School of Public Health @ UMD : Department of Family Science

Education

Ph.D., Family Studies, University of Maryland, 2007
M.S., Family Studies, University of Maryland, 2004

Research Focus

Health and nutrition literacy, social welfare policy, engaged/experiential pedagogy, food access, food security, and nutrition education for low-income populations, health program planning and evaluation.

Current Grants and Contracts

USDA/Food and Nutrition Service Team Nutrition Training Grants: Project ReFresh Co-PD

USDA/National Institute for Food and Agriculture/Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Childhood Obesity Prevention Challenge Area: Obesity Prevention Conference Grant PI

USDA/Maryland Department of Human Resources/Maryland Food Supplement Nutrition Education Program contract: Nutrition Literacy Research Project PI

USDA International Extension Development Subcontract: Family Food Security in Afghanistan Co-Investigator

Courses

FMSC 302 Research Methods in Family Studies

FMSC 330 Family Theories and Patterns

FMSC 381 Poverty and Affluence in Families

Career Highlights

PI on Nutrition Literacy Research Project, NRI Conference Project, Team Nutrition Project
Collaboratively developing Market to Mealtime, Project ReFresh, Text2BHealthy programs
Faculty Mentor for Food Deserts Gemstone Team, Alternative Breaks Health Trips
Evaluation Coordinator/Associate Faculty Agent for Maryland Food Stamp Nutrition Education, Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland, College Park
Adjunct Professor in Sociology, Howard Community College
Instructional Assistant for Early Intervention Services in Howard County Public Schools
Program Mentor for Syracuse CYO Youth Programs
Recipient of Doris Sands Excellence in Teaching Award, NCFR Cindy Winter Scholarship Award, AAFCS Jewell Taylor Fellowships, AAFCS student research award, MAFCS Mary Faulkner Scholarship, UM Center for Teaching Excellence Distinguished TA Award, travel awards, and UTLP Certificate, HLHP Dean’s Scholar, Syracuse University Chancellor’s Award for Public Service
Conducted a community gardening and food security project in Tamavua, Fiji.

Selected Publications

Grutzmacher, S., Gross, S., & Munger, A. (in press). Food insecurity and vegetable consumption. In C. Wilson, & M. Morree (Eds.), Vegetable consumption and health: New research. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Publishers.

Speirs, K., Munger, A., Messina, L., & Grutzmacher, S. (2012). Health literacy and nutrition behaviors among low-income adults. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 23 (3), 1082-1091.

Grutzmacher, S., & Gross, S. (2011). Household food security and fruit and vegetable intake among low-income 4th graders. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 43(6), 455-463.

Grutzmacher, S. & Braun, B. (2008). Key differences between food secure and food insecure mothers in rural, low-income families: An analysis of three waves of the Rural Families Speak study. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, 2(2-3), 81-92.