Dr. Miriam E Nelson, Ph.D., is a dedicated social entrepreneur working on sustainability, public health, food systems, and civic engagement, with a track record of high-impact strategic planning, fundraising, and communications. 

As an international leader on sustainability, nutrition, physical activity, and public health, Dr. Nelson has published numerous scholarly works. Based on her innovative research, Dr. Nelson has written ten books, including Strong Women Stay Young and three other New York Times bestsellers. Together, these books have sold over a million copies in 14 languages.

Miriam Nelson was most recently President and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation, the nonprofit created by Paul Newman to continue his legacy of giving to charity all net profits and royalties from the sale of Newman’s Own food and beverage products. From 2015 to 2019, she served on the Newman’s Own, Inc., board of directors. 

Dr. Nelson is the former president of Hampshire College in Massachusetts. Prior to that she was the director of the Sustainability Institute and deputy chief Sustainability Officer at the University of New Hampshire. She has also served as associate dean of Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life and professor of nutrition at its Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. At the Friedman School, she was the founding director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention and co-founder of ChildObesity180.

In addition to her original scholarship, Miriam has contributed broadly to public policy initiatives. In 2008 she served as the vice-chair of the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also served on the 2010 and 2015 respective Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees (DGAC) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Within the 2015 DGAC, Miriam spearheaded the influential work on dietary guidance and sustainability. From 2011 to 2014 Miriam served as a member of the Science Board of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (chairing in 2013).

 Miriam is a member of the American Alpine Club board of directors. She holds a BS from the University of Vermont and a PhD from Tufts University. She is married to Kinloch Earle and together they have three grown children.