Dr. Stephanie Jilcott Pitts was born, raised, and currently lives in rural eastern North Carolina. She thus has a vested interest in studying health promotion programs and policies to reduce diet-related diseases in the rural United States. She earned her PhD in Nutrition with a minor in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon degree completion, she worked for Serge (formerly World Harvest Mission) in Bundibugyo, rural western Uganda, designing and evaluating nutrition programs for malnourished and at-risk children. She came to the ECU Department of Public Health in July 2008. Dr. Pitts’ research is focused on examining and addressing policy and environmental factors related to reduction of obesity and diet-related disease risk and risk disparities in rural and underserved populations.