Michael Thomsen
Michael Thomsen, Ph.D., has been named director of the Center for the Study of Obesity in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
He comes to UAMS from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, where he has worked for the past 23 years. Most recently, Thomsen served as a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness.
“I am excited for this opportunity to put my research expertise to use by growing the Center for the Study of Obesity,” he said in a news release. “I look forward to building relationships and collaborating with partners at UAMS and outside UAMS to improve the health of Arkansans.”
Thomsen’s work has improved understanding of environmental contributors to excess weight gain among Arkansas schoolchildren and has helped identify student populations at high risk for childhood obesity, according to the release. He is also studying the role of nutrition programs in addressing food insecurity and improving diet and health outcomes.
Thomsen has received the Jack G. Justus Endowment for Teaching Excellence and the Alumni Society Outstanding Advising Award at UA.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Utah State University and a doctorate in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Minnesota.
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