Rate My Professor Catherine Coccia

Catherine Coccia, Ph.D., R.D., is an Associate Professor and Director of the Ph.D. Program in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida International University’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. She earned her Ph.D. from Florida State University and her B.S. and M.S.-DI from the University of Florida. As a registered dietitian with experience working with children and families, she focuses on improving health outcomes through proper nutrition. Dr. Coccia directs the Nutrition Intervention and Community Education (N.I.C.E.) Lab, which provides nutrition education and interventions to facilitate behavior change across diverse community populations.

Her research combines basic science in child health, self-regulation, and eating behaviors with evaluations of community-based programs to enhance health-related outcomes in underserved populations. She investigates the roles of schools and parents in influencing health behaviors among preschool-age children, adolescents, and emerging adults, and develops community-based interventions tailored to diverse groups, with a particular emphasis on childhood obesity and community health. As principal investigator, Dr. Coccia has secured funding for projects including the Family Meal Project: A Parent-Driven Culturally Responsive Program to Increase Pork Consumption (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2023–2025), Family Nutrition Ecosystem Intervention to Prevent Childhood Overweight/Obesity (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 2018–2021), Preventing Overweight/Obesity in Elementary School Children: Pre-service Classroom Teachers as Agents of Change (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 2015–2018), Tweeting Before Breakfast: Improving Family Breakfast Habits (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2014–2016), and Helicopter Parenting of College Students: Strengthening Family Well-being with an Interdisciplinary Approach (National Council on Family Relations, 2017–2018). She serves as the 2025-2026 President of the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Key publications include “Effects of a Virtual Nutrition Intervention on Montessori Teachers' Nutrition Role Modeling Abilities and Classroom Practices” (Journal of School Health, 2026), “Development of the TEACH Study: A Culturally Responsive Nutrition Intervention Program for Montessori Teachers” (Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2026), “The Mediating Effect of Eating Behaviors on Interoception, Self-Regulation and Weight Status Among College Students” (Nutrients, 2024), “Impact of a Montessori-Based Nutrition Program on Children's Knowledge and Eating Behaviors” (Journal of School Health, 2023), and “Reducing cardiovascular disease risk in mid-life and older African Americans: A church-based longitudinal intervention project at baseline” (Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2014).