Deborah Olarte

Deborah Olarte is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University’s Steinhardt School. She holds a PhD in Behavioral Nutrition and an MS in Nutrition and Public Health from Columbia University. Prior to her academic career, she studied musical theater at The Catholic University of America. Her research focuses on improving child and adolescent nutrition through school-based interventions, including universal free school meals and teacher engagement in promoting healthy eating. She has published in high-impact journals like the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and co-authored a textbook chapter in Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control.

• Education: PhD and MS from Columbia University (Teachers College)
• Leadership: APHA Food and Nutrition Section
• Grants: NIH and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Dr. Olarte’s work has been recognized through her NOPREN fellowship (2021–2023) and a nomination for the 2023 Huddleson Award. She previously held roles as a Research Associate, Lecturer, and Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Merrimack College.