Jenny Eyer

Jenny Eyer

Director, Center for Child Health Research & Policy

jeyer@childrenatrisk.org

About Jenny

Jenny Eyer graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Abilene Christian University in 2008, and earned her MPH with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health in 2012. She has worked as a research assistant for the University of Texas School of Public Health and Dell Center for Healthy Living to promote child health in the North Texas area. This work focused on implementing a coordinated school health program, CATCH, into Dallas area middle schools. Her work here included facilitating program implementation, collecting measurement data, and assisting with curriculum integration. Jenny currently leads CHILDREN AT RISK’s Food in Schools Initiative as it expands its efforts across the state.

Which teacher had the greatest impact on you?

Coach Taylor. He was a math teacher and both my Freshman volleyball coach and Varsity soccer coach. High School can be quite intimidating as an incoming freshman, and while this might be hard to believe now, I was quiet and shy. Coach Taylor completely believed in not only my skills as an athlete, but my ability to lead others. My parents were always supportive of anything I wanted to do, but it was nice to have someone not related to me also believe I had the ability to make a difference in this world. I still speak with him today!

What was your favorite book as a child?

Anything Boxcar Children related! I love my siblings, and I thought it would be fun to get to hang out with my sisters in a boxcar.

What is your dream for Texas children?

My dream is that no Texas child ever goes to bed hungry because of a lack of access to healthy food. Texas is a state with an abundance of resources, yet a high percentage of our children are considered food insecure, which is completely unacceptable.