Chris Sneed Recognized for Increasing Consumer Economic Literacy and Stability
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Christopher Sneed, an associate professor and consumer economics specialist in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) at the University of Tennessee, has received the 2025 Excellence in Extension Award for an individual.
The prestigious national award was presented at the recent Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Conference by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Cooperative Extension and the APLU. The award recognizes one Cooperative Extension professional who has demonstrated outstanding scientific programming, visionary leadership and positive community impact. Two additional awards recognize excellence in teamwork and excellence in innovative programming addressing new audiences.
“This awards program recognizes outstanding leadership and program delivery that is a hallmark of the vibrant outreach and education networks of Cooperative Extension across America,” said Dr. Jaye Hamby, NIFA director. “Extension work highlights how knowledge shared through strong university-community partnerships improves lives and communities across the nation.”
Justin Rhinehart, dean of UT Extension, and Janet Fox, assistant dean and professor of FCS, both supported the nomination. “Dr. Sneed works tirelessly to develop and maintain valuable partnerships that address pressing community needs for financial and consumer education as well as workforce development,” said Rhinehart.
A native of Decatur in East Tennessee, Sneed is all Vol. He matriculated through the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, earning a bachelor’s of science in family studies, a master’s of science in human resource development with an emphasis on family and consumer sciences, and a doctorate in retail, hospitality and tourism management. He has served the UT Institute of Agriculture and the people of Tennessee for more than 20 years, first as an FCS agent in two counties; then as a social marketing specialist and acting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) director. In 2019 he joined the FCS faculty as an assistant professor and consumer economics specialist. In 2024 Sneed was promoted to associate professor.
Sneed’s programs address critical needs across a wide range of topics. Among his most notable accomplishments are developing a statewide needs assessment for consumer economics, partnering with state coalitions focusing on financial education and workforce development, and working with Skill Up Tennessee to provide workforce education to rural comminutes. “The Time to Talk” program assists consumers in understanding health care costs and having cost conversations with their health care providers. “The Shop Smart Tennessee” program addresses food access for low-resource families, and “Money Week” was recognized by the State Treasurer and the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission. Sneed’s “Money Minute” videos have been shared as critical money management tips through social media and YouTube.
Sneed has received more than $42 million in grants and contracts either as a principal investigator or as a co-investigator. He has been published dozens of times in refereed or peer-reviewed publications, and is the recipient of many notable awards, including the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) Internet Technology Award. In 2023 he was named the Educator of the Year by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE).
Sneed is the third member of the FCS Department to receive this national Excellence in Extension award in the last six years, signifying the strength and vitality of the department’s programs. In 2019 Matthew Devereaux, a human development specialist, was recognized for his research on child and adolescent social and emotional development, and in 2021 Ann Berry, a financial education professor, was honored for her expertise in identifying financial education needs.
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.