Bio
Dipti Dev, an assistant professor of child, youth and family studies and a child health behaviors extension specialist, aims to prevent childhood obesity by helping children establish long-term healthful eating behaviors. To accomplish that goal, she researches how adult caregivers, including parents and child-care providers, can improve their feeding practices for pre-school children in the 2-5 age group. She recently launched a five-year, $3.2 million recent projected funded by the National Institutes of Health where her research team will collaborate with local communities, the Nebraska Department of Education and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to improve pre-school nutrition practices. Dev is passionate about childhood obesity prevention policy research, including assessing, strengthening and providing support for Head Start, USDA’s Child and Adult Care food program nutrition regulations and childcare quality rating systems. Dev has also studied related topics like child health behaviors, child care policy, federal subsidy programs and nutrition and feeding in child care. (Updated December 2024)