top of page

Curriculum Vitae

Professional
Experience

2023 - Present

Assistant Professor, Director of the Family Food Environment Lab

Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

2020 - 2023

Postdoctoral Research Associate, the Child Health and Behavior Lab

University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics
​
PI: Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, PhD    
Funding: NIH 1R01HD096748
Support of various research projects including organization, planning, data collection, entry, and analysis, participant recruitment, and preparation and publication of manuscripts. Mentoring and supervision of undergraduate research assistants. Grant writing and submissions, including career development grants through the National Institutes of Health.

2016 - 2020

Graduate Research Assistant, Health Behaviors Lab

Colorado State University, College of Health and Human Sciences, 
Department of Food Science Human Nutrition
​
PI: Laura Bellows, PhD, RDN    
Funding: Various
Support of various research projects including organization, planning, data collection, entry, and analysis, participant recruitment, and preparation and publication of manuscripts. Mentoring and supervision of undergraduate and masters’ research assistants.

2013 - 2016

Graduate Research Assistant

University Of Idaho, College of Agriculture

Department of Family and Consumer Science

​

PI: Samantha Ramsay, PhD, RDN    

Funding: Various

Support of research projects including organization, planning, data collection, and data entry and analysis (5 abstracts).

Education

June 2020

Colorado State University | PhD, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Fort Collins, CO

Fort Collins, CO

​

Dissertation: Challenging the status quo: Using behavioral economic insights to shape children’s menus in restaurants

​

Advisor: Laura L. Bellows, PhD, MPH, RDN

May 2016

University of Idaho | MS, Family and Consumer Sciences, RDN, Coordinated Program in Dietetics

Moscow, ID

​

Thesis: Photographs versus Food: Reliability of Young Children’s Reported Taste Preferences Increase with Age and Familiar Foods

​

Advisor: Samantha A. Ramsay, PhD, RDN

​

Dietetic Internship, May 2016 (Registered Dietitian #86065994)

June 2007

University of Washington | BA, Economics

Seattle, WA

Peer-Reviewed
Publications 

2022

  1. Anzman-Frasca, S., McGovern, L., Ferrante, M.J., Drozdowsky, J., Epstein, L.H., Hollis-Hansen, K., Lassetter, L., Leone, L.A., Tan, S.  (in press). Effects of a Grocery Shopping Intervention Designed to Improve Adherence to a Diabetic Diet: A Randomized Trial. Obesity                                                                                                 

  2. Hollis-Hansen, K., Ferrante, M.J., Goldsmith, J., Anzman-Frasca, S. (2022). Family food insecurity, food acquisition and eating behavior over 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(7):660-669.                                       

  3. Ferrante, M. J., Johnson, S. L., Miller, J., Bellows, L. L., (2022). Switching Up Sides: Using choice architecture to alter children’s menus in restaurants. Appetite, 168 (2022), 105704            

  4. Mena, N. Z., Johnson, S. L., Ferrante, M. J., Hobbs, S., Zeng, N., Bellows, L. L., (2021). The SPORKS for Kids: Integrating movement into nutrition education. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(10), P903-906.                                                                    

  5. Thompson, D. A., Bekelman, T., Ferrante, M. J., McCloskey, M., Johnson, S. L., & Bellows, L. L. (2021). Picture Perfect: How attaining the ideal meal is not so easy for young children and parents. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(4), 290 – 298.                                                                                            

  6. Ferrante, M. J., Slejko, G., Bellows, L. L., Johnson, S. L. (2021). Examining Parent Preferences for the Use of Behavioral Economic Strategies on Children’s Menus in Restaurants. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 121(8), 1515 – 1527.                                                                                                      

  7. Ferrante, M. J., Goldsmith, J., Tauriello, S., Epstein, L. H., Leone, L. A., Anzman-Frasca, S. (2021). Food Acquisition and Daily Life for U.S. Families with 4- to 8-Year-Old Children during COVID-19: Findings from a Nationally Representative Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1734.                                                                                     

  8. Ferrante, M. J., Moding, K. J., Bellows, L. L., Bakke, A. J., Hayes, J. E., & Johnson, S. L. (2021) Examining front-of-package product names and ingredient lists of infant and toddler foods containing vegetables. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53 (2), 96-102.                                                                           

  9. Bellows, L. L., Hambright, A., Ferrante, M. J., Hobbs, S., Johnson, S. L. (2020). Super Tasters and Mighty Movers: A Booster Program for Sustained Behavior Change in Early Elementary. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(1), 84-86.                                   

  10. Ferrante, M. J., Lo, B. K., Sigman-Grant, M., Bellows, L. L., (2020). Mentorship: Building research capacity within the Society. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 52(6), 577.                                                                           

  11. Moding, K. J., Ferrante, M. J., Bellows, L. L., Bakke, A. J., Hayes, J. E., & Johnson, S. L. (2019). Nutritional Content and Ingredients of Commercial Infant and Toddler Food Pouches Compared to Traditional Packaging Manufactured and Sold in the United States. Nutrition Today.                                                                      

  12. Smith, B. M., Ramsay, S. A., Roe, A., Ferrante, M. J., & Brooks, S. (2019). Reducing Visual Differences in Whole Grain Bread Prepared with Hard Red and Hard White Wheat: Application for Sensory Studies. Journal of Food Science, 74, 112-117. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.01.009.                                     

  13. Ferrante, M. J., Johnson, S. L. , Miller, J., Moding, K. J., & Bellows, L. L. (2019). Does a vegetable-first, optimal default strategy improve children’s vegetable intake? A restaurant-based study. Food Quality and Preference, 74, 112-117. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.01.009.                                     

  14. Moding, K. J., Ferrante, M. J., Bellows, L. L., Bakke, A. J., Hayes, J. E., & Johnson, S. L. (2018). Variety and content of commercial infant and toddler vegetable products manufactured and sold in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 107, 576-583. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqx079.

2021

2019

2018

2020

bottom of page