Advisory Board

Dena Herman, PhD, MPH, RD
Dena Herman is Professor in the College of Health and Human Development at California State University, Northridge and Adjunct Associate Professor and Director of the MCH Nutrition Leadership Training Program at the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests focus on the prevention of childhood obesity taking a life course approach.  She has worked with ethnically diverse population groups across the age spectrum from infancy to elderly and in both domestic and international settings.  She has also worked clinically as a registered dietitian with children and their families in the FIT for Healthy Weight program at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine and with women and their partners "getting ready to get pregnant" in preconception care.

Jay Hirschman, MPH
Jay Hirschman is widely known for his knowledge of and contributions to WIC Program research, including origination of the Minimum Data Set.  For 19 of his 30 years at USDA/FNS, as Office of Policy Support Staff/Division Director for Special Nutrition Programs, he was responsible for developing the national WIC Program research agenda. This work included clearance review of FNS-sponsored WIC Program research reports, and briefing expert scientific committees on WIC program research and data sources. Before joining FNS, he served as Connecticut State WIC Supervisor, North Carolina State WIC Nutrition Consultant and Local WIC Director in Cleveland County, NC. In 2003-2004, he served as elected chair of the American Public Health Association Food and Nutrition Section.

Julie Reeder, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES
Julie Reeder is the Senior Research Analyst with the State of Oregon WIC Program. In her 16 years in the position she has conducted multiple mixed methods studies on the influence of peer counselors and WIC food package changes on long term, exclusive breastfeeding. She has also studied motivational interviewing in WIC, periconceptual health, the pros and cons of technology in the program, and the role of WIC in identifying developmental delays. Current work focuses on better integrating WIC into Clinical and Early Learning systems and creating a postpartum quality of life tool. Julie is also a member of the National WIC Association Evaluation Committee, Program Planning Committee member for the Textbook and Academic Authors Association, serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, and is Chair of the American Public Health Association Food and Nutrition Section.

Jennifer Wilson, MEd, RD, LDN
Jennifer Wilson is the current State Director with the Maryland WIC Program. Prior to joining the State Office team in September 2017, Jenn worked in local agency clinics for nearly 25 years as a WIC Aide, then Nutritionist, and eventually a Program Coordinator. She is a registered dietitian and holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and master’s degree in Education. She has worked in WIC certification, nutrition education, vendor management, outreach, and program operations. She is passionate about WIC’s mission and looks forward to continuing to serve WIC families as well as WIC staff with projects like HPRIL.