Welcome || Community Nutrition Research Associate

Headshot of Katie Poppe

The Swetland Center is happy to announce a new research associate will be joining the Center's team. Katie Poppe will be supporting our Statewide and National Community Nutrition Research portfolio. Read more Βι¶ΉΣ³»­ Katie below.

1.    What project will you be working on and what is your role?

I am the new Community Nutrition Research Associate at the Swetland Center and I will be providing leadership within the Community Nutrition Team. I will mainly be working on Building Capacity for Obesity Prevention (BCOP) and the PSE READI assessment tools, as well as FM Tracks and FM Engage. I will be working remotely from Columbus, OH, but will visit Cleveland and the Swetland Center a few times a year!


2.    Where are you from?

I grew up in Dublin, OH, a suburb of Columbus.


3.    What is your background in?

I am a registered dietitian and have worked in clinical practice for the past 6+ years. I recently received my Master of Public Health degree at OSU and there, my research focused on food systems/healthy food access and I mainly used quantitative research methods.


4.    What excites you Βι¶ΉΣ³»­ joining the Swetland Center?

I strongly believe that community-engaged research is key to establishing policies and interventions that create lasting solutions and a sustainable path to health and nutrition equity. I am excited to join this enthusiastic, dynamic, and supportive team at the the Swetland Center which does exactly that!


5.    What is your favorite outdoor space in Cleveland or a place you want to explore?

I have never been to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and I hope to get to explore it soon!


6.    What is a piece of advice you have been given or quote/statement that is significant to you?

Success is progress, not perfection. This is something I remind myself of daily, and something I often reiterated to my patients in clinical practice. I believe it is important to celebrate every step, even if it feels small or insignificant.


Welcome to the team, Katie!