ALEN AGARONOV, MS

1770 E 14th St. #6J, Brooklyn, NY 11229 | 347.628.8745 | alen.agaronov@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/alenagaronov | www.fooddigested.com | @alen_agaronov INTERESTS community nutrition intervention development and evaluation; childhood obesity prevention and food insecurity; nutrition in health promotion and disease prevention; municipal and international food and nutrition policy EDUCATION City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY DIETETIC INTERN, anticipated completion date: May 2013 Part of a ten-month supervised practice program to establish eligibility to write the registration examination for dietitians (RD). My first internship rotation (2012-3) allowed me to extend my role as full-time Research Project Coordinator for Dr. May May Leung, whom I have been working with since January 2011. My final rotation (March-June) is at Coler-Goldwater Hospital, NY. City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY ACCELERATED BS-MS, Nutrition and Food Science, cum laude Capstone Research Project: New York City and Shanghai: Programs, Policies and Initiatives in Response to Childhood Obesity. NON-CREDIT COURSEWORK 2013 An Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health . Coursera: John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Online. [Statement of Accomplishment] Data Analysis. Coursera: John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Online. [In Progress] Nutrition Epidemiology. CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. [Audit] COMMUNITY SERVICES Summer 2012 VOLUNTEER, Kitezh Children's Community, Kaluga Region, Russia. Volunteered for two months at a childrens community specializing in therapeutic foster care. Coordinated and participated in immersed education, play therapy and role-play activities with children, families and volunteers. In addition, performed labor on housing, forestry and the farm. ORGANIZER, CUNY FoodFEST. New York, NY. Organized a festival dedicated to collaborating efforts between students, faculty and local public health organizations in the Food Justice Movement through a series of interactive workshops, lectures and childrens activities. Partnered with non-profit organizations, academics and local experts: Shira Potach, Program Manager at Kaiser Permanente; Madea Allen-Gueye, Community Educator at Just Food; Rosalind Francis; Director of Health Education Programs for Harlem Seeds. STUDY ABROAD Summer 2011 Winter 2011 Creative Writing. Queen Mary, University of London, London, England. Public Health at the Mexican Border. South Texas Environmental Education and Research Program (STEER), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Laredo, TX. Attended an elective program that provides a hands-on learning experience in community-based public health at the Texas-Mexican border region. Curriculum included: evaluation of local programs to reduce the exposure to environmental risk-factors; community-based wellness interventions; health communication; municipal, state and federal health initiatives. Food, Culture, & Culinary Arts. Apicius International School of Hospitality, Florence, IT.

2012-PRESENT

2007-2012

2011 & 2012

Summer 2009

EXPERIENCE May May Leung, PhD, RD, Assistant Professor at the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY RESEARCH PROJECT COORDINATOR Oversee a research team of 10 to 15 undergraduate and graduate students through ongoing community-based interventions focused on childhood obesity prevention and food insecurity in at-risk communities, including East Harlem, Eastern Brooklyn and the South Bronx. Sustain working partnerships with community-based organizations, including GrowNYC, the Childrens Museum of Manhattan, Brooklyn Community Services and Childrens Aid Society. Coordinate project preparation, establish budgets and timelines, develop study tools, measures and protocols, gather project resources, present at team meetings and perform team trainings. Lead and participate in study recruitment, data collection, interview transcription and coding, data entry and management, and the analysis of quantitative and qualitative project datasets. Actively conduct systematic literature reviews and develop program curriculums, grant proposals, IRB applications, manuscripts, conference abstracts and project presentations.

2011-PRESENT

2010-PRESENT

New Amsterdam Market, New York, NY MARKET HAND Support the non-profit organization by carrying out farmers markets, community functions and political hearings on behalf of the Lower Manhattan small business community and greater mission to redevelop the East River Market District and revive NYCs regional produce chain. Establish close relationships with regional producers and purveyors, small business owners, nonprofit organizations and city stakeholders in the Greater New York regional food system.

Svetlana Ten, MD, Director of Pediatric Endocrinology at the Childrens Hospital at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 2011-2012 NUTRITION EDUCATOR Conducted family-based nutrition education for low-income minority parents and children diagnosed with metabolic disorders. Underwent training for insulin pumps, blood glucose monitors and indirect calorimeters; observed faculty research team meetings; shadowed Dr. Ten during patient visits. Assisted out of three community clinics: the Childrens Hospital at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, the Maimonides Infants and Childrens Hospital, and the Ten Center Private Clinic. Dr. Susan Ettinger, PhD, RD, Researcher at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY 2011-2012 LAB RESEARCH ASSISTANT Gained hands-on experience in nutrition laboratory bench work related to obesity research. Assisted with cell cultivation, feeding, staining and camera-operated microscope examination. Attended team discussions and assisted with protocol development. SUMMER 2010 Public Health Association of New York City, New York, NY INTERN Collaborated with the Board of Directors in organizing events pertaining to city public health advocacy, including the Paid Sick Leave Initiative, the Student Leadership Conference, and the National Salt Reduction Initiative. PUBLICATIONS Leung, M.M., Agaronov, A., Grytsenko, K., Yeh, M.C. Intervening to reduce sedentary behaviors and childhood obesity among school-age youth: A systematic review of randomized trials. Journal of Obesity, 2012, Article ID 685430, 14 pages. doi:10.1155/2012/685430. Leung, M.M., Tripicchio, G., Agaronov, A., Hou, N. Fight for Your Right to Fruit: A Pilot Study Exploring the Impact of a Manga Comic Promoting Fruit Intake on Snack Selection in Urban Youth. 2013. [Under Review]
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MANUSCRIPTS IN PROGRESS 2012-PRESENT Evaluation of child physical activity at the Childrens Museum of Manhattan EatSleepPlay Exhibit. (Physical activity data from direct observation and activity monitors are being analyzed.) Shanghai and New York City: Programs, Policies and Initiatives in Response to Childhood Obesity . (A systematic review of childhood obesity determinants and municipal policies in response.) Voices through Cameras: New York City Youth Photovoice Project . (Voice interviews are being transcribed, coded and analyzed with qualitative data analysis software.) PREVIOUS PROJECTS 2011-2012 Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mindfulness-based Pilot Study to Reduce Childhood Obesity Risk in Underserved Urban Middle-School Youth. (Assisted in developing a childrens mindful eating curriculum and a corresponding grant application.) Growing the Taste for Fruits and Vegetables: A Qualitative Evaluation of Cooking Sprouts. (Evaluated GrowNYCs vegetable gardening and cooking program for high-risk elementary youth.) CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS Agaronov, A., Leung, MM., Platkin, C., Kwan, A., Nestler, S., Yeh, MC., Zarcadoolas, C. Systematic Observation of Leisure-Time Physical Activity: Preliminary Findings from the Childrens Museum of Manhattan EatSleepPlay Exhibit. Abstract submitted to the International Society for Behavior Nutrition and Physical Activity 2013 Annual Meeting in Ghent, Belgium. Leung, MM., Agaronov, A., Freudenberg, N. Childhood Obesity in New York City and Shanghai: Comparison of Food Policy Initiatives. Abstract accepted at the International Society for Behavior Nutrition and Physical Activity 2013 Annual Meeting in Ghent, Belgium. Agaronov, A., Hou, N., Tripicchio, G., Leung, MM. Evaluating the impact of a Manga comic promoting fruit intake on psycho-social variables related to fruit intake and transportation (immersion) among youth. Abstract presented at the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2012 Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. INVITED LECTURES 2012 2011 & 2012 Nutrition Assessment. FoodFight! program. Park Slope Collegiate High School, Brooklyn, NY. Public Health at the Mexican Border. City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY. MEMBERSHIPS International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Since 2012 Kappa Omicron Nu, Omicron Alpha Rhu Chapter, Honors Society , Since 2011 CUNY Food Justice Community, Since 2011 Association for the Study of Food and Society, Since 2011 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly, the American Dietetic Association), Since 2009 PROFESSIONAL SKILLS LANGUAGE TECH SKILLS English; fluent in oral Russian STATA; ATLAS.ti; Refworks; Write-N-Cite; MS Office; Adobe Photoshop; WordPress; Formstack/Survey Monkey; Social Media

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