September 17, 2026 – The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB) is pleased to announce the 2026 Best Article, Best Research Brief, and GEM (Great Educational Material) awards. These awards were presented at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior's (SNEB) 2026 International Conference, held July 29 – July 31 in Washington, DC. These awards recognize the authors of the outstanding articles in each category published in the prior year in JNEB, as judged by members of the Journal Committee and JNEB Board of Editors. Lead authors receive a monetary award, and articles are recognized on the Journal website .
The Best Article Finalist Award was presented to authors Juliana F.W. Cohen, ScD, RD; Monica D. Zuercher, PhD; Dania Orta-Aleman, PhD; Leah E. Chapman, PhD; Christina A. Hecht, PhD; Kenneth Hecht, LLB; Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, PhD, RD; Deborah A. Olarte, PhD, RD; Anisha I. Patel, MD; Michele Polacsek, PhD; Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD; Lorrene D. Ritchie, PhD, RD; Wendi Gosliner, DrPH, RD, for their article “ Impact of Deimplementing Universal Free School Meals: School Food Authority Perspectives .”
The Best Article Award was presented to authors Caitlyn B. Faul, MPH, RD, LDN, CDCES; Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, PhD; Eric E. Calloway, PhD, RD; Hilary K. Seligman, MD, MAS; Heidi Reis, MLIS, AHIP; Cheryl Webb Cherry, MAc; Irene E. Hatsu, PhD, RDN; Oyinlola Toyin Babatunde, PhD, MPH, RDN; Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, PhD, RDN; Jared T. McGuirt, PhD, MPH; Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, PhD, RD, LD, CSCS, for their article “ A Meta-Ethnography to Determine Critical Constructs of Nutrition Security .”
The Best Research Brief Finalist Award was presented to Samantha M. Sundermeir, PhD, MS, RDN; Mika Matsuzaki, PhD, MPH, MS; Angela Zhang, MPH; Jane C. Obi, MPH; Joel Gittelsohn, PhD, MS; Megan R. Winkler, PhD, RN, for their article “ Characterizing the Consumer Food Environment of Dollar Stores and Exploring Differences by Neighborhood Racial Composition .”
The Best Research Brief Award was presented to authors Eliza Short, PhD, RDN; Ji Li, MS; James P. Selig, PhD; Kelsey Bounds, BS; Brett Rowland, MA; Bonnie Faitak, MA; Jazmin Lane; Rosana Solis-Garcia; Holly C. Felix, PhD, MPA; Krista Langston, MBA; Pearl A. McElfish, PhD, MBA; Juan Mejia-Otera, MD; Lauren Haggard-Duff, PhD, RN; Christopher R. Long, PhD, for their article “ Medically Tailored Grocery Delivery for Food Pantry Clients with Diabetes .”
The Best GEM Finalist Award was presented to Jennifer A. Garner, PhD, RD; Jennifer C. Shrodes, RD, LD, CDCES; Katharine Garrity, MS, RD; Songzhu Zhao, MS; Emmanuella Aboagye-Mensah, MPH; Amaris Williams, PhD; Guy Brock, PhD; Jennifer Hefner, PhD, MPH; Daniel M. Walker, PhD, MPH; Joshua J. Joseph, MD, MPH, for their article “ Cooking Matters for Diabetes : A Curriculum to Support Diabetes Self-Management Among Individuals Facing Food Insecurity .”
The Best GEM Award was presented to authors Rebecca Brody, PhD, RD, LD, CNSC; Anca Cunningham, MS, RD; Jason Stevens, DCN, RDN, for their article “ Prairietown Regional Medical Center: An AI-Driven Simulation for Teaching Leadership and Change Management to Nutrition Graduate Students .”
JNEB Editor-in-Chief Lauren Haldeman, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina Greensboro, congratulates the award recipients: "The research recognized through these awards demonstrates the innovation, rigor, and dedication of the authors. As nutrition education continues to evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities, the evidence by these researchers is helping educators, practitioners, and communities make informed decisions that improve health outcomes. We are very proud to celebrate their contributions to the field."