{"id":1933,"date":"2023-12-10T12:10:24","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T12:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/nutrition\/?page_id=1933"},"modified":"2025-09-17T12:02:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T16:02:16","slug":"maternal-child-health-mch","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/nutrition\/graduate-programs\/maternal-child-health-mch\/","title":{"rendered":"Maternal & Child Health (MCH)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Maternal & Child Health (MCH)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Division of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Workforce Development<\/a> nutrition programs provide graduate education, continuing education, and consultation and technical assistance to State Title V agencies and other MCH-related organizations and agencies. Training focuses on leadership in pediatric and maternal nutrition and provides both clinical and public health approaches to working with mothers, infants, children, youth, and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Health Services and Resource Administration\u2019s Maternal and Child Health Bureau<\/a> training grant, which funds the University of Tennessee\u2019s MCH Nutrition Leadership Education and Training Program, is a prestigious award, which helps address the need to provide well-trained public health nutrition leaders with special interests in the maternal and child population. The MCH Nutrition Leadership Education and Training Program at the University of Tennessee is one of only eight programs<\/a> in the country for nutrition leadership education and training for the maternal and child population.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Leadership Development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hear from leaders in the MCH field, learn more about the Emerging Nutrition Leaders in MCH Training Institute, and explore additional leadership training opportunities. Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

MCH Nutrition Leadership Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Marsha Spence\u00a0<\/strong>is a professor of practice and director of the Public Health Nutrition Graduate Program and is a registered dietitian\/nutritionist and community nutrition researcher with a focus on healthy nutrition and physical activity environments for pediatric and maternal populations; improving food and nutrition security among mothers, children, adolescents, young adults and their families; leadership development; positive youth development; and parent engagement in nutrition and physical activity education programs for youth. Professor Spence, who is a first generation college graduate, was a funded MCH leadership trainee during her master and doctoral programs at the University of Tennessee. The training program provided Professor Spence with numerous opportunities to explore her leadership and professional potential and developed her passion for strengthening the MCH workforce, promoting healthy environments, and decreasing hunger, especially among the MCH population in Appalachia and the Southeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Spence is an active leader in local, state, and national associations and agencies, including serving as past president of the Association of Graduate Programs in Public Health Nutrition; past chair, section councilor, and governing councilor of the American Public Health Association\u2019s Food and Nutrition Section; national advisory committee member for Georgetown University\u2019s Embedding Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competence: A Guide for UCEDD Curricula and Training Activities; and a past board member for Our Daily Bread of Tennessee. Currently, she serves as a steering committee member for the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists\u2019 Farm to Early Care and Education. The president of the East Tennessee Childhood Obesity Coalition, and as a board member for the Greater Knoxville American Heart Association.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number T79MC09805, Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Health Nutrition, $223,777, 50% funded by the University of Tennessee, Department of Nutrition. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TO SCHEDULE A VISIT, CONTACT US AT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

nutrition@utk.edu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

or call 865-974-5445<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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