Dr. Sumathi Venkatesh is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist with expertise in nutrition research and Extension programming. She has contributed to developing, implementing, and evaluating various educational programs aimed at reducing preventable diseases, particularly those focused on chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Her work focuses on improving public health through education and outreach, with programs in school nutrition, weight management, recipe development, hands-on cooking demonstrations, physical activity promotion, and worksite wellness. Her professional interests include nutrition education, chronic disease prevention and management, dietary acculturation, culinary medicine, curriculum development, and Extension outreach and program implementation.