Sarah McKee (she/her)

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Entered the Program: 2017

Hometown: Austin, TX

Current Program: PhD with a specialization in Health, Wellbeing, and Prevention

Previous Education:

• MA, Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2019
• BA, Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, 2010

Research Interests:

• School wellness policies
• Role of the school context in developing healthy eating behaviors
• Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model

Advising Committee:

• Major advisor: Dr. Marlene Schwartz
• Associate advisor: Dr. Maria LaRusso
• Associate advisor: Dr. Sandra Chafouleas

Teaching Experience:

• Instructor of Record: HDFS 3550 Comparative Family Policy, Fall 2021 — Present
  • Advisor: Dr. Beth Russell
• Teaching Assistant: HDFS 1070 Individual and Family Development, Fall 2020 — Spring 2021
  • Advisors: Dr. Eva Lefkowitz and Dr. Shannon Weaver

Assistantship Experience:

• Research assistant: UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Fall 2017 — present
• Graduate assistant: HDFS Undergraduate Honors Program, Spring 2018 — Spring 2020
• Graduate assistant: HDFS College Career Pathways Program, Fall 2017

Publications:

• McKee, S.L., Thorne, T.A., Koslouski, J.B., Chafouleas, S.M., & Schwartz, M.B. (2022). Assessing district policy alignment with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model in Connecticut, 2019 to 2020. Journal of School Health, 92(6), 594-604. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13183
• McKee, S.L., Xu, R., & Schwartz, M.B. (2022). Assessing the effects of a statewide training initiative on local school wellness policies. Health Promotion Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399211070808
• McKee, S.L., Gurganus, E.A., Atoloye, A.T., Xu, R., Martin, K., & Schwartz, M.B. (2021). Pilot testing an intervention to educate and promote nutritious choices at food pantries. Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01570-6
• Connolly, K., Babbin, M.I., McKee, S.L., McGinn, K., Cohen, J.F.W., Chafouleas, S.M., & Schwartz, M.B. (2021). Dedication, innovation, and collaboration: A mixed-methods analysis of school meals in Connecticut during COVID-19. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 10(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.102.020
• Koriakin, T.A., McKee, S.L., Schwartz, M.B. and Chafouleas, S.M. (2020). Development of a comprehensive tool for school health policy evaluation: The WellSAT WSCC. Journal of School Health, 90(12), 923-939. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12956
• McKee, S.L., Cooksey-Stowers, K., St. Louis, R., & Schwartz, M.B. (2019). Understanding the
  process of implementing nutrition and physical activity policies in a large national child care
  organization: A mixed-methods study. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10(3), 801-811. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz045

Awards/scholarships/fellowships:

• Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, The Graduate School, Summer 2022
• Outstanding Student Abstract, American Public Health Association-School Health Education and Services section, 2019
• Doctoral Student Travel Fellowship, The Graduate School, Fall 2019