Veronica Conti

Veronica graduated with honors in nutritional sciences from Cornell University in 2008. She was a Cornell Commitment Tradition Scholar, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, and worked in Nicaragua teaching at a local school and volunteering at a program for pregnant women. She also wrote an honors thesis on body composition techniques, completed a community action fellowship at a county Health Planning Council, and interned at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Field placement: Logan Square Neighborhood Association

Chicago, Illinois

Veronica brought together parents, community members, school staff, and students to establish a wellness council at a local middle school to improve the health of the middle school community.  Veronica also conducted a school health needs assessment through interviews and surveys of school and community members, and the wellness council used her report to devise their first action plan.

Policy placement: Food Research & Action Center

Washington, D.C.

Veronica developed a catalogue of best practices for wellness initiatives in the Child and Adult Care Food Program at the state and local level.  She also contributed to a webinar on the new WIC food package in multicultural communities and helped develop an evaluation of the nutrition and physical activity environment of child care centers in D.C.

Publications