The College of Human Ecology at Cornell University has established the Hazel E. Reed Human Ecology Extension Professorship in Family Policy in honor of the late Hazel Reed, professor emerita of the college and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Christine Olson, professor of community nutrition, will be the first holder of the new professorship.

Fundraising for this endowment took 13 years and more than 550 donors; the goal was finally met with a significant bequest from Reed, who retired in 1967 and died in 1997.

Reed, who joined the College of Home Economics in 1949 as associate professor in Cooperative Extension and an assistant state leader of home demonstration agents, encouraged the development of innovative home economics programs at statewide and local levels. She established a supervised professional development experience for extension home economists assuming program leadership positions. Reed also chaired a task force whose deliberations led to new opportunities for extension to contribute to the quality of life for children and families and to expand programs emanating from the college to a growing audience.

"Hazel Provided strong leadership to community leaders and professional home economics educators across the state," said Francille Firebaugh, dean of the College of Human Ecology.

Olson focuses her research on food insecurity and hunger, postpartum weight retention and human lactation. "Her work in food insecurity at the household level, and in how nutritional recommendations relate to pregnancy outcomes and women's health, place her extension and research efforts at the center of the intent of the professorship," said Firebaugh.

Olson, the department extension leader for nutritional sciences and a former assistant dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Human Ecology, was co-chair of the expert panel at the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine. That panel authored the award-winning book, Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation: An Implementation Guide. Olson earned her B.S. in experimental foods and a M.S. and Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.