Christen Cooper

Dr. Cooper received her EdD and MS in Nutrition Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) credentialed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She earned her BA in History and in Political Science at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA.

She is founding chair and assistant professor of Pace's coordinated Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics program that combines classroom and supervised practice experiences to prepare students to become RDNs.

Dr. Cooper has also served as a management consultant in Latin America and has worked for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Eat greens and live green. Care for your body and the planet.

EdD, Nutrition Education
Columbia University
Teacher's College
New York, NY
2017

• Dissertation Title: A Home Away from Home: Exploring Preschool Teachers’ Nutrition Beliefs, Practices and Feeding Styles and Associations with Training. A theory-based post-only, control-comparison study on preschool teachers’ (n=660) general favorable beliefs about the preschool nutrition environment, nutrition-related interactions with children, their feeding styles and how the Eat Well, Play Hard intervention is associated with these variables

MS, Nutrition Education
Columbia University
Teacher's College
New York, NY
2006

BA, History and Political Science
Wellesley College
Wellesly, MA
1995

• Cum laude
• Woodrow Wilson Prize in American Politics
• Political Science Scholar in Maastricht, The Netherlands
• Wellesley-in-Washington Scholar
• Ford Foundation Scholar in Brazil

• Outstanding Nutrition Educator of the Year Award, Nutrition Dietetic Educators and Preceptors Dietetic Practice Group, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2024)
• Writing Enhanced Course Faculty Award, Pace University (2019)

• Travel to Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior Conference, Cooper, C. C. 2023. Funded.

• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Certification, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (2016)

Founder and Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

• Founded and expanded the nation’s only M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics program offering unique concentrations of culinary nutrition with a focus on food equity
• Ranked highest in teaching, research, and service by Dean and colleagues.
• Build and maintain a robust academic research portfolio, including on child nutrition, 3-D food printing and human trafficking
• Noted speaker and media contributor (BBC, Self, Men’s Health, U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, Financial Times, Consumer Reports, Women’s Health, etc.)

Adjunct Lecturer, Brooklyn College

• Designed and taught a dynamic version of Community Nutrition Education, a senior-level undergraduate course that prepared over 100 students for work in diverse sectors.

Educational Fitness Solutions

• Designed and taught over 200 students online courses in: School Wellness, Family Nutrition, Child Nutrition, Food Parenting.

Founder/Principal, Cooper Nutrition Education and Communications

• Provided strategic insights, market analyses, product development, and other nutrition-related studies to help clients improve nutrition or food-related products or services, understand trends, identify market opportunities, and outdo competitors. Clients included Quaker Oats, McCormick, EverydayHealth.com, Office of the Attorney General of New York, Head Start, New York Road Runners, Red Rabbit, Provant Health Care, and Northern Westchester Hospital.

Writer, Media Assistant, Joy Bauer Nutrition

• Served as a nutrition subject matter expert for Joy Bauer, NBC TODAY show nutritionist and the author of 14 number one New York Times bestselling books.

Senior Manager/Consultant, Kaiser Associates

• Managed a team of global consultants who delivered strategic analyses to Fortune 500 companies in U.S., Europe, and Latin America. Specialized in advising U.S. healthcare and health insurance companies on how to penetrate the Latin American market.

Legislative Aide, Healthcare, U.S. House of Representatives

• Advised and prepared Member of Congress for votes on general health and women’s health issues by delivering briefings and constituent feedback.

• Pace University Westchester Faculty Council (WFC) and College of Health Professions Faculty Council (CHPFC)
• Pace University Board of Trustees, Faculty Representative Staff Affairs Committee Representative
• Pace Student Wellness Committee
• Provostial Review Committee, Pace University Faculty Council
• College of Health Professions Search Committee

• Cooper, C.C. Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) (2024). Registered Dietitian Nutritionists’ Knowledge, Confidence and Experiences with Treating Human Trafficked Individuals: A Call for Interprofessional Continuing Education.
• Cooper, C.C. New York Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2024). The Future of Food: Digital Cooking.
• Cooper, C.C., Burt, K.G. & Rhodes-Bratton, B. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior International Conference (SNEB) (2023): Cooking and eating attitudes, behaviors and diet quality during COVID-19: A Social Media Study.
• Cooper, C.C. Vollmer, R. & Drake, T. (2020). Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior International Conference. Incorporating SNEB Educator Competencies into Higher Education Curricula.
• Cupples Cooper, C., Northrup, A., & Iannacchino, M. (2020). P9 Exploring Parental Beliefs and Practices Towards Sugar- Sweetened Beverage Intake in Young Children. 57(7), S19–20. Journal of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, 57(7), S19-20.
• Cupples Cooper, C., Northrup, A. (2020). “Understanding parental beliefs and practices toward sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in their young children.” Pediatric Endocrine Nursing Society (PENS).
• Cooper, C. (2019). P190 “Tough love to laissez-faire: feeding style among New York City preschool teachers and associations with nutrition training,” Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(7), S118.

• Foundation for Healthy Schools, founding board member
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NYSAND)
• Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB), Higher Education Division, Research Division
• Nutrition and Dietetics Educators and Preceptors (NDEP)
• Westchester Rockland Dietetics Association (WRDA)
• Super Kids Nutrition, Advisory Board member

Watch Dr. Cooper's interview with Foundation for Healthy Schools Founder Gregory Bundschoks.

Peer Reviewed

• Cooper, C.C., McRoberts, L. (2024). Dietitian nutritionists’ knowledge, confidence, and experiences with trafficked individuals: A call for interprofessional continuing education. Journal of Dietetic Education. In press.
• Velasco-Popov, V. and Cooper C.C., (2024). The role food and nutrition in treating bipolar disorder: A narrative review for the allied health professions, Medical Research Archives,12(6).
• Blutinger, J. D., Cooper, C. C., Karthik, S., Tsai, A., Samarelli, N., Srorvick, E., Seymour, G., Liu, E., Meijers, Y, & Lipson, H. (2023). The future of software- controlled cooking. npj Science of Food, 7(1), 6.
• Cooper, C. C., Northrup, A., & Iannacchino, M. (2023). Understanding attitudes and practices of low-income caregivers toward sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in preschool-aged children. Medical Research Archives, 11(3).
• Cooper, C.C., Davids T. (2022). How the other half eats: The untold story of food and inequality in America. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54 (6).
• Cooper, C.C. & Costa, K.O. (2021). Probiotics and prebiotics in foods: Challenges, innovations and advances. Journal of Nutrition and Behavior, 52(7), 1090–1091.
• Cooper, C. C. (2021). Tough love or laissez-faire? Exploring the feeding styles of urban preschool teachers and associations with nutrition-focused professional development. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(4), 647–656.
• Cooper, C.C (2021). Plant-based diets: A primer for school nurses. NASN School Nurse, 36(1), 25–28.
• Cooper, C.C. (2020). Pouring on the pounds: The persistent problem of sugar- sweetened beverage intake among children and adolescents. NASN School Nurse, 36(3).
• Cooper, C.C. & Mandel, E. Cooper, C. C., & Mandel, E. D. (2020). Recognizing and treating child overweight and obesity. Journal of the American Academy of PAs, 33(12), 47–50.
• Cooper, C.C. & Contento, I.R. (2019). Urban preschool teachers’ nutrition beliefs, mealtime practices and associations with training. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(9), 1047–1058.
• Cooper, C.C. (2019). Nutrition notes to go. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(8).
• Cooper, C. C. (2017). Creating a home away from home: Examining preschool teachers' nutrition beliefs, practices and feeding styles, and associations with training (Doctoral dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University).

Non-Peer Reviewed

• Cooper, C. (2021). The Role of Registered Dietitians in Interprofessional Medical Education, Today’s Dietitian, May.
• Cooper, C. (2020). Improving School Wellness. Today’s Dietitian, October.
• Cooper, C., (2020). Food Insecurity During COVID-18. Today’s Dietitian, August/September. Cooper, C. (2019). Nutrition and Academic Performance. Today’s Dietitian, August.
• Cooper, C. (2018). Using Simulation in Dietetics Education. Today’s Dietitian. July. Cooper, C. (2018). Benefits of College Farms and Gardens. Today’s Dietitian. August. Cooper, C. (2018). Emergency Food During Natural Disasters. Today’s Dietitian, January.
• Cooper, C. (2017). What Are Preschools Doing to Head Off Early Childhood Overweight and Obesity?
  Today’s Dietitian. August.
• Cooper, C. (2017). Team Nutrition. Today’s Dietitian, June. Cooper, C. (2017). An Update on WIC. Today’s Dietitian.
• Cooper, C. (2016). The School Breakfast Program, Today’s Dietitian, August. Cooper, C. (2016). Celiac Disease and Women’s Health, Today’s Dietitian, May. Cooper, C. (2012). Gluten Free and Healthy, Today’s Dietitian, May.
• Cooper, C. (2012) Book Review: Rethinking Nutrition,” Today’s Dietitian, December.
• Cooper, C. (2011). Preschool Nutrition—Can Our Smallest Eaters Avoid the Obesity Epidemic? Today’s Dietitian, September.
• Cooper, C. (2010). In Defense of Thanksgiving: Graciousness vs. Gluttony, Today’s Dietitian, October. Cooper, C. (2010). The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, Today’s Dietitian, September.
• Cooper, C. (2010). Changes to School Lunch. New York Metro Parent, September.
• Cooper, C. (2010). Probiotics in Pediatrics: Using Friendly Bacteria to Treat Health Conditions, Today’s Dietitian, January.
• Cooper, C. (2009). Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Today’s Dietitian, December.
• Cooper, C. (2009). Whole-Body Nutrition –Omega-3s, Vitamin D and Calcium, Today’s Dietitian, September.
• Cooper, C. (2009). Intergenerational Nutrition Programs-Uniting Young and Old for Good Health, Today’s Dietitian, June.
• Cooper, C. (2008). Superfoods: Explore the New, But Rely on the Tried and True, Today’s Dietitian, October.
• Cooper, C. (2008). Getting to the Meat of the Matter, Today’s Dietitian, June 2008.
• Cooper, C. (2008). The Pressure’s On: Increasing Potassium for Heart Health,” Today’s Dietitian, May. Cooper, C. (2008). The Pressure’s On: The Power of Potassium,” Today’s Dietitian, February.
• Cooper, C. (2006). What’s in a Name? Today’s Dietitian.

• Child overweight and obesity
• Food practices among low-income, immigrant families
• Preschool nutrition
• Nutrition and human trafficking
• The future of food
• Sugar-sweetened beverage intake in young children
• Adults' influences on children's food choices and eating behaviors
• Parent feeding styles
• The future of food

• ND 540: Nutrition Across the Lifespan
• NUR 395: Independent Study in Nursing