Associate Professor & State Nutrition Specialist
LSU AgCenter, Nutrition and Community Health
LSU School of Nutrition and Food Sciences

Dr. Holston is an Associate Professor, State Extension Nutrition Specialist, and registered dietitian with the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service at the LSU AgCenter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For over 20 years, she has specialized in translation, development, dissemination and implementation of population-based, multi-level community-participatory obesity prevention interventions and programs.

She currently serves as the Principal Investigator for the LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative and the CDC’s High Obesity Program. Dr. Holston’s research applies dissemination and implementation science to integrate evidence-based practices into multi-level obesity prevention and local food access efforts. Her work focuses on assessing feasibility, acceptability, facilitators and barriers of obesity prevention strategies that improve nutrition security and expand food access in rural, underserved, and understudied communities.

PhD in Nutrition and Food Sciences, December 2017.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
Dissertation: Implementation of community-based socio-ecological approaches to obesity prevention: a collection of exploratory studies.

MS in Human Ecology, Concentration: Human Nutrition and Food, May 2004.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA.
Thesis: Nutrition education needs of low socioeconomic status African American women.

BS in Dietetics, May 2001.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA.

Dietetic Internship, December 2004.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

Certificates
Certificate in Corporate Community Involvement, December 2010.
Boston College, Carroll School of Management, Boston, MA.

Professional Credentials and Licensure
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, RD #932624 (2005-present).
Louisiana Dietitian/Nutritionist, License #1955 (2005-present).

2023-present Associate Professor (with tenure) and Nutrition Specialist, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

2017-2023 Assistant Professor (tenure track) and Nutrition Specialist, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

2007-2017 Instructor, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

2007-2012 Instructor, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences and Department of 4-H Youth Development, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

2004-2007 Extension Associate, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, School of Human Ecology, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

2002-2004 Community Nutrition Graduate Research Assistant, Family Nutrition Program (SNAP-ED), Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, School of Human Ecology, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Losavio R, Seals K, Freightman J, Holston D. Strengthening rural food access in Louisiana: The LSU AgCenter High Obesity Program and the charitable food system. Food Sci Nutr Cases. 2025; fsncases20250020.

Stroope J, Balis L, Garn A, Seals K, Holston D. Rural physical activity in the Mississippi Delta: the moderating influence of stray dogs. Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living. 2025; 5(3), 171-181.

Button AM, Holston DM, Freightman J, Seals K, Greene MD, Bankhead E, Harrington DM, Murray P, Staiano A. Family weight management in rural U.S. communities: A mixed methods study of parent and child perspectives. BMC Public Health. 2025;25(1):2089.

Houghtaling B, Pradhananga N, Holston D, Cater M, Balis, L. A mixed method evaluation of practitioners' perspectives on implementation strategies for healthy eating and active living policy, systems, and environmental changes. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2025 May-Jun 01;31(3):447-458.

Stroope J, Jones M, Nunes B, Holston, DM. Improving access to the Transportation Alternatives Program for rural communities. Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living, 2024;4(3), 189-195.

Houghtaling B, Balis L, Pradhananga N, Cater M, Holston DM. Healthy eating and active living policy, systems, and environmental changes in rural Louisiana: a contextual inquiry to inform implementation strategies. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2023; 132.

Pathak S, Wang H, Seals K, Adusumilli NC, Holston DM (2023). Self-assessed health status and obesity vulnerability in rural Louisiana: A cross-sectional analysis. PLoS ONE , 2023;18(6):e0287181.

Houghtaling B, Haynes-Maslow L, Andress L, Hardison-Moody A, Grocke-Dewey M, Holston DM, Patton-López M, Pradhananga N, Prewitt T, Shanks J, Webber E, Byker Shanks C. (2023). Food insecurity among households with children during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. J of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2023;12(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2023.123.015.

Holston DM, Greene MD. The LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative: Community-Participatory Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change. J Nutr Edu Behav. 2023;55(4)

Fergus L, Long AR, Holston DM. Modeling behavioral economic strategies in social marketing messages to promote vegetable consumption to low-resource Louisiana residents: A conjoint analysis. JAND. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.01.011.

Greene MD, Holston DM, Freightman J, Briley C. African American Perceptions of Service Provided by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education: A Qualitative Exploration. J Nutr. Edu Behav. 2023;55(2):125-134.

Houghtaling B, Misyak S, Serrano E, Dombrowski RD, Holston DM, Singleton CR, Harden, SM. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) Framework to Advance the Science and Practice of Healthy Food Retail. J Nutr Edu Behav. 2023;55(3): 245-251.

Greene MD, Houghtaling B, Stroope S, Kroeger R, Holston DM. An Analysis of Equity in the SNAP-Ed Program: A comparison of dietary outcomes among African American and White participants in Louisiana. J Human Sci Extension. 10(3), 13.

Seals K, Stroope J, Freightman J, Ainsworth L, Moles A, Holston DM. Loose dogs and vacant houses: lessons learned from gathering a rural representative sample. Health Promotion Practice. 022 Nov;23(1_suppl):140S-148S.

Greene MD, Losavio R, Holston DM. Covid-19 mitigation behaviors in a Cooperative Extension audience: findings from a nutrition education study. J Extension. 2022.

Houghtaling B, Cater M, Pradhananga N, Holston DM. Louisiana Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized store marketing environments encourage the selection of less nutritious food and beverage products. J Nutritional Sci. 2022; 11, E64: doi:10.1017/jns.2022.60.

Greene MD, Houghtaling B, Sadeghzadeh C, De Marco M, Bryant DJ, Morgan R, Holston DM. African Americans’ perceptions of nutrition interventions: a scoping review. Nutr Res Rev. 2022; 1-60.

Greene MD, Stroope J, Holston DM. Adapting ripple effect mapping to a virtual format. J Extension. 2022; 60(1): 9. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.01.10.

Greene MD, Houghtaling B, Sadeghzadeh C, De Marco M, Bryant DJ, Morgan R, Holston DM. Nutrition interventions addressing structural racism: a scoping review. Nutr Res Rev.2022: 1-53.

Houghtaling B, Cater M, Bryant D, Brooks A, Holston DM. What is the availability, affordability, and quality of foods and beverages aligned with dietary guidance in Louisiana Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) authorized stores?. Prev Med Reports. 2021;24:101578.

Fergus L, Roberts R, Holston DM. Healthy eating in low-income rural Louisiana parishes: formative research for future social marketing campaigns. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18: 4745, https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph18094745.

Fergus L, Seals K, Holston DM*. Nutrition Interventions in low-income rural and urban retail environments: a systematic review. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(6):1087-1114.

Holston DM, Stroope J, Cater M. Facilitators and barriers to implementation of community-based socio-ecological approaches to obesity prevention among Cooperative Extension agents. J Human Sci Extension. 2021;9(1): 139-155.

Year	Award
2025	AgExcellence Award, Outstanding Grant Writing.
2024	AgExcellence Award, Outstanding Grant Writing.
2023	AgExcellence Award, Healthy Communities.
2022	Priester Culture of Health Award: LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative Alma Beth Clark Endowed Professorship.
2021	Floyd Edmiston Extension Excellence Award, LSU AgCenter.
2018	LEAFCS, Excellence in Teamwork, Assumption Healthy Communities Initiative.
2016	LEAFCS, Marketing Package Award, 1st Place Team.
2013	Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU) Extension Excellence Award, Southern Region.
2012	Joint Council of Extension Professionals Excellence in Teamwork Award, AgMagic. United States Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Health Care Innovations Exchange (Smart Bodies). Smart Bodies United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Program of Distinction for Youth Development.
2011	National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Jim Duncan Program of Distinction Award, State 4-H Leadership Boards.
2010	Louisiana Association of Extension 4-H Agents (LAE4HA) Specialty Award for Excellence in Teen Programming. Louisiana Association of Extension 4-H Agents (LAE4HA) Specialty Award for Power of Youth Team Award. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Program of Distinction for Youth Development for Louisiana State 4-H Youth Leadership Boards.
2009	Denver T Loupe Fellowship. Florence Hall Team Award, 1st Place Team. Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service CSREES Grantsmanship Workshop (selected)
2008	BlueWorks Award for Smart Bodies, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
2007	Gulf South Summit Scholarship. Smart Bodies United States Department of Agriculture, National Program of Distinction.
2003	Barbara and Larry Chachere Endowed Fellowship.