Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Sylvia L Crixell

  • Professor - School of Family & Consumer Sciences

Biography and education

Dr. Crixell earned her MS in Biology at Texas State University in 1991 and her PhD in Biological Sciences/Nutrition at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Crixell is co-director of Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS), a community organization dedicated to improving children's health, and a nutrition consultant for WellCats, the employee wellness program at Texas State University. Her research addresses child nutrition and adult wellness.

Research Interests

  • Crixell, Sylvia L (Co-Principal), Biediger-Friedman, Lesli M (Co-Principal). Chat with WIC: Innovating WIC Services with a Chatbot, Texas WIC: Texas Health and Human Services, Federal, $101000. (Funded: 2018). Grant.
  • Crixell, Sylvia (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %50, Biediger-Friedman, Lesli M (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %50. Chat with WIC: Innovating WIC Services with a ChatBot, USDA - Texas WIC HHSC, Federal, $101000. (Submitted: August 2017, Funded: September 2018 - August 2021). Grant.
  • Thornton, Hannah (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %50, Crixell, Sylvia L (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %50. TEACHING AND LEARNING TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION GRANT: ADVANCING VIDEOGRAPHY INSTRUCTION IN NUTRITION, Technology Innovation Office, Texas State University, $3600. (Submitted: April 1, 2019, Funded: September 1, 2019 - Present). Grant.
  • Lane, Michelle A, Crixell, Sylvia L. Diet, BFNF, and BPA Exposure as Predictors for Postpartum Behavioral Impairment in Low Income Women, Research Enhancement Program, Texas State University, $16000. (Submitted: October 2017, Funded: January 2018 - Present). Grant.
  • Biediger-Friedman, L. (Principal), Crixell, Sylvia L (Co-Principal). Video contest to improve feeding practices of low-income community infants and toddlers, Faculty REP, $13120. (Funded: 2016). Grant.
View all grants
  • Smith, R. J., Alvarez, C. G., Crixell, S. L., & Lane, M. A. (2021). The Food, Feelings, and Family Study: comparison of the efficacy of traditional methods, social media, and broadcast email to recruit pregnant women to an observational, longitudinal nutrition study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(203). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03680-1
  • Markides, B. R., Crixell, S. L., & Page, J. D. (2020). High Protein Intake Among Preschoolers in Childcare in a Region at Elevated Risk for Obesity. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24(8), 1008–1018.
  • Menge, L. D., Hu, Y., Crixell, S. L., Lloyd, L. K., Bezner, J. R., & Burke, P. J. (2018). Influences on catered event ordering in a university workplace: development and validation of the Understanding Food Ordering survey. American Journal of Health Promotion, October, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117118807217
  • Bezner, J. R., Franklin, K., Lloyd, L. K., & Crixell, S. L. (2018). Effect of Group Behavior Change Coaching on Psychosocial Constructs Associated with Physical Activity Among University Employees. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–15. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2018.1462232
  • Scott, C. A., Padilla, V., Markides, B., Biediger-Friedman, L. M., & Crixell, S. L. (2021). O47 Chat with Maya: Assessing the Usability of the Texas WIC Chatbot. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(7), S22–S23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.04.056
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Health Scholar Showcase Award, User-Centered Design of a Texas WIC ChatBot: Formative Investigation. February 2019
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi. 2018
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award 2017-2018, Graduate College Texas State University. 2017 - 2018
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi. 2017
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Runner-Up for Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Applied Arts, Texas State University. 2016
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  1. Other

    Nutrition and Foods

  2. Member

    Faculty Annual Evaluation Committee (Scholarship)

  3. Healthy City Task Force

  4. Other

    Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS!) City of San Marcos, Chapultepec Housing Center

  5. Member

    WellCats Team

  6. Member

    Director Search/Family & Consumer Sciences

  7. View all activities