Ann Ferris, Ph.D., RD, was honored for outstanding individual contributions at the 2015 Food Security Awards on March 26, held at the Hartford Public Library. The City of Hartford’s Advisory Commission on Food Policy regularly hosts the Community Food Security Awards event to raise awareness about community food security and to recognize individuals and organizations in Hartford that are working to improve nutrition, strengthen local food systems, and empower communities for better long-term food security.
Martha Page, MPH, CPH, executive director of the Hartford Food System, presented this year’s Food Security Award in the Individual Category to Dr. Ann Ferris. For more than 37 years, Dr. Ferris has participated in and led research groups from the University of Connecticut and UConn Health with a focus on explaining, preventing and treating various food-related conditions in underserved populations such as childhood obesity and iron deficiency anemia. She also directs the Husky Programs team, funded by the USDA SNAP-Ed program. UConn students participate in service-learning courses and provide direct nutrition education to Connecticut community members predominantly in Hartford. Ferris’ professional commitment to research and education supporting underserved populations in Hartford demonstrates her passion in creating change in Hartford’s food system and the prevention and treatment of food-related conditions. Her tireless pursuit of ideas and methods to improve food policies and systems toward better health has made a positive difference for Connecticut citizens.
In addition to her UConn-related work, Ann has worked on many other projects dedicated to promoting food security, healthy lifestyles, and access to healthy food. She and her team are now working with the Office for Children, Youth, Families, and Recreation and Hartford Early Childcare Centers to develop obesity prevention policies and programs and to continue to monitor preschool child obesity rates first done with the “Think differently for their future: Child Weight Surveillance in Preschool in Hartford, Connecticut.”
Dr. Ferris recently retired and stepped down as director of the Center for Public Health and Health Policy (CPHHP), but will continue to work part-time and lead Husky Programs and direct research to improve food security. She and Martha Page are currently leading a project funded by the Donaghue Foundation R3 (Making Research Relevant and Ready) to develop a viable plan to increase healthy food availability in Hartford mid-size markets.
The Hartford Food System has more details about the 2015 Hartford Food Security Awards.