The Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior has recently awarded its Helen Denning Ullrich Annual Award for Lifetime Excellence in Nutrition Education to Mary Murimi and Diane Smith. The award is presented annually to scholars who have contributed at least 20 years of outstanding leadership experience in nutrition education programs.
Mary Murimi is a professor of nutrition in the College of Human Science at Texas Tech University, where she has taught for the past 12 years. Her current research centers around developing strategies to combat food insecurity and the related complications. In addition to her role with Texas Tech, she serves as chancellor of Daystar University in Kenya and as an adjunct professor at Hawassa University in Ethiopia.
Dr. Murimi completed her bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition from Mundelein College, which has since been acquired by Loyola University Chicago. She holds a master’s degree in food and nutrition from Eastern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in human nutrition from Iowa State University.
Diane Smith is an associate professor of health promotion and food access at Washington State University. She is also a specialist with Washington State University’s Skagit County Extension program and leads the university’s food waste prevention program. Currently, her academic pursuits focus on advancing early learning and farm-to-community food education programming.
Smith holds a master’s degree and is a registered dietitian.