Wilson headshot

Emerson Fellow

Deanna Wilson

11th Class, 2004-2005

Deanna graduated from Swarthmore College in 2004 with a sociology-anthropology major and biology minor.  She coordinated an after-school tutoring and mentoring program for high school students while participating in various community organizations that empowered targeted community members, and educated students about poverty and homelessness.  She also conducted sociological and biological research, including a project at University of Pennsylvania where she collaborated on a health services research study and community intervention involving colon cancer.

Field placement: Boston Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts

Deanna worked with the Grow Clinic, serving children who are underweight and undernourished.  She worked with their Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP), a national network of pediatricians and child health researchers who conduct research to assess the impact of public policies on children’s health.  She led C-SNAP advocacy and dissemination efforts, where she linked C-SNAP with potential community partners, wrote popular reports and research briefs to disseminate C-SNAP findings, and created an advocacy network to share research and resources.  She directed the creation of an Advocacy Blueprint that outlined a plan fora comprehensive media strategy and advocacy campaign for C-SNAP.

Policy placement: American Dietetic Association

Washington, D.C.

Deanna conducted and analyzed research related to nutrition security in federal programs serving three groups:  older adults, school-aged children, and persons with HIV/AIDS.  She worked with a range of nutrition professionals to identify possible public policy and nutrition interventions addressing specific cohort needs and to overcome misperceptions and barriers to nutrition security within federal programs.  Deanna helped to integrate nutrition more successfully into food assistance programs and build bridges linking the nutrition community to the larger community of anti-hunger advocates.

Hunger Free Community Report

The Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program Advocacy Toolkit compiles information necessary for advocates, community-based organizations and legislators to utilize C-SNAP research.  The Toolkit summarizes C-SNAP methodology, presents C-SNAP data, provides ways for community partners to utilize C-SNAP research in their own advocacy campaigns and serves as a model for unique approaches to frame food, cash, housing and energy assistance programs.