SNAP for U: Identifying Strategies to Support College Students with SNAP Education and Outreach

Dr. Gardiner’s work has been rooted in community and public health nutrition both as a practitioner and researcher. In her current role as an Assistant Professor in the Health Sciences Department at the University of Missouri Kansas City, her research is focused on looking at nutrition through the lens of health equity to explore food and nutrition security, access to healthy food, and the intersection between hunger and health. She has received both internal and external grants as a principal or co-investigator to support her work, including a recent federally funded, multi-year, CDC award. Beyond her scholarly work, she also provides service in leadership roles on state (e.g. Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition), Regional (e.g SOPHE Midwest chapter) and national (American Society for Nutrition) level working groups. Dr. Gardiner is passionate about supporting healthy food consumption among food insecure college students and has been exploring this topic and potential intervention pathways for over five years. 

Dr. Matthew Chrisman is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His work has involved community-based studies promoting health, including nutrition education and physical activity. He has served as PI or Co-PI on numerous grants, including two specifically focused on assessing and understanding food insecurity in college students. Dr. Chrisman is a member of the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition, the American Public Health Association, and the Society for Public Health Education, and serves on the Executive Committee and Steering Committee of the Greater KC Food Policy Coalition.

Andrea Cullers, PhD, RD, is Professor in the Kinesiology Department and Co-Director of the Lion Co-op Center for Nutrition Security at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri. She received her BS in Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Arkansas, her MS from University of Kansas Medical Center in Clinical Nutrition and her PhD from the University of California, Davis in Nutritional Biology with an emphasis in Community and International Nutrition. Dr. Cullers is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and completed her training at KUMC. Locally, Dr. Cullers is currently chair of Joplin Area Food Action Network OneJoplin Health Team and serves on the Community Health Collaborative. At the state level she serves on the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition Steering Committee and is part of the Food Systems Workgroup, she also is delegate-elect for the Missouri Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition.  Andrea loves playing outside and exploring the world with her husband and son.

Candace Rodman serves as the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition (MOCAN) Executive Director which acts to unify MO organizations, healthcare professionals, educators, government officials and public health entities to create policies that better the health of Missourians. Her previous work as a Nutrition and Health Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension, has brought her closer to the needs of the communities around Missouri and allowed her to work alongside those engaging in health outreach at a local level. Now, as a State Specialist for MU Extension and MOCAN Executive Director, Candace works to influence health policy at a broader state level, including food insecurity.

Allene began working for the University of Missouri Extension since 2019, and has helped educate low- income populations through cooking classes and grocery store tours, where they addressed how to stretch food dollars. She attended the Voices for Food conference in Lansing, MI, in 2019, learning about choice pantries and how to work with food pantries to improve use and nutritional food consumption. Allene worked closely with her USDA pantry in Richmon, Missouri, to give simple, educational talks and food demonstrations to aid recipients in using their food items. After joining the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition (MOCAN) in 2020 and becoming the Food Systems Work Group Co-Chair, Allene joined a team interested in studying food insecurity in college students. That team was to become the SNAP for U Team, collaborating across institutions to receive 2 grants to further study SNAP knowledge and utilization in Missouri college students, SNAP knowledge among college administrators, along with barriers and facilitators affecting student access to SNAP in Missouri. As MOCAN Food Systems Work Group Co-Chair from 2020-2023, Allene helped obtain speakers related to topics like SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks eligibility and processes, as well as aided in setting work group goals for expanding education and (hopeful) expansion of SNAP and WIC utilization statewide.