Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, PhD

Professor

Office: Leo Jenkins Building 104
Phone: 252-744-5572
Email: jilcotts@ecu.edu

Dr. Stephanie Jilcott Pitts was born and raised in Bertie County, eastern North Carolina. She received a BS in Biology with minors in Information/Library Science and Chemistry, and a PhD in Nutrition with a minor in Epidemiology, all from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon degree completion, she worked for World Harvest Mission in Bundibugyo, Uganda, designing and evaluating nutrition programs for malnourished and at-risk children. She came to the ECU Department of Public Health in July 2008. Her research is focused on examining and addressing policy and environmental factors related to obesity, diet, and physical activity. More recently, her work has focused on examining validity and sensitivity of a device to assess skin carotenoids (the Veggie Meter®) as an approximation for fruit and vegetable intake in public health nutrition studies.

Education

  • BS, Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
  • PhD, Nutrition (Epidemiology minor), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)

Areas of Interest

  • Nutrition
  • Obesity
  • Environmental and policy change to improve diet and physical activity in underserved populations
  • Use of skin carotenoids as an outcome measure in nutrition interventions

Courses Taught

  • MPH 6027 Mixed Methods Research
  • MPH 6502 Public Health Project Management
  • MPH 6991/2 Integrated Learning Experience
  • MPH 6903/4/5 Applied Practicum Experience
Dr. Stephanie Jilcott Pitts Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Significant Publications