Wolfe, Wendy Susan

Research Associate
Dr. Wolfe received her Ph.D. from the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, in 1991, and has been a Research Associate in the Division since that time. Dr. Wolfe has conducted research in the areas of childhood obesity, child nutrition and the elementary school environment, food insecurity, community-based nutrition monitoring, postpartum weight retention, and dietary methodology. In her current position, she focuses on childhood obesity prevention, providing research-based technical assistance and training to local Cornell Cooperative Extension educators working with limited resource populations throughout the state, and participates in related program evaluation research. Current activities include being one of the team leaders for the CHANCE childhood obesity prevention initiative in five pilot counties, support for the Cornell NutritionWorks on-line course Preventing Childhood Obesity: An Ecological Approach, for which she was a key author, and providing support for the new statewide 4-H Healthy Lifestyles initiative. Dr. Wolfe was the founding chair of the statewide coalition "New York State Action for Healthy Kids," part of a national initiative to improve the health and educational performance of children through better nutrition and physical activity in schools. Prior to getting her PhD, Dr. Wolfe worked as a Public Health Nutritionist and WIC Coordinator for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in northern NY.

research

research and scholarship focus

I am one of the team leaders of CHANCE, Collaboration for Health, Activity and Nutrition in Children's Environments, a childhood obesity prevention project we are piloting and evaluating in 5 NYS counties.

domestic geographic focus

affiliations

academic staff in

service

outreach focus

My current Extension efforts are focused on childhood obesity prevention. In particular, I provide support for the CHANCE childhood obesity prevention initiative in five pilot counties, provide research-based technical assistance and training on childhood obesity prevention to Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and others around the state, and provide support for the new statewide 4-H Healthy Lifestyles initiative.

current professional activities

Member, Society for Nutrition Education and American Public Health Association

background

educational background

Cornell University Ph.D. 1991 Community Nutrition
Cornell University M.S. 1983 International Nutrition
Northwestern University B.S. 1981 Anthropology

publications

selected publications (listing in progress)

Wolfe WS, Frongillo EA, Valois P. Understanding the Experience of Food Insecurity by Elders Suggests Ways to Improve Its Measurement. Journal of Nutrition. 2003; 133:2762-2769.

Wolfe WS, Frongillo EA Jr, Cassano PA. Evaluating brief measures of fruit and vegetable consumption frequency and variety: Cognition, interpretation and other measurement issues. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2001;101:311-318.

Wolfe WS, Sobal J, Olson CM, Frongillo EA Jr, Williamson DF. Parity-associated weight gain and its modification by sociodemographic and behavioral factors: a prospective analysis in US women. International Journal of Obesity, 1997; 21:802-810.

Wolfe WS, Olson CM, Kendall A, Frongillo EA Jr. Understanding food insecurity in the elderly: a conceptual framework. Journal of Nutrition Education, 1996; 28(2):92-100.

Wolfe WS, Campbell CC, Frongillo EA Jr, Haas JD, and Melnik TA. Identifying overweight school children in New York State: prevalence estimates and related characteristics. American Journal of Public Health, May 1994; 84 (5).

Wolfe WS. Dietary Change Among the Navajo: Implications for Diabetes. In Diabetes as a Disease of Civilization: The Impact of Culture Change on Indigenous People, R.S. Young and J.R. Joe, Eds. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1994.

Wolfe WS, Campbell CC. Food pattern, diet quality and related characteristics of school children in New York State. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 1993; 93:1280-1284.

Wolfe WS, Bremmer B, Ferris-Morris M. Monitoring the Nutrition of Your Community: A How-To Manual. Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, 1992, 196 pp.

speaker at Cornell event