A nationally recognized research center dedicated to food policy and issues of obesity will leave Yale University at the end of the year and partner with the University of Connecticut.
The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity was founded at Yale University in 2005 to take a focused, scientific approach to food and nutrition policy, and issues such as weight bias and obesity. The center has received over $20 million in research grants, and is nationally recognized for its expertise and advocacy in this area.
The Rudd Center, including its expert faculty, will move to the University of Connecticut this January.
Dr. Marlene Schwartz, director of the Rudd Center, said the move was prompted by UConn's newly implemented academic vision, which will allow the Rudd Center to expand and flourish. "One of the things that was really exciting to us is that they prioritize health and wellness," she said, "specifically trans-disciplinary research and obesity. So as a center, there is a perfect match between the way we are looking to approach this problem, and the way the University of Connecticut has set out their vision."
The Rudd Center will be housed at Hartford's Constitution Plaza. Dr. Schwartz said the move to downtown Hartford get's them closer to state policy makers. "We're interested in doing research that really affects change," she said. "We're particularly interested in research on policies that we can communicate to policy makers, so they can take action with the evidence."
Acquiring the Rudd Center from Yale University is something of a coup for UConn. The center has a national reputation. Its faculty often appear in national and international media outlets, and their expertise is sought by national health organizations like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
