Harkin on Wellness Symposium
The Harkin on Wellness (HOW) Symposium is an annual gathering to discuss timely topics associated with wellness and nutrition. Each year, the HOW Symposium gathers practitioners, policymakers, students, educators and members of the public for an engaging and educational event.

View the Recap: 2021 HOW Symposium
March 8-9, 2021
This year’s symposium explored how food is medicine to our bodies, society, economy and environment. “Food is Medicine” solutions promote better wellbeing and lower health care costs, create resilient and sustainable practices, reduce disparities among population groups, improve economic competitiveness and lead to greater national security. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the renowned Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, delivered the keynote speech. Dr. Mozaffarian is a cardiologist, nutrition scientist and public health advocate who was named one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds by Thomson Reuters in 2016.

2021 HOW Symposium Agenda
The 2021 HOW Symposium will be available to stream on demand after the event. Please note, it may take several days to format and upload content after the symposium. All times presented are in Central Standard Time (CST).
Day 1: Monday, March 8, 2021
PART 1 | ||
9 a.m. | Welcome | |
Senator Tom Harkin
Joseph Jones, MPA, Executive Director, The Harkin Institute |
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9:15 a.m. | Keynote Presentation: Food is Medicine Model | |
Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts University | ||
10 a.m. | Live Q&A | |
Dariush Mozaffarian
Senator Tom Harkin |
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10:30 a.m. | Panel Discussion: Redefining Health, Food is Medicine Model | |
Andrew Nish, MD, Medical Director John Stoddard Cancer Center, UnityPoint Health
Megan Lott, MPH, RDN, Deputy Director, Healthy Eating Research Mark Rasmussen, PhD, Director, Leopold Center, Iowa State University Michael Roberts, Esq., Executive Director, Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy, UCLA |
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11:30 a.m. | Live Q&A with available panelists | |
12 p.m. | 1 hour break | |
PART 2 | ||
1 p.m. | Breakout Sessions: Harkin on Wellness designees
Food Outreach; Julie Lock, Executive Director and Kathy Spencer, Director of Client Services Brighter Bites; Shreela Sharma, PhD, Cofounder and Mike Pomeroy, MPH, Senior Program Director |
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1:45 p.m. | Closing Remarks |
Day 2: Tuesday, March 9, 2021
PART 1 | ||
9 a.m. | Opening message | |
Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt, PhD, RDN, LD, Associate Director Wellness and Nutrition Policy, The Harkin Institute | ||
9:15 a.m. | Keynote Presentation | |
Edward Ehlinger, MD, MSPH | ||
10 a.m. | Live Q&A with Health Equity Leaders | |
Edward Ehlinger, MD, MSPH
Chris Mackey, Senior Project Coordinator, National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability Nalo Johnson, PhD, Director, Division of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention, Iowa Department of Public Health Senator Tom Harkin |
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10:30 a.m. | Panel Discussion: Innovation and Equity in Health Care | |
Alyssa Auvinen, MPH, Project Director, Washington State Department of Health
Lisa Harnack, DrPH, RD, MPH, Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota Allison Yoder, MA, RDN, LD, Nutrition in Food Retail Program Development Fellow, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Mona Shah, PhD, MPH, Senior Program Office, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
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11:30 a.m. | Live Q&A with available panelists | |
12 p.m. | 1 hour break | |
PART 2 | ||
1 p.m. | Breakout Sessions: Harkin on Wellness designees
Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School’s Food is Medicine, Katie Garfield, JD, Clinical Instructor, Harvard Law School The Chicago Botanic Garden; Eliza Founier, Special Contracts Director Open Arm Minnesota; Brianna Tobritzhofer, Senior Manager of Nutrition Services |
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1:45 p.m. | Closing Remarks |
2021 Harkin on Wellness Report
The 2021 HOW Report highlights the work of wellness and nutrition initiatives from around the United States that have found success strategically connecting food systems with health and wellness. This approach can lead to a larger impact on issues related to food, health and the environment.
Keynote Speakers

Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH,
Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts University
Dariush Mozaffarian is a cardiologist, Dean and Jean Mayer Professor at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical School. As one of the top nutrition institutions in the world, the Friedman School’s mission is to produce trusted science, future leaders, and real-world impact. Dr. Mozaffarian has authored more than 400 scientific publications on dietary priorities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and on evidence-based policy approaches to reduce these burdens in the US and globally. He has served in numerous advisory roles including for the US and Canadian governments, American Heart Association, World Health Organization, and United Nations. His work has been featured in a wide array of media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and Time Magazine. In 2016, Thomson Reuters named him as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds. Dr. Mozaffarian received a BS in biological sciences at Stanford (Phi Beta Kappa), MD at Columbia (Alpha Omega Alpha), residency training in internal medicine at Stanford, and fellowship training in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Washington. He also received an MPH from the University of Washington and a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard. Before being appointed as Dean at Tufts in 2014, Dr. Mozaffarian was at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health for a decade and clinically active in cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is married, has three children, and actively trains as a Third Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. The Friedman School pursues cutting-edge research, education, and public impact across five Divisions, a cross-divisional Center, and multiple academic programs. Areas of focus range from cell to society, including: molecular nutrition, human metabolism and clinical trials, nutrition data science, behavior change, community and organizational interventions, communication and media, agriculture, food systems, and sustainability, hunger and food security, humanitarian crisis, and food policy and economics. Friedman School graduates are leaders in academia, US and international government, policy, advocacy, industry, public health, community service, and entrepreneurship. The school’s unique breadth, engagement with the world, and entrepreneurial spirit make it a leading institution for nutrition education, research, and public impact.

Edward P. Ehlinger, MD, MSPH
Dr. Edward Ehlinger is a public health metaphysician who has spent his professional career working in various settings to advance health equity and optimal health for all. He has Integrated the values, practices, and approaches of medical care, public health, community building, and social justice in his work as a Senior Assistant Surgeon with the National Health Service Corps, Director of Maternal and Child Health at the Minneapolis Health Department, Director and Chief Health Officer at Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota, and Commissioner of Health at the Minnesota Department of Health. He currently chairs the federal HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality, serves on several boards, provides coaching for the National Leadership Academy for Public Health, and consults and speaks on public health and community-building issues locally and nationally. Dr. Ehlinger received his BA degree in English and his MD degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and his Master of Science in Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. He is a Fellow of the American College Health Association, a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, and a Bush Fellow. He is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics and is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. He is a past president of the Minnesota Public Health Association, the North Central College Health Association, the Twin Cities Medical Society, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the first board chair of CityMatCH.
Speakers

Alison Yoder, MA, RDN, LD

Alyssa Auvinen, MPH
Project Director, Washington State Department of Health

Mark Rasmussen, PhD, MBA, MS, Director, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University

Lisa Harnack, DrPH, RD
Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota

Dr. Andrew Nish, MD
Medical Director, John Stoddard Cancer Center, Des Moines

Michael Roberts, Esq.
Executive Director, Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy, UCLA
Chris Mackey
Senior Project Coordinator, National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)
Mona Shah, PhD, MPH
Senior Program Office, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Nalo Johnson, PhD
Director, Division of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention, Iowa Department of Public Health
Dr. Johnson has extensive experience in public health and community health efforts at state and local levels in both chronic disease prevention/health promotion as well as communicable disease prevention. Dr. Johnson has a specific interest in reducing health disparities among Iowa’s vulnerable and underserved populations and practices participatory, evidence based methods to address community health concerns.
Megan Lott, MPH, RDN
Deputy Director, Healthy Eating Research, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program
Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
- Anthem
- RWJF Special Contributions Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation
- Sukup Manufacturing
Gold Sponsors
- Hy-Vee
Silver Sponsors
- Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation
- Kum & Go
- Mid-Iowa Health Foundation
- Navigate
- Paul and Claudia Schickler
Address: 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311
Phone: (515) 271-3623
Fax Number: (515) 271-3631
Email: harkininstitute@drake.edu
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.