Emily Melnick earned her Master of Public Health with a concentration in nutrition from Colorado State University before starting the PhD program in Health and Behavioral. After her MPH Emily got a job with the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center. She worked on the Culture of Wellness program to promote healthy eating in preschools. Her first few years in the job inspired her to go back to school for her doctorate while she continued to work. Emily shares, “I enjoyed being in academia and admired our principle investigator. I saw for myself that I wanted to be in that role guiding research and answering research questions.”
Emily found out about Health and Behavioral Sciences through a colleague. She thought the emphasis on theory and interdisciplinary research was appealing. Emily tells me “it is interesting to have people with expertise in anthropology, psychology and sociology come together to think about different ways to answer questions.”
Before applying to the program, Emily met with Dr. Meng Li of the Health and Behavioral Sciences Department. When they met, everything clicked. Emily continues to have a close relationship with Meng. Emily says that designing studies, analyzing data, and writing papers with Meng has taught her how to be a critical thinker and a better writer.
Emily’s dissertation studies the protective factors that mitigate the risk of childhood obesity. She has also explored different types of research during her time in the program. In her work with the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center she uses a community engaged approach, directly engaging with community partners. In a recently published paper in JAMA she used an experimental approach to assess whether kids ate more fruits and vegetables when eating from a plate covered with images of fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains. In her dissertation, Emily is examining whether social support protects against the risk of adolescent obesity.
Emily says that if someone is interested in applying to a doctoral program, it is important to find a good advisor “because you get stuck and frustrated and having that person give experiential advice is really helpful.” She also suggests that you get a good standing desk and pick a favorite coffee shop!
