Rate My Professor Kim Doughty

Kim Doughty is an Assistant Professor of Public Health and Director of the undergraduate Public Health program in the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies at Fairfield University. With credentials including a PhD, MPH, and CHES certification, she brings extensive expertise in nutritional sciences and public health to her teaching and research. Prior to her current role, Dr. Doughty served as a Research Scientist at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, where she coordinated the VITAHLS initiative, managed the ACCESS project, co-chaired the Maternal-Infant Health Working Group, and contributed to efforts aimed at reducing low birth weight, improving prenatal care adequacy, and addressing health disparities through social marketing campaigns and program enrollment increases. Transitioning to Fairfield University around 2020, she has played a key role in advancing the Public Health programs' CEPH accreditation, which now encompasses the bachelor's degree (accredited since 2019), Master of Public Health (MPH), and the state's first Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), all valid through 2030.

Dr. Doughty's research focuses on nutrition education, maternal and infant health, obesity interventions, and social determinants of health. She recently published an article in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examining mothers' perceptions of judgment regarding infant feeding practices and the effectiveness of breastfeeding campaigns across social demographics, co-authored with undergraduate student Lliana Joe '26. Her earlier collaborations include 'Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease' (Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 2011), 'Effects of Walnut Consumption on Endothelial Function in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial' (Diabetes Care, 2010), 'A Cost Comparison of More and Less Nutritious Food Choices in US Supermarkets' (Public Health Nutrition, 2011), 'The Effect of the Addition of Daily Fruit and Nut Bars to Diet on Weight and Cardiac Risk Profile in Overweight Adults' (Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2011), 'Food Cost and Nutritional Quality' (Public Health Nutrition, 2013), and 'Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-Based Immersion Obesity Treatment Program for Adolescents' (Childhood Obesity, 2015). At Fairfield, she mentors students on capstone projects covering cancer care quality, food additive safety, and mental health among student-athletes, with one project presented at a prominent academic conference. Dr. Doughty chairs the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for 2024-2025, serves on the Faculty Committee on Sustainability, leads activities at the American Public Health Association annual meeting, and integrates social justice into public health education through hands-on experiences.