Project scientist
Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI)1111 Franklin Street
11th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 642-1779
wgosliner@ucanr.edu
Also in:
Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI)
Biography
Wendi leads research projects at the Nutrition Policy Institute and teaches at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. She has dedicated her career to understanding and working to improve policies and programs that affect population health and nutrition, with a focus on eliminating health disparities and improving federal food and nutrition programs. She has conducted and studied interventions in schools, childcare centers, WIC, SNAP, and SNAP-Ed, and is particularly interested in the nexus of research, public policy and community-based efforts to improve health. She has a doctorate in public health and is a registered dietitian.
Education
DrPH Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. 2013
MPH Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. 1996
B.S. Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University. 1992
Specialty
Food policies and programs, health equity, food systems, children's nutritionBibliography
Peer Reviewed
- Zuercher, M; Cohen, J, et al. (2024). Household food insecurity is associated with parent perceptions of and student participation in school meals. Nutrients.
- Chelius, C; Strochlic, R, et al. (2024). Opportunities and challenges of California’s Fruit and Vegetable Electronic Benefit Transfer Pilot Project at farmer’s markets: A qualitative study with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shoppers and farmers’ market staff. Nutrients. October 5.
- Zuercher, M; Cohen, J, et al. (2024). Parent perceptions of school meals influence student participation in school meal programs. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 56:4, 230-241.
- Zuercher, M; Cohen, J, et al. (2024). Parental perceptions of school meals under a universal meal policy and how they differ by race and ethnicity. Health Affairs Scholar. 2:1.
- Cohen, J; Zuercher, M, et al. (2024). Perceived influence of a state-level universal free school meal policy on households with varying income levels: An analysis of parental perspectives. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Orta-Aleman, D; Zuercher, M, et al. (2024). Perceptions and experiences of Universal School Meals in California: Qualitative insights from food service directors on participation, stigma, and operational benefits and challenges. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. November.
- Hecht, A; Gosliner, W, et al. (2024). School Meals for All: A Qualitative Study Exploring Lessons in Successful Advocacy and Policymaking in Maine and California. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Orta-Aleman, D; Zuercher, M, et al. (2024). Students’ perspectives on the benefits and challenges of universal school meals related to food accessibility, stigma, participation, and waste. J Nutr Educ Behav. June.
- Pulvera, R; Gosliner, W, et al. (2024). The association of safety net participation with government perceptions, welfare stigma, and discrimination: a cross-sectional study of families with low income in California. Health Affairs Scholar. 2:1.
- Zuercher, M; Orta-Aleman, D, et al. (2024). The benefits and challenges of providing school meald during the first year of California’s Universal School Meal policy as reported by school foodservice professionals. Nutrients.
- Tsai, M; Yeb, J, et al. (2024). Understanding multi-program take up of safety net programs among California families. AJPM Focus.
- Chapman, L; Olarte, D, et al. (2024). Universal School Meals During the Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Parent Perceptions from California and Maine. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Pulvera, R; Hewawitharana, SC, et al. (2023). Availability and quality of healthy foods vary by store participation in SNAP and WIC in low-income California neighborhoo. J Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.
- Mooney, AC; Jackson, KE, et al. (2023). Experiences of distress and gaps in government safety net supports among mothers of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health. 23:1099.
- Gosliner, W; Felix, C, et al. (2023). Feasibility and response to the San Diego County, California, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agency sending food and nutrition text messages to all participants: A web-based survey pilot study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 24:19. April.
- Hewawitharana, S; Woodward-Lopez, G, et al. (2023). Latent class analysis identifies a promising combination of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education interventions for improving student cardiorespiratory fitness. Preventive Medicine. 175. August.
- Felix, C; Strochlic, R, et al. (2023). Perceptions and experiences of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants related to receiving food and nutrition-related text messages sent agency-wide: Findings from focus groups in San Diego, California. Nutrients. 15:12.
- Cohen, JFW; Richardson, S, et al. (2023). Phthalates, Adipates, BPA, and Pesticides in School Meals. Environ Res. 236. July.
- Hamad, R; Yeb, J, et al. (2023). Potential mechanisms linking poverty alleviation and health: an analysis of benefit spending among recipients of the U.S. earned income tax credit. BMC Public Health. 23.
- Ritchie, LD; Madsen, K, et al. (2023). Transition to Freshly-Prepared School Meals: Impacts on Meal Appeal, Student Participation, Intake, Food and Packaging Waste & School Finances. Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior. June.
- Zuercher, Monica; Cohen, Juliana, et al. (2022). *. Providing school meals to all students free of charge during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: Challenges and benefits reported by school foodservice professionals in California. Nutrients. 14:18. September 2022. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/18/3855
- Jackson, Kaitlyn; Gosliner, Wendi, et al. (2022). Characterizing the landscape of safety net programs and policies in California during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. February 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8910353/
- Hewawitharana, Sridharshi; Webb, Karen, et al. (2022). Comparison of fruit and vegetable prices between farmers’ markets and supermarkets: implications for fruit and vegetable incentive programs for food assistance program participants. Nutrients. April 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35565810/
- Heiges, Jessica; Lee, Danielle, et al. (2022). Evaluating food packaging waste in schools: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. May 2022.
- Hewawitharana, S; Woodward-Lopez, G, et al. (2022). Evaluation identifies the most promising combinations of school-based Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) interventions for improving student fitness. American Public Health Association. November.
- Brown, Erika; Fernald, Lia, et al. (2022). Pandemic-related socioeconomic disruptions and adverse health outcomes: a cross-sectional study of female caregivers. BMC Public Health. 22.
- Gosliner, W; Zuercher, M, et al. (2022). Providing School Meals to All Students Free of Cost: Challenges and Benefits Reported by School District Foodservice Professionals to Inform California’s Policy Implementation. American Public Health Association. November.
- Hoskote, M; Hamad, R, et al. (2022). Social and economic factors related to healthcare delay among low-income families during COVID-19: results from the ACCESS observational study. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved. 33:4, 1965-1984.
- Gosliner, Wendi; Hewawitharana, Sridharshi, et al. (2022). The California Nutrition Incentive Program: participants’ perceptions and associations with produce purchases, consumption, and food security. Nutrients. June 29, 2022.
- Cohen, Juliana; Polacsek, Michelle, et al. (2022). The implementation of Universal School Meals during COVID-19 and beyond: challenges and benefits for school meals programs. Nutrients. October 2022.
- Gosliner, W*; Hamad, R*, et al. (2022). Understanding Take-up of the Earned Income Tax Credit among Californians with Low Income. Health Affairs. 41:12. December.
- Chelius, C; Long, C, et al. (2022). What can we learn from California’s investment in the Healthy Stores Refrigeration Grant Program? American Public Health Association. November.
- Hewawitharana, Sridharshi; Kao, Janice, et al. (2021). Method for scoring dose of multicomponent interventions: a building block for future evaluations. American Journal of Evaluation. October.
- Moffat, Laurel; Ritchie, Lorrene, et al. (2021). Perceived Produce Availability and Child Fruit and Vegetable Intake: The Healthy Communities Study. Nutrients. 13. Oct 20.
- Ritchie, Lorrene; Lessard, Laura, et al. (2021). Restaurant kids' meal beverage offerings before and after implementation of healthy default beverage policy statewide in California compared with citywide in Wilmington, Delaware. Public Health Nutr. England. 1-11. Apr 12.
- Thompson, H; Ritchie, L, et al. (2020). Effect of Removing Chocolate Milk on Milk and Nutrient Intake Among Urban Secondary School Students. Preventing Chronic Disease. 17, E95. August.
- Madsen, K; Gosliner, W (2020). Fast Food Embodied: The Industrial Diet. Bite Back: Powering the food rebellion.S. Jayaraman and K. DeMaster. University of California Press. May.
- Gosliner, W; Chen, W, et al. (2020). Participants' Experiences of the 2018-2019 Government Shutdown and Subsequent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefit Disruption Can Inform Future Policy. Nutrients. 12:6. June.
- Au, L; Ritchie, L, et al. (2020). Post-Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Adherence to Select School Nutrition Standards by Region and Poverty Level: The Healthy Communities Study. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 52:3, 249-258. March.
- Thompson, Hannah; Hewawitharana, Sridharshi, et al. (2020). SNAP-Ed physical activity interventions in low-income schools are associated with greater cardiovascular fitness among 5th and 7th grade students in California. Prev Med Rep. 20, 101222. Dec.
- Hannah, Thompson; Sridharshi, Hewawitharana, et al. (2020). SNAP-Ed physical activity interventions in low-income schools are associated with greater cardiovascular fitness among 5th and 7th grade students in California. Preventive Medicine Resports. October.
- Thompson, H; Gosliner, Ritchie, et al. (2020). The Impact of a Multipronged Intervention to Increase School Lunch Participation among Secondary School Students in an Urban Public School District. Childhood Obesity. 16:S1, S14-S22. August.
- Gosliner, W; Delaney, T, et al. (2020). The planning, implementation, and evaluation of California’s inaugural Food Waste Prevention Week. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 26:2, E28-E31. Mar/Apr.
- Harpainter, P; Hewawitharana, S, et al. (2020). Voluntary kids’ meal beverage standards: are they sufficient to ensure healthier restaurant practices and consumer choices? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17:15, 5275.
- Fernald, LCH; Gosliner, W (2019). Alternatives to SNAP: Global approaches to addressing childhood poverty and food insecurity. American Journal of Public Health. 109, 1668-1677.
- Spang, N; Moreno, LC, et al. (2019). Food loss and waste: Measurement, drivers, and solutions. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 44, 117-156.
- Shah, HD; Adler, J, et al. (2019). Leaders’ experiences in planning, implementing, and evaluating complex public health nutrition interventions. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 51:5, 528-538.
- Gosliner, W; Shah, H (2019). Participant Voices: Examining issue, program, and policy priorities of SNAP-Ed eligible adults. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. June 24.
- Ritchie, L; Gosliner, W, et al. (2019). UC ANR research informs, influences, and strengthens fruit and vegetable programs and policies. California Agriculture. 73:1, 19-24.
- Gosliner, W.; Brown, D. M., et al. (2018). "Availability, quality and price of produce in low-income neighbourhood food stores in California raise equity issues." Public Health Nutr 21(9): 1639-1648.
- Woodward-Lopez, G.; Gosliner, W., et al. (2018). "Community characteristics modify the relationship between obesity prevention efforts and dietary intake in children: the Healthy Communities Study." Pediatr Obes 13 Suppl 1: 46-55.
- Au, L. E.; Gurzo, K., et al. (2018). "Eating School Meals Daily Is Associated with Healthier Dietary Intakes: The Healthy Communities Study." J Acad Nutr Diet 118(8): 1474-1481 e1.
- Leung, C. W.; DiMatteo, S. G., et al. (2018). "Sugar-Sweetened Beverage and Water Intake in Relation to Diet Quality in U.S. Children." Am J Prev Med 54(3): 394-402.
- Gosliner, W. (2014). "School-level factors associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption among students in California middle and high schools." J Sch Health 84(9): 559-68.
- Crawford, P. B.; Gosliner, W. (2012). "State-level policies can help reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools." J Pediatr 161(3): 566-7.
- Crawford, P. B.; Gosliner, W., et al. (2011). "The ethical basis for promoting nutritional health in public schools in the United States." Prev Chronic Dis 8(5): A98.
- Gosliner, W.; Madsen, K. A., et al. (2011). "Would students prefer to eat healthier foods at school?" J Sch Health 81(3): 146-51.
- Gosliner, W. A.; James, P., et al. (2010). "Impact of a worksite wellness program on the nutrition and physical activity environment of child care centers." Am J Health Promot 24(3): 186-9.
- Woodward-Lopez, G.; Gosliner, W., et al. (2010). "Lessons learned from evaluations of California's statewide school nutrition standards." Am J Public Health 100(11): 2137-45.
- Madsen, K. A.; Gosliner, W., et al. (2009). "Physical activity opportunities associated with fitness and weight status among adolescents in low-income communities." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 163(11): 1014-21.
- Crawford, P. B.; Gosliner, W., et al. (2004). "Counseling Latina mothers of preschool children about weight issues: suggestions for a new framework." J Am Diet Assoc 104(3): 387-94.
- Crawford, P. B.; Gosliner, W., et al. (2004). "Walking the talk: Fit WIC wellness programs improve self-efficacy in pediatric obesity prevention counseling." Am J Public Health 94(9): 1480-5.