Family and Consumer Sciences Professor/Nutritionist Recognized for International Service
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The accomplishments of the faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture were celebrated at an annual awards luncheon held on the UT Knoxville campus in the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Building on July 30. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the luncheon and praised the honorees for their work. “The enthusiasm and expertise demonstrated by our UTIA faculty and staff is unparalleled,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing real life solutions to the people of Tennessee. These well-deserved awards represent impacts and accomplishments that benefit Tennesseans and society now and for years to come.”
Kristen Johnson, associate professor and nutrition specialist with UT Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences, was recognized with the Faculty Global Excellence Award from the UT Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture. The honor is presented to a faculty member who makes extraordinary contributions to the advancement of the international mission of the institute and enhances UTIA’s global reputation and visibility.
“I am honored to receive the Faculty Global Excellence Award at UTIA,” Johnson says. “I am grateful for the opportunities and support that have allowed me to connect with communities in Tennessee, the United States, and worldwide.”
Johnson has been active with the center’s Leadership Faculty Fellows Program where she promotes healthy living across international borders. She has been a featured speaker at the International Federation for Home Economics in Ireland where she discussed strategic planning processes to enhance Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs. Johnson also traveled to Cambodia recently – working with Extension colleagues at Cambodian universities to develop a nutrition curriculum, as well as partnering with teachers at an art school in Cambodia to develop educational materials.
“We discussed nutrition recommendations across the lifespan and strategies to teach students about nutrition, agriculture, art, and other subjects through hands-on activities,” Johnson says of this project.
Work here on Tennessee soil for Johnson includes “Well-Connected Communities” – a program encouraging a healthier lifestyle for people in rural areas like Grundy, Meigs and Pickett counties.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.