Cassandra Beattie, Ph.D., M.S., is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Healthy Living Program within the Texas A&M AgriLife Institute for Advancing Health through Agriculture, IHA, where she works with Jacob Szeszulski, Ph.D., and his team at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.
Beattie’s research focuses on implementation science and physical activity promotion in community and school settings, with a particular interest in inclusive programming for youth with disabilities. She currently supports several funded initiatives, including the USDA-funded Texas MyPlate Food Ambassadors Changing Environments and Schools, Texas MyPlate FACES, project, where she contributes to the evaluation design and measurement. She also provides research support for the strategies to improve the adoption, reach and implementation of the MyPlate Ambassador Program, a project focused on enhancing nutrition and agricultural literacy. Her work utilizes qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to better understand how evidence-based health programs are implemented and adapted in real-world contexts to improve reach and sustainability.
Beattie earned her Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Kansas State University, where her doctoral research examined accessibility and inclusion in fitness environments for individuals with disabilities. She also holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Kansas State University. Prior to her current role, she served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Baylor University, focusing on youth physical activity and social wellbeing.