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BIO

Dr. Garnett is the Adam and Abigail Burack Green and Gold Associate Professor in the Department of Education in the College of Education and Social Services (CESS), with a secondary appointment in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She teaches across CESS undergraduate and graduate programs including Education Leadership and Policy Studies and Special Education, and as a founding faculty of the PhD in Social Emotional and Behavioral Health and Inclusive Education (SHIE). She is also actively engaged in ¶¶Òõ̽̽'s undergraduate public health programs as well as food systems graduate program, teaching one of the core foundational Introduction to Public Health courses. 

Garnett is the Principal Investigator of the Catamount Community Schools Collaborativv (CCSC), a research-policy-practice partnership with the Vermont Agency of Education and community school partners dedicated to community school implementation and sustainability in Vermont. 

She identifies as an interdisciplinary public health prevention scientist interested in school health, youth health disparities, food security, school climate, restorative practices, community schools and mixed methods community based participatory research. Garnett brings a wealth of experience in conducting community based participatory research projects focused on addressing issues of health and educational equity. Her research agenda is informed by a diverse array of methodological approaches, disciplines and theoretical frameworks grounded in community based participatory approaches to support educational and health equity through multi-sectoral partnerships and collaborations, with schools, community-based organizations and state social service agencies.

Broadly, her research agenda sits at the nexus of public health and education, focusing on school and state level policies and programs that seek to support positive youth development, school climate and educational and healthy equity. Currently, she has four main arms to my active research activities: 1) implementation and evaluation of school based restorative practices, 2) implementation and evaluation of community schools, through a research-policy-practice partnership with state agencies, 3) school-based health center development and sustainability and 4) weight inclusive nutrition health education curriculum and school wellness policies. 

Dr. Garnett is a member of ¶¶Òõ̽̽'s Weight Inclusive Research group, supported by a USDA HATCH Grant, led by her colleague, Dr. Lizzy Pope. Garnett has a long standing partnership with the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program in the Larner College of Medicine and the Vermont Department of Health to support collaborative research and quality improvement related to School Based Health Centers in Vermont. 

Currently, Garnett is the Principal Investigator of two federally funded grants that support the CCSC: 1) Seed grant from the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships and 2) a Congressionally Funded Community Project (CFCP) administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education supported by a congressional direct spending request through Senator Sanders.

Courses

• Prevention Science Theory, EDSP 7100
• Mixed Methods Research, EDRM 6310
• Introduction to Public Health, HSCI 1100

Publications

Awards and Achievements

• 2024 Graduate Student Senate, Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Vermont
• 2022 Recognition of Knowledge, College of Education and Social Services
• 2022 ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Research Leadership Academy
• 2018 Adam and Abigail Burack Green and Gold Professor of Education
• 2018 Cat-A-Mentor, University of Vermont
• Sustainability Faculty Fellowship, University of Vermont
• Center for Rural Studies Faculty Fellowship, University of Vermont

Area(s) of expertise

• Community schools
• School health
• Public health
• Mixed methods
• Community based participatory research
• Prevention science theory