Serves as one of two Associate Directors of Extension Programs. Dr. Houtkooper provides leadership for the Family, Consumer and Health Sciences Cooperative Extension programs. Healthy Living, Family and Child Development and Caregiving, and Financial Management are the focus of these programs. Information about these program is available at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Website extension.arizona.edu/state/family-consumer-and-health-sciences.
Dr. Houtkooper represents the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cooperative Extension on University of Arizona initiatives and collaborations. She is an advisor to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through her role as a member of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Subcommittee of the NIFA Nutrition and Health Planning and Guidance Committee.
Dr. Houtkooper is also a faculty member in the Nutritional Sciences Department, a Registered Dietitian and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. The focus of her research is the investigation of how nutrition and physical activity affect bone health. Her outreach education programs foster health promotion through healthy eating, physical activity and sports.