Sarah Amin

  • Associate Professor, Director of SNAP-Ed & EFNEP
  • Department of Nutrition
  • Phone: 401.874.4024
  • Email: sarah_amin@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Kingston, RI - Fogarty Hall, Rm 117B
    Providence, RI - Shepard Building, Rm 300
  • Website

Lab

Community Nutrition Security Research Group

Courses Taught

  • NUT 394: Nutrition in the Lifecycle I
  • NUT 458: Nutrition Education
  • NUT 506: Community Nutrition

Biography

Sarah Amin, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an Associate Professor and Director of SNAP-Ed & EFNEP at the University of Rhode Island. She is a community-engaged researcher who is passionate about working in partnership with the community to promote the nutrition security of school-age youth and their families. Dr. Amin completed her post-doctoral training in school-based physical activity interventions at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She received her Ph.D. in Nutrition from the University of Vermont, and M.P.H. from Brown University. In her spare time, she enjoys getting outside with her family as well as running, swimming, biking, and hiking. She’ll never turn down a “walking meeting” around campus with students and colleagues.

Research

While there have been successful efforts to improve the diet quality and nutrition security of children and their families, there continues to be a gap in the implementation and translation of evidence-based recommendations among historically marginalized communities.

​​To address this gap, we use community-engaged research to promote the nutrition security of school-age youth and their families through developing culturally inclusive interventions and dietary assessment tools across school and out-of-school settings. Federal nutrition programs including SNAP-Ed and EFNEP are an organic linkage to our research and program evaluation efforts given their important role in improving the nutrition and food-related behaviors of limited resource families across the country.

Dr. Amin also serves as a research advisor and collaborator for several local, statewide, and regional food systems and food access initiatives including: RI Farm to School Network, RI Food Strategy 2.0, New England Feeding New England, Food Recovery for RI program, and URI Free Farmers’ Market.

Education

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
  • Ph.D., Nutrition and Food Science, University of Vermont
  • M.P.H., Brown University
  • B.A., Biology, Wheaton College

Current Graduate Students

  • Nick Hamdi, MS, RD, LDN
  • Maria Meola, MS

Former Graduate Students

  • Jackie Potvin, PhD (2024)
  • Luisa Santos, MS (2024)
  • Maria Meola, MS (2024)
  • Fatima Tobar, MHA (RIC, 2023)

Selected Publications

Potvin J, Chappell K, Balestracci K, Greene G, Sweetman S, Amin S. A Formative Evaluation of a STEAM and Nutrition Education Summer Program for Low-Income Youth. Evaluation and Program Planning. 2023; 97:102255. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2023.102255

Donahue B, Amin S, Barley L, Richardson S. New England Feeding New England: Volume 1: Estimating Resilient Eating Patterns, 2023. https://nefoodsystemplanners.org/wp-content/uploads/NEFNE_Volume-1_Estimating-Resilient-Eating-Patterns.pdf

Amin S, Hafner S, McNamara J, Raymond J, Balestracci K, Missimer A, Potvin J, Greene G. Development and validation of the ASKFV-SE tool for requesting fruits and vegetables. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2023; 2(12). doi: 10.1017/jns.2022.59

Bouchard K, Grigsby-Toussaint D, Fox K, Amin S, Vadiveloo M, Greaney M, Tovar A. Maternal experiences with discussing complementary feeding in primary care. Patient Education and Counseling, Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(19):12061. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912061

Sacheck JM, Wright CM, Amin SA, Anzman-Frasca V, Chui K, Duquesnay P, Nelson ME, Economos CD. The FLEX Study: effects of a two-year randomized controlled trial of school-based activity programs on children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2021; 60(6): 239-249. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.02.002

Lyerly R, Rummo P, Amin S, Evans W, Cohen ED, Lawson E, Hallett E, De’Oliveria S, Rose J, Coats C, Nunn A. Effectiveness of mobile produce markets in increasing access and affordability of fruits and vegetables among low-income seniors; Public Health Nutrition. 2020; 1-10. doi: 10.1017/S1368980020002931

Amin SA, Lehnerd M, Cash S, Economos CD, Sacheck JM. The reliability and validity of a youth food literacy tool. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2019; 51(3): 364-369. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.12.006

Sacheck JM, Amin SA. Cardiorespiratory fitness in children and youth—a call for surveillance, but how do we do it? Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. 2018; 46(2).  doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000145

Amin SA, Panzarella C, Lehnerd M, Cash S, Economos CD, Sacheck JM. Identifying food literacy educational opportunities for youth. Health Education & Behavior. 2018; 1-8.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198118775485

Amin SA, Duquesnay PJ, Wright CM, Chui K, Economos CD, Sacheck JM. Perceived athletic competence and physical activity: implications for low-income schoolchildren. Pediatric Exercise Science. 2018; 20: 1-8. doi: 10.1123/pes.2017-0242

Amin SA, Lehnerd M, Cash S, Economos CD, Sacheck J. A case study of a nutrition cohort: the development of a funder-initiated learning collaborative. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2018; 8(2): 1-15. doi: 10.5304/jafscd.2018.082.009

Amin SA, Wright CM, Chui K, Economos CD, Chomitz V, Boulos R, Sacheck J. The association between the physical activity environment and academic success in Massachusetts schoolchildren. Journal of School Health. 2017; 87(12): 932-40.  doi: 10.1111/josh.12569