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Dr. Patricia Kennedy Involved in USDA Research Grants

UNL Associate Professor of Marketing Dr. Patricia Kennedy is currently working on two USDA grants that will help determine how marketing plays a role in two diverse topics. One grant is examining how marketing efforts impact childhood obesity and the other is studying how marketers can best reach people in rural communities.

Kennedy, along with Dr. Mary McGarvey of UNL's economics department, is working on research supported by a USDA grant exploring the various aspects of marketing that may be contributing to the increasing number of overweight and obese children in the United States. Initial findings have been published in The Journal of Public Policy and Marketing; and covered in the Omaha World Herald (November 23, 2010), The Washington Post (May 30, 2010), Nebraska Business (2008 and 2010), and The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald (June 20, 2006). Results to date have found that schools that offer al a carte food and beverages have more overweight and obese students.

As a member of another research team, Kennedy has been looking at how best to market rural communities in the U.S. A grant from the USDA has allowed the researchers to collect data from Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Preliminary results show that the reasons given for moving to a small town by new residents vary by location. However, the most often stated reasons include –- lower cost of living, simpler/less-congested way of life, to be closer to relatives, better/safer place to raise children, and to find a higher-paying job.

Kennedy, who joined the UNL College of Business Administration in 1989, continues to engage in research vital to the interests of Nebraskans and to those throughout the world.

Published: February 21, 2011