Sustainable Food Center’s Education Director Selected by Johns Hopkins for National Public Health Fellowship
Vanessa Beltrán is one of 10 people nationwide chosen for the doctoral track; will use training to expand SFC’s nutrition and food-access programs across Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — Vanessa Beltrán, Director of Education at Sustainable Food Center (SFC), has been selected for a fully funded Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) fellowship through the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is one of 10 fellows chosen nationwide for the doctoral program this year.
Beltrán was selected for the Initiative’s Food Systems for Health track, one of five focus areas designed to address major public health challenges.
“My purpose is to help people turn towards one another in care, through community-centered programs, I work to strengthen food systems, improve nutrition security, and empower people to make informed food choices. This fellowship will help me expand the impact of culinary nutrition interventions while generating evidence that can inform public health practice and policy.”
At SFC, Beltrán leads The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre®, a free bilingual culinary nutrition program that has expanded from 20 to more than 60 class series annually. The program now reaches over 1,100 participants across Central, West, and East Texas through a network of 90 peer facilitators.
She also oversees nutrition education for Double Up Food Bucks, Texas, which increases access to fresh fruits and vegetables by matching SNAP benefits.
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Bloomberg School trains public health leaders and supports research, partnerships, and policy change to help more Americans live longer, healthier lives.
The fellowship program reflects the Initiative’s commitment to supporting leaders addressing urgent public health challenges in their communities. As Bloomberg American Health Initiative Director Josh Sharfstein noted in a news release, the fellowship is designed to help participants deepen and expand their impact.
Vanessa Beltran MDiv, MPH, RDN, LD
Vanessa is a registered dietitian, public health practitioner, and educator whose work centers on food access, culinary nutrition education, and health equity. She has practiced across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings — including community health centers, a teaching hospital, and a long-term care facility — and has taught culinary nutrition classes for organizations serving youth, families, and older adults across Texas.
As Education Director at SFC, Beltrán supervises a bilingual team, directs curriculum development through community co-creation, and guides the program’s replication partner network statewide. She brings a background in clinical dietetics, community-based nutrition education, and adaptive leadership, including teaching experience at the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard, and consulting with health and social sector organizations navigating complex change. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a Master of Divinity in Religion, Ethics, and Politics of Health Equity from Harvard Divinity School. Beltrán is currently a DrPH student and Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow in Food Systems for Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.