Rate My Professor Alex Anderson

Alex Kojo Anderson is a Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences within the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Originally from Ghana, he began his academic journey with a BSc in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Ghana in 1998, followed by an MPhil in Human Nutrition from the same institution in 2001. He earned an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Georgia in 2005 and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut in 2005. Joining the University of Georgia in 2005, Anderson has held positions including Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Foods and Nutrition and Director of the FACS Ghana Summer Service-Learning Program since 2006. Earlier roles include Research Assistant at the University of Connecticut's Department of Nutritional Sciences from 2001 to 2005 and at Tufts University's Energy Metabolism Lab from 2000 to 2001. He teaches courses such as Optimal Nutrition Through Lifespan and has advised numerous undergraduate and graduate students, earning recognition for his contributions to their career development.

Anderson's research centers on the nutrition of women and infants, infant and young child feeding practices, breastfeeding promotion and protection, growth and body composition of infants, children, and pregnant women, as well as community and international interventions for nutrition and health. He employs qualitative, quantitative, and nutritional research methods in projects examining parental practices supporting adolescent eating behaviors, validation of passive dietary assessment technologies like eButton and FoodCAM in low- and middle-income countries, and animal milk feeding alternatives to breastfeeding. His influential publications include the highly cited "Breastfeeding peer counseling: from efficacy through scale-up" (Journal of Human Lactation, 2010), "Effect of infant feeding on maternal body composition" (International Breastfeeding Journal, 2008), and recent articles such as "Food-Related Behaviors in Rural (Asaase Kooko) and Urban (Kaadjanor) Households in Ghana" (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025), "AI-enabled Wearable Cameras for Assisting Dietary Assessment in African Populations" (npj Digital Medicine, 2024), and book chapters like "Infant Nutrition and Feeding in the First 2 Years of Life" (IntechOpen, 2023). Anderson has received awards including Outstanding Undergraduate Academic Advisor of the Year from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences (2017), Outstanding Advisor of the Year from the Department of Foods and Nutrition (2016, 2007), and Provost International Travel Award (2018).