UNMC and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska have announced the joint appointment of David Dzewaltowski, Ph.D., as the inaugural recipient of the Community Chair in Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention.
Dr. Dzewaltowski, who has spent 30 years at Kansas State University in community health, kinesiology and physical fitness, will contribute to research and programmatic efforts on childhood obesity, work to address healthy eating and nutrition, and try to reverse the trend of childhood obesity in Nebraska and the U.S.
The position is the second of four community chairs across the University of Nebraska system to be established by the Buffett Institute. Annual stipends are awarded to the chair recipients for salary and research support and are made possible by permanently endowed funds established by donors at the University of Nebraska Foundation.
Dr. Dzewaltowski’s position is a partnership with the Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health at UNMC’s College of Public Health, the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, the university-wide Food for Health Initiative, and the Buffett Institute. He began work on Jan 3.
Paul Estabrooks, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, highlighted the uniqueness of the community chair position.
“The community chair position was designed to get exceptional leaders who are experienced in engaging communities in work that is practical, relevant, and improves health — especially for communities in Nebraska that need the support most,” Dr. Estabrooks said.
“Health and nutrition during the earliest years of life are vitally important to children’s long-term development,” said Samuel Meisels, Ed.D., founding executive director of the Buffett Institute. “Strategic early childhood investments in this area can have a tremendous return for both children and our communities for years to come.”
The Buffett Institute is working with the NU Foundation and the University of Nebraska to establish endowed, tenured community chair positions on each of the four University of Nebraska campuses. A position at the University of Nebraska at Kearney was filled last summer by Kathleen Cranley Gallagher, inaugural recipient of the Cille and Ron Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education.
The expertise and collaboration of the Buffett Institute will be available to the endowed professorships in order to strengthen and magnify their potential impact, Dr. Meisels said.