Interview with Amelia Sullivan, ASN Science Policy Fellow

Amelia Sullivan is one of the current fellows. She serves as a Graduate Research Assistant and is a Doctoral Candidate in the Nutrition Education and Eating Decision Lab at the University of Maine.

Sullivan's interest in nutrition science and research began during her undergraduate studies at the University of Maine. Her first job cleaning the university's commercial research kitchen connected her with faculty members and led her to a role in a food science research lab, where she researched aronia berry inclusion in consumer foods. Transitioning to the Nutrition Education and Eating Decisions Lab during her junior year significantly shaped her career, as it allowed her to design and evaluate nutrition education programs for diverse communities. Her experiences growing up in a rural state deepened her understanding of how structural barriers limit access to nutritious foods, reinforcing her interest in nutrition policy to address these systemic issues.

Currently, Sullivan is a Registered Dietitian and a PhD Candidate in Food and Nutrition Sciences. Her research focuses on community-engaged strategies that enhance nutrition security. As a research assistant and lab manager since 2020, she has contributed to several evidence-based nutrition education programs. Her doctoral dissertation examines the HEALTHY program, a school-based initiative delivering frozen-fruit smoothies aimed at enhancing nutrition security and aligning with national child nutrition policies. Through the Cooperative Extension, she has also supported the development of tools and resources for improving food literacy and community engagement interventions.

Sullivan identifies advancing nutrition security as a significant challenge for nutrition researchers. While food insecurity remains a critical issue, she emphasizes the need to highlight nutrition security, which encompasses access to safe, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods for long-term health. Progress in this area relies on better integration of research, practice, and policy, along with developing actionable data and effective communication of findings to inform policy decisions.

Her decision to apply for the ASN Science Policy Fellowship was influenced by her work within school food systems, where she observed how regulations and funding directly impact school implementations. She seeks to further understand the development of federal nutrition programs and the role of scientific evidence in policymaking through the fellowship, which she believes will strengthen her policy literacy and assist her in integrating policy engagement into her academic career.

Sullivan values her ASN membership, noting that attending the NUTRITION 2021 conference online was pivotal to her professional development. ASN has provided her with opportunities for growth, including recognition in the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science poster awards. She encourages students to embrace intimidating opportunities, seek mentorship, and engage actively with professional organizations like ASN, emphasizing that success in nutrition research and policy requires collaboration across disciplines.