NL, Padula, CA, Rossi, S, Rossi, J, and Clark, P. Change in fruit and vegetable intake over 24 months in older adults: Results of the SENIOR Project intervention. The Gerontologist, volume 48; 378-387, 2008.
Fey-Yensan, NL, Kantor, MA, Cohen, N, Laus, MJ, Rice, WS, and English, C. Issues and strategies related to fruit and vegetable intake in older adults living in the Northeast Region. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, volume 19:3, 2004.
Greene, G, Fey-Yensan, NL, Padula, CA, Rossi, S, Rossi, J, and Clark, P. Differences in psychosocial variables by state of change for fruits and vegetables in older adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 112: 2004.
Fey-Yensan, NL, English, C, Pacheco, HE, Belyea, M and Schuler, D. Elderly food stamp participants are different from their non-participating peers by nutrition risk but not nutrient intake. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103: 103-107, 2003.
Padula, CA, Rossi, S, Nigg, C, Lees, F, Fey-Yensan, NL, Greene, G and Clark, P. Using focus groups for instrument development: application of the trans-theoretical model to fruit and vegetable intake behaviors of older adults. Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly, volume 22; 4, 2003.
Fey-Yensan, NL, English, C, Belyea, MB, and Pacheco, H. Food Stamp Program participation and perceived food insecurity in older adults. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, Volume 18:4, 2003.
Nigg, C, English, C, Owens, N, Burbank, P, Connolly-Belanger, A, Dufresne, R, Fey-Yensan, NL, Garber, C, Luisi, A, Padula, C, Saunders, S, and Clark, P. Health correlates of exercise behavior and stage change in a community-based exercise intervention for the elderly: a pilot study. Health Promotion Practice, vol. 3 (3); 421-428, 2002.
Fey-Yensan, NL, English, C, and Museler, HR. Nutrition to Go: A nutrition newsletter for older, limited resource, home-delivered meal participants. Journal of Nutrition Education, Special Issue on Aging. Volume 34s; 69-70, 2002.
Clark, PG, Nigg, CR, Greene, G, Riebe, D, Saunders, SD, Burbank, P, Dufresne, R, English, C, Fey-Yensan, NL, Garber, C, Lees, F, Luisi, A, Owens, N, Padula, C, Prochaska, J, Rossi, J, Rossi, S, Ruggiero, L, and Stillwell, K. The study of Exercise and Nutrition in Older Rhode Islanders (SENIOR): Translating Theory into Research. Journal of Health Education Research, 2002.
Fey-Yensan, NL, English, C, Caldwell, M, and Museler, HR. Evaluation of a nutrition education newsletter for home-delivered meal participants. Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly. Volume 21 (4); 39-60, 2002.
Fey-Yensan, NL, McCormick, LM and English, C. Body image and weight preoccupation in older women: a review. Healthy Weight Journal. Volume 16 (5); 68-71, 2002.
Fey-Yensan, NL, English, C, Ash, S, Wallace, C and Romao, H. Food safety risk identified in a population of elderly home-delivered meal participants. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 101:9; 2001.
Clark, RM, Ferris, AM, Fey, NL, Hundreiser, KE and Jensen, RG. The identity of the cholesterol esters in human milk. Lipids 15:972-974, 1980.
Reviewed Articles
World Food Day 2004 Student Action Packet: Politics of Hunger: What’s at stake? Co-author: Student Think-Tank discussion questions for 2004 study action packet. U.S. National Committee for World Food Day.