June Stevens Named Nutrition Chair at UNC School of Public Health

Photograph of June Stevens, MS, PhD

June Stevens, MS, PhD, has been named chair of the Department of Nutrition in the Schools of Public Health and Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The appointment, effective April 1, 2006, was approved Thursday (March 23) by the University’s Board of Trustees.

Stevens joined the faculty of the UNC departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology in 1993. She has been interim chair of the Nutrition Department since August 2005.

“Dr. Stevens is an ideal choice for department Chair. She is extremely well trained in the key disciplines related to nutrition,” said School of Public Health Dean Barbara K. Rimer. “She has an international reputation as a researcher and significant thought leader on important scientific questions. Her research areas have spanned from bench research of fat cells, to epidemiologic studies of large populations, to testing large- scale obesity prevention programs for children and adolescents. This cell-to-society perspective is essential for the 21st century. She is also a committed, accomplished teacher and mentor.”

The Department of Nutrition’s unique “dual” administrative structure as a joint department in both the School of Public Health and the School of Medicine is an important asset in advancing its academic missions. “During the interview process, it was clear that Dr. Stevens appreciates the very special opportunities afforded by the joint partnership of the two schools in the Department of Nutrition. We are confident that she will build even stronger ties and even greater collaborations between these two outstanding schools,” said Robert Golden, M.D., Vice Dean of the School of Medicine.

Stevens is originally from Virginia. She earned a BS in human nutrition from Virginia Polytechnic University, an RD in clinical dietetics from Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, an MS in human nutrition from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in human nutrition from Cornell University. She is a leader in scientific organizations including the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO). She has served on numerous NIH committees and advisory councils for the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association and the Institute of Medicine. She is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Obesity.

Stevens’ research has impacted the science of obesity and influenced national and international policy. Her widely publicized work on the effects of obesity on mortality in different age groups was instrumental in the determination of the weight recommendations included in the national Dietary Guidelines. Her thoughtful analysis of the effects of obesity in Asians influenced international guidelines for body weight established by the World Health Organization. She was the first to note unexpected patterns of fat distribution in African Americans, and her observations led to a line of work by numerous investigators to further explore this phenomenon. She has been a leader in pushing forward understanding of the health risks of obesity in African Americans and has published extensively in this area.

A recent commentary by Stevens on how to define weight maintenance has received intense attention from obesity scientists and likely will set the standard for future research in this area. In addition, Stevens is renowned for her leadership of very large studies of obesity prevention and coordination of research efforts involving teams of scientists from numerous institutions. Her advice on the design and analysis of obesity trials is highly valued both nationally and internationally.

Stevens succeeds Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD, who chaired the department for more than 15 years. Zeisel continues in his role as Associate Dean for Research at the UNC School of Public Health. “Dr. Stevens has served in numerous leadership roles with the nutrition department and School of Public Health,” said Zeisel. “Much of her research has been conducted within minority populations, and she has a strong commitment to research on health disparities. She is especially devoted to mentoring minority students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty.”

The nutrition department offers courses in the biochemistry, epidemiology and behavioral aspects of nutrition and applications to the health of human populations.

Note: Contact Stevens at (919) 966-1065 or june_stevens@unc.edu.

For further information please contact Ramona DuBose either by phone at 919-967-7467 or by e-mail at ramona_dubose@unc.edu.