Casey Coombs

Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences

Professional Practice Assistant Professor | Dietetics


Casey Coombs

Contact Information

Office Hours: 8AM - 5PM
Office Location: NFS 207
Phone: 435-797-3725
Email: casey.coombs@usu.edu

Educational Background

MS, Nutrition Science, Utah State University, 2018
Nudging Food Pantry Clients To Healthier Choices in Six Urban Utah Food Pantries
Other, Dietetics, Utah State University, 2013
BA, Anthropology, State University of New York at New Paltz, 1998
Certified Dietitian , Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing , 2014
Registered Dietitian , Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , 2014

Biography

Casey Coombs worked in the public health nutrition sector for over 15 years before moving into her current faculty role. Casey began working in the field as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador. She worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension before moving to Utah to work with USU Extension's Create Better Health (SNAP-Ed) program. Casey worked with the CBH program for 6 years in a variety of roles including the Policy, Systems, and Environment Coordinator, Evaluation Coordinator, and Assistant Director. She is currently a Professional Practice Assistant Professor in the Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences Department. Casey primarily teaches courses for the CAAS MPH program and is also the Faculty Director for the Student Nutrition Access Center (SNAC), the student food pantry on USU's Logan campus.

Teaching Interests

Public Health Nutrition
Food Insecurity
Social Determinants of Health
Policy, Systems and Environment Work
Health Disparities

Research Interests

Improving diet quality of individuals with limited resources, including college students.
Improving healthy food and physical activity access for those with limited resources.
Impact of food pantry interventions on diet quality of food-insecure individuals and families.

Awards

Early Career Teacher of the Year, 2024

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences

Early Career Teacher of the Year, 2023

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences

Teaching Award of Merit, 2023

North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture

1st Place Western Region Winner-SNAP-Ed/EFNEP Educational Program Award, 2022

National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

Community Partnership Award , 2022

Utah Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

Marketing Package Award- Western Region Winner , 2019

National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences


Publications | Fact Sheets

  • Clark, B., Bangerter, L., Savoie Roskos, M., Coombs, C., Durward, C., (2019). Fluoride: From Birth to Adolescence.
  • Bangerter, L., Savoie Roskos, M., Coombs, C., (2019). Baby-Led Weaning: An Approach to Introducing Solid Foods to Infants.

An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.

Publications | Curriculum

    An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.

    Publications | Journal Articles

    Academic Journal

    • Wengreen, H., Archuleta, M., Savoie Roskos, M., Wille, C., Coombs, C., (2024). Nutrition Education for Refugees: Successful Strategies and Barriers. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension
    • Coombs, C., Savoie Roskos, M., Jimenez, L.N, Farnsworth, A., LeBlanc, H.R, (2023). Assessing the Impact of Multilevel Comprehensive Programming on SNAP-Ed Participants’ Behavior. Health Promotion Practice
    • Meier, C., Coombs, C., Farnsworth, A., Jimenez, L.N, LeBlanc, H.R, (2023). Using community engagement as a tool in multi-component programming.. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension
    • Savoie Roskos, M., Coombs, C., LeBlanc, H.R, (2021). Food Insecurity Exists Among College Students at a Midsized University in Utah. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, doi: 10.1080/19320248.2021.2022367
    • Garner, J.A, Coombs, C., Savoie Roskos, M., Durward, C., Seguin-Fowler, R.A, (2020). A Qualitative Evaluation of Double Up Food Bucks Farmers’ Market Incentive Program Access. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 52:7, 705-712.
    • Coombs, C., Savoie Roskos, M., LeBlanc, H.R, Gast, J.A, Hendrickson, J., (2020). Understanding Food Pantry Users' Perception of Healthy Food Access in Pantries. Journal of the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences
    • Coombs, C., Savoie Roskos, M., LeBlanc, H.R, Gast, J.A, Hendrickson, J., (2020). Nudging Urban Food Pantry Users in Utah Toward Healthier Choices. Health Promotion Practice
    • Savoie Roskos, M., Coombs, C., Neid-Avila, J., Chipman, J., Nelson, S., Rowley, L., LeBlanc, H.R, (2019). Create Better Health: A Practical Approach to Improving Cooking Skills and Food Security Among SNAP-Ed Participants. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51:1, 116-120.
    • Savoie Roskos, M., LeBlanc, H.R, Coombs, C., Garrity, K., Jimenez, L., (2018). Determining the Effectiveness of the SNAP-Ed Creates Curriculum. Journal of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, 137.

    Professional Journal

    • Christensen, D., Coombs, C., Savoie Roskos, M., LeBlanc, H.R, (2022). Food, Fun and Reading: Pilot Study of Updated and Expanded Preschool Curriculum. Journal of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

    Public or Trade Journal

      An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.

      Publications | Other

      Other

      • Savoie Roskos, M., Coombs, C., (2020). Engaging Students Through Service-Learning Opportunities in Public Health. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior *

      An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.

      Teaching

      NDFS 6600 - Current Topics in Obesity, Fall 2024
      NDFS 6140 - Introduction to Public Health, Fall 2024
      NDFS 6810 - Social Determinants of Health, Fall 2024
      USU 1010 - University Connections, Fall 2024
      NDFS 6470 - Global Public Health, Spring 2024
      NDFS 6280 - Public Health Administration and Leadership, Spring 2024
      , Fall 2023
      NDFS 6600 - Current Topics in Obesity, Fall 2023
      NDFS 6140 - Introduction to Public Health, Fall 2023
      NDFS 6810 - Social Determinants of Health, Fall 2023
      USU 1010 - University Connections, Fall 2023
      NDFS 6470 - Global Public Health, Spring 2023
      NDFS 6280 - Public Health Administration and Leadership, Spring 2023
      , Fall 2022
      NDFS 5600, 6600 - Current Topics in Obesity, Fall 2022
      NDFS 6840 - Global Field Studies in Public Health Nutrition, Fall 2022
      NDFS 6140 - Introduction to Public Health, Fall 2022
      NDFS 6810 - Social Determinants of Health, Fall 2022
      USU 1010 - University Connections, Fall 2022
      , Spring 2022
      NDFS 6840 - Global Field Studies in Public Health Nutrition, Spring 2022
      NDFS 6280 - Public Health Administration, Policy and Leadership, Spring 2022
      NDFS 6600 - Current Topics in Obesity, Fall 2021
      ADVS 6140 - Introduction to Public Health, Fall 2021

      Extension

      Farmers Feeding Utah , 2020 - Ongoing
      Create Better Health Utah (SNAP-Ed), 2018 - 2022

      Graduate Students Mentored

      Carson Johnson, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2024
      Garrett Linton, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2024
      Hannah Davidson, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2024
      Kadon Cook, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2024
      McKenna Wheeler, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2024
      Meg Chronister, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2024
      Robert Leissman, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, January 2024
      Abby May, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2023
      Ina Wells, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2023
      Yvette Rea, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2023
      Charmaine Larson, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022
      Makayla Lane, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022
      Cynthia Herrera, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2021
      Katy Wagner, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022 - December 2024
      Mikaela Blake, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022 - August 2024
      Amria Farnsworth, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022 - May 2024
      Madalyn Creer, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022 - May 2024
      Kristin Hoch, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2021 - May 2024
      Emily Jenkins, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, January 2022 - December 2023
      Laura Tingey, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2021 - December 2023
      Luisa Hansen, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022 - May 2023
      Stephanie Ensign, Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2022 - May 2023
      Madison McRoberts , Nutrition, Dietetics &Food Sci, August 2021 - December 2022