Powers also served as the principal investigator for LiveWell Greenville. LiveWell Greenville is a partnership of dozens of public and private organizations that aims to make Greenville County a healthier place to live, work and play. Formed by a partnership between YMCA of Greenville, Furman University, Greenville Hospital System and Piedmont Health Foundation, the coalition has engaged more than 100 key partners in crafting plans to create policies, systems and environments in our community to make living well easier. From grassroots efforts, to specific partner projects, to county-level initiatives, LiveWell Greenville works on all levels to improve the health of Greenville residents. Powers served as the evaluation consultant for all projects associated with LiveWell Greenville and has helped garner more than $3 million dollars in funds to support LiveWell’s work.

Alicia Powers, assistant professor in the Health Sciences Department, joined the Furman faculty in 2007. Powers taught the Research and Evaluation course as well as the Advanced Nutrition Course for the Health Sciences Department. In addition, she served as the Health Sciences Majors Club advisor and involved more than 25 students each year in her research and service projects.

Duties included teaching introductory nutrition courses

Duties included team teaching a wellness concepts course with an exercise physiology and public health graduate student as well as teaching introductory nutrition courses.

Powers received her PhD in Nutrition and Food Systems with a focus in Public Health Nutrition and Community Based Participatory Research at The University of Southern Mississippi. Her dissertation research was entitled, “Process Evaluation of Fit for Life Steps, a Community Based Participatory Research Project.” While pursuing her PhD, Powers served as a graduate Research Assistant with the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative and served as an adjunct instructor for the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems. She also served as an adjunct instructor for the Department of Biological Sciences at Pearl River Community College, Forrest County Campus.

Powers graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Nutrition and Food Science from Auburn University. She then completed her MS in Nutrition and Food Science with an emphasis in Sports Nutrition at Auburn University. Her thesis research was entitled, “Investigation of Nutrition Education’s Influence on Student Nutrition Knowledge and Behavior.” While pursuing her MS, Powers served as a Graduate Research Assistant with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Program where she assisted in the evaluation.