
Jennifer J Otten
Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Systems and Population Health
Associate Professor, Env. and Occ. Health Sciences
206-221-8233 | jotten@uw.edu
Box 353410
University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
Research Interests
The impacts of public health, nutrition, and food policies and the policy process on health behaviors and health outcomes; food systems, as it relates to food and nutrition policy; and, on understanding and improving the ways in which research gets to the public policy table.
Bio
Jennifer Otten is an Assistant Professor in Health Services and affiliated with the Nutritional Sciences Program and UW Center for Public Health Nutrition. Dr. Otten received her BS in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University, her MS in Nutrition Communications from Tufts University, her PhD in Animal, Nutrition, and Food Sciences from the University of Vermont, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. Between 1998-2006, Dr. Otten served in various capacities for the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C., including as a study director and as the organization’s first communications director. During this time, Jennifer managed and staffed the inaugural years of the Kellogg Health of the Public Fund and served as study director and co-editor for the IOM’s report titled Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. (Google Scholar Profile) (Download Curriculum Vitae)
Education
PhD Animal, Nutrition, and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, 2009
MS Nutrition Communications, Tufts University, 1998
BS Nutritional Science, Texas A&M University, 1995
Academic Programs and Affiliations
News
Rising food prices are a major issue for Washington families
Northwest News Radio, 03/08/2023
WA families struggle with hunger as federal food assistance expires
KUOW, 02/27/2023
WA food insecurity still soaring, including in Pierce County
Tacoma News Tribune, 02/23/2023
Studies show extent of strain to Washington’s food access and food production systems due to COVID-19
Washington State Department of Agriculture , 12/14/2021
Washington researchers start second round of food security surveys amid coronavirus pandemic
Seattle P-I, 12/22/2020
What you can do to help reduce food waste
Chicago Sun Times, 12/14/2020
Food insecurity rates have more than doubled since start of COVID-19 pandemic
KNKX, 09/15/2020
At least half of child care businesses impacted by Seattle’s minimum wage
KING 5, 02/13/2019
Food systems, nutrition and health
SPH News, 10/16/2018
Army of UW students descends on Bellevue to identify problems
KUOW, 10/10/2018