Pamela Ann Koch
Mary Swartz Rose Associate Professor of Nutrition and Education
Faculty Director, Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy
Office Location:
Building 528, Rm 530BEducational Background
B.S. (Home Economics, Human Nutrition and Dietetics), Cook College, Rutgers University, 1988
M.S. (Applied Nutrition) Rutgers University, 1992
M.Ed. (Community Nutrition) Teachers College, 1998
Ed.D. (Nutrition Education) Teachers College, Columbia University, 2000
R.D.N. (Registered Dietitian Nutritionlist), 1993
Scholarly Interests
• Curriculum development, evaluation, and teacher professional development
• K–12 nutrition education, healthy school meals, school gardens, and wellness policy
• Sustainable food systems and agro-ecological food production
• Farm, food safety, child nutrition, food security, and nutrition education policy
Selected Publications
| 2020-2025 |
| Boronowsky R, Lin-Yang K, Natanson L, Presley K, Reddy Y, Shenkiryk A, Wang M, Slusser W, Koch PA, Cleveland DA, et al. The Carbon Footprint of School Lunch: Moving Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Future for the Next Generation. Sustainability. 2025; 17(7):2955. doi.org/10.3390/su17072955. |
| Fredericks L, Utter J, Pope J, Koch P. Nibble with Willow Early Childhood Intervention: Teacher Reports of Positive Program Impacts on Children and Their Families. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2025 Jan;57(1):72-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2024.10.007. Epub 2024 Nov 7. PMID: 39520469. |
| Edelstein BL, Basch CE, Zybert P, Wolf RL, Custodio-Lumsden CL, Levine J, Trent R, Estrada I, Koch PA, Andrews HF, Kunzel C. Chronic Disease Management of Early Childhood Dental Caries: Practices of US Pediatric Dentists. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2025; 22 E01. doi: 10.5888/pcd22.240151. PMID: 39745944; PMCID: PMC11721011. |
| Zhang Y, Gao X, Zhu H, Zhou Q, Cai X, Koch PA, Sun S, Yu H. Integrative development of a concise screening questionnaire for early detection of pregnant women at risk for dystrophy. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 Dec 26;24(1):861. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-07051-4. |
| Borrelli N, Koch P, Guerrero SB. Education as policy: Museums’ relationships to food governance in New York City, Food, Culture & Society, EPub 15 Dec 2024. doi: 10.1080/15528014.2024.2429897 |
| Borrelli N, Koch P, Azzarito L, Mura G, Addis G. New Actors in Food Governance. The Potential Role of Museums and Ecomuseums. XI AESOP-Sustainable Food Planning Conference, Proceedings. 2024. June 19-22 |
| Marín-Chollom AM, Rillamas-Sun E, Koch PA, Contento IR, Gaffney AO, Ulanday KT, Hershman DL, Greenlee H. Social Support, Diet, and Physical Activity among Latina/Hispanic Women Breast Cancer Survivors. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 2024;26(6):1053-1061. doi: 10.1007/s10903-024-01614-5. |
| Harb AA, Koch PA, Roberts, KJ, Cadenhead C, Wolf R. Ecological study of the reach of congregate vs. grab-and-go summer meals in New York City. Discover Public Health, 2024, 21, 11. |
| Zhang Y, Li C, Zhu Y, Contento IR, Koch PA, Yang Q, Dang Q, Hu Z, Wei Y, Chen Z, Yu H. Reliability and Validity of a Theory-Based Determinants of Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors Questionnaire for Chinese Elementary School Children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2024, J56(7):466-477. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2024.03.005. |
| Zhang Y, Gao X, Zhu H, Sun S, Contento IR, Koch PA, Yu H. Lipid-focused dietary education intervention in pregnant women: study protocol for an open-label, parallel, randomised, intervention study addressing adverse pregnancy outcomes in China. BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 4;14(1):e076911. |
| Koch PA, Paul R, Contento IR, Gray HL, Marín-Chollom AM, Santiago-Torres M, Shen H, Jones SMW, Hershman DL, Greenlee H. Mi Vida Saludable: Content Validity and Reliability of The Preferences and Self-Efficacy of Diet and Physical Activity Behaviors Questionnaire for Latina Women (PSEDPALW) for Cancer Survivors. Nutrients. 15(16):3563. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15163563 |
| Fredericks L, Utter J, Tang L, Shah A, Wilson Lofts C, Parry J, Koch PA. Can the effects of high school culinary nutrition education be sustained into adulthood? Health Education Journal, 2023 82(6);611-622. https://doi.org/10.1177/00178969231178593 |
| Olarte DA, Koch PA, Wolf RL, Contento IR. Teachers’ Resources to Support School Lunch: Professional Development Is Warranted. Nutrients. 2022; 14(21):4596. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214596 |
| Cadenhead JW, McCarthy JE, Nguyen TT, Rodriguez M, Koch PA. Qualitative Study of Participation Facilitators and Barriers for Emergency School Meals and Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) in an Urban Setting during COVID-19. Nutrients. 2022 Aug 16;14(16):3358. |
| Contento I, Paul R, Marin-Chollom M, A Ogden Gaffney A, Sepulveda J,Dominguez Naxielly, Gray H, Haase A, Hershman D, Koch P, Greenlee H. Developing a diet and physical activity intervention for Hispanic/Latina breast cancer survivors. Cancer Control. 2022;29 doi: 10.1177/10732748221133987 |
| Harb AA, Shechter A, Koch PA, St-Onge MP. Ultra-processed foods and the development of obesity in adults. European Journal Clinical Nutrition. 2022 Oct 24. doi: 10.1038/s41430-022-01225-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36280730. |
| Ash S, Contento I, Olfert MD, Koch P. Nutrition Educator Competencies for Promoting Healthy Individuals, Communities, and Food Systems: Rationale and Application. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior S1499-4046(22)00480-8. 11 Nov. 2022, doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2022.07.010 |
| Parks S, Kuriansky J, Koch P. Confronting the Crisis of COVID-19: Evolution of a Model for Preservation of People and the Planet. Special Issue: Psychology and the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Global Perspective Article. International Perspectives in Psychology, 11(3), 188–196, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1027/2157-3891/a00005.3 |
| Santiago-Torres M, Contento I, Koch P, Tsai WY, Gaffney AO, Marín-Chollom AM, Shi Z, Ulanday KT, Shen H, Hershman D, Greenlee H. Associations Between Acculturation and Weight, Diet Quality, and Physical Activity Among Latina Breast Cancer Survivors: The ¡Mi Vida Saludable! Study. Journal of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics. :S2212-2672(22)00198-8. 2022 Apr 7 doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.04.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35398558. |
| Harb AA, Roberts KJ, McCarthy JE, Koch PA. Comparison of Missing School Meals among Public Schools: How Did New York State Do during COVID-19? International Journal Environmental Research in Public Health.19(10):5838, 2022 May 11. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19105838. PMID: 35627375; PMCID: PMC9141843. |
| Olarte DA, Stock M, Sutton M, Scott M, Koch PA, Gustus S, Cohen JFW. Teachers' Experiences Implementing a School Wellness Initiative in Anchorage, AK: A Qualitative Study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics. 2022 Jun;122(6):1174-1181.e1.doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2021.12.002. Epub 2021 Dec 8. PMID: 34896301. |
| Alvarez-Sánchez C, Guillén H, Contento IR, Koch P, Théodore FL. Soda Consumption Among Mexican Construction Workers in the Context of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax. Health Education & Behavior 2018;13(8):e0199337. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199337. |
| Sterling EJ, Betley E, Ahmed A, Akabas A, Clegg DJ, Downs S, Izumi B, 7, Koch P, Kross SM, Spiller K, Teron L, Valley W. Centering Equity in Sustainable Food Systems Education. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5, 737434, 2021 doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.737434 [accepted September 2021] |
| Koch PA, Wolf RL, Trent R, Ang IYH, Dallefeld M, Tipton E, Gray HL, Guerra L, Di Noia J. Wellness in the Schools: A Lunch Intervention Increases Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. Nutrients 2021, 13(9), 3085; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093085. |
| Santiago-Torees M, Contento I, Koch P, Tsai, W-Y, Brickman AM, Gaffney AO, Crane TE, Dominguez N, Sepulveda J, Marin-Chollom AM, Paul R, Shi, Z, Ulanday KT, Hale C Hershman D, Greenlee H. ¡Mi Vida Saludable! A Randomized Controlled, 2X2 Factorial Trial of a Diet and Physical Activity Intervention amoung Latina Breast Cancer Survivors: Study Design and Methods. Contemporary Clinical Trials 2021;110:106524. |
| Ijaz D, Trent R, Koch P. Creating the Scratch Cooked School Food Framework: Qualitative Data Analysis of a Scratch Cooking Pilot. Health Promotion Practice 23(6): 963-972 2022 (Online September 22, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399211038942 |
| Lumsden C, Edelstein BL, Basch CE, Wolf R, Koch PA, McKeague I, Leu C-S, Andrews H. Protocol for a family-centered behavioral intervention to reduce early childhood caries: the MySmileBuddy program efficacy trial. BMC Oral Health 21, 246, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-021-01582-4 |
| Koch P. McCarthy J, Raffel C, Gray HL, Guerra LA. Expanding and Enhancing Food and Nutrition Education in New York City Public Schools: An Examination of Program Characteristics and Distribution. Nutrients, 12:2423, 2020. doi:10.3390/nu12082423 [open access]. |
| Koch PA, Wolf RL, Trent RJ, Guerra LA. School Transformation After Redesign of 3 Cafeterias (STARCafé). Health Behavior and Policy Review, 7(4):345–357. 2020. doi:https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.7.4.7. |
| Valley W, Anderson M, Blackstone NT, Sterling E, Bentley E, Akabas S, Koch P, Dring C, Burke J. Spiller K. Towards an equity competency model for sustainable food systems education programs. Elementa Science of the Anthropocene, 8(1):33, 2020. doi: http://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.428. * This article received the 2021 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Award in the Campus Sustainability Research Award category |
| Aktaz N, Contento IR, Osman G, Koch PA. Classroom Teachers’ Attitudes to Nutrition Education and the School Food Environment: An Online Survey in Turkey. Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing, 75:71–78, 2020. doi: 10.7176/JHMN/75-10. |
| Fredericks L. Koch PA, Lui A, Galitzdofter L, Costa A, Utter J. Experiential Features of Culinary Nutrition Education that Drive Behavior Change: Frameworks for Research and Practice. Health Promotion Practice. Published online February 3, 2020. |
| Textbook |
| Contento IR, Koch PA. Nutrition Education: Linking Research Theory and Practice. Fourth Edition (2021), Fifth Edition (2026). Burlington MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. |
| Reports and Guides |
| Pizmony-Levy O. Koch P. Rivit A. Green Light for Comprehensive Climate Change Education Special Report for Earth Day 2023. Teachers College, Columbia University. April 2023 http://academiccommons.columbia.edu |
| Olarte D, Koch P, McCarthy JE, Harb A, Bresee C, Liou S. Linking Food & Nutrition to Science Education: A Resource Guide for New York City Teachers to Incorporate Food and Nutrition Education into the New York City Pk-8 Science Scope and Sequence. Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, Program in Nutrition, Teachers College, Columbia University. April, 2023. |
| Cadenhead JW, Koch P. The NYC Department of Education (DOE) Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) Response to the COVID-19 Emergency. NY Food 2025: Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, & Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food Education & Policy. October 2022. (Note: New York Food 2025 was previously New York Food 20/20) |
| New York Food 20/20: Vision, Research, and Recommendations During COVID-19 and Beyond. Series of Seven Policy Briefs. The Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, The Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, and The CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute. March, 2022. |
| Towards a NYC Covid-19 Food Response in 2021. The Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, The Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, and The CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute. February, 2021 |
Biographical Information
Dr. Pamela Koch is the Mary Swartz Rose Associate Professor of Nutrition and Education and the faculty director of the Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy in the Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. Pam conducts research with schools and communities to give people power to demand healthy, just, sustainable food. She translates her research into curricula for school teachers, recommendations for policy makers, and resources for advocates. She has evaluated many school-based programs that improve school meals, create school gardens, conduct cooking sessions, and promote food justice. She teaches courses on sustainability of the food system, social and psychological determinants of food choice, and the process of food and nutrition education, all done through a sustainability and equity lens. She has also taught an online professional development course for educators, Teaching Food and Nutrition for All that has been attended by over 800 educators. Her work contributes to increased access to nutritious, delicious and sustainable food for all. She completed her BS and MS from Rutgers University and her EdD and RDN from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Active Professional Organizations
Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (President 2020-2021)
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Agriculture, Food, and Human Values
New York City Nutrition Education Network