Michelle Parisi

Education

Research

Research Area and Interests:
Dissemination and implementation of health and nutrition programs and initiatives through an Extension model; Food system as a social determinant of health and food insecurity in rural communities

Teaching

1. University of Georgia (planned for 2024)
   • Survey of Obesity Weight Management (Nutr 8595): topics include analysis of scientific literature and journal articles for validity, presentation of research studies, physical and environmental factors related to obesity pathogenesis and self-management
   • Fundamentals of Human Nutrition (Nutr 2100): topics included food composition, digestion and metabolism, assessing the validity of nutrition information using the scientific method, food safety, world hunger and food security, and lifecycle nutrition
   • Master Research (Nutr 7000)
   • Undergraduate Student Research (Nutr 5010)
   • Community Nutrition Internship Preceptor

Prior Professional Positions

Awards

Service

Outreach

Extension Program and Initiatives: 

1. “Health Extension for Diabetes” (HED). 
   1. Parisi, M, Sherrill, W, Stancil, M, and McFall, D. Annual and new employee HED trainings. Clemson Extension Consumer Chronic Disease Prevention and Self-Management (CDPSM) programs. Jan 2018; Feb 2018; July 2018; Jan 2019; Aug 2019; Jan 2020; July 2022.
   2. “Health Extension for Diabetes: Train-the-Trainer” (HED TTT). Parisi, M, Sherrill, W, Stancil, M, and McFall, D.  HED Train-the-Trainer workshop.  Clemson Extension Consumer Chronic Disease Prevention and Self-Management (CDPSM) programs. Jan 2019.
   3. “Health Extension for Diabetes: Regional Facilitator Training” (HED RFT). Parisi, M, Sherrill, W, Stancil, M, and McFall, D.  HED Train-the-Trainer workshop for grant subaward recipients.  Clemson Extension Consumer Chronic Disease Prevention and Self-Management (CDPSM) programs. Oct 2023.
   4. “HED Licensing”.  Parisi, M, Sherrill, W, and McFall, D. Health Extension for Diabetes Program Licensure. CURF. 2023.
   5. Georgia Impact from 2025 pilot:
      1. 15 Extension agents and 1 PCD trained on HED program and associated curriculum
      2. 39 new Extension personnel trained on HED (Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina)
      3. 3 Cohorts delivering 16-week program to 33 participants

Advisory Committee

• SC Panel of Dietetics Licensure Board of Directors; 2023
• SC Extension Association of Family and Consumer Science State Advisor; 2023

Areas of Expertise

• Dissemination and Implementation Science
• Chronic Disease Prevention and Self-Management
• Cooperative Extension

Competitive Grant Awards

1. Parisi, M and Sherrill, W. 2023. “Health Extension for Diabetes: Program Expansion to Advance Health Equity”. A Strategic Approach to Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control. $5,000,000.
2. Parisi, M, Griffin, Baker, and Matthews. 2023. “Clemson Extension Healthy Options Program”. High Obesity Prevention Program. Centers for Disease Control $3,800,000.
3. Parisi, M. 2023. “Health and Mental Health Needs of Rural Veterans”.  USDVA-Office of Rural Health. $150,000.
4. Cartmell, M, and Parisi, M. 2023. “EXCITE: Extension Immunization Teaching and Engagement - Implementation Phase”.  National Extension Foundation. $100,000.
5. Sherrill, W and Parisi, M. 2023. “Health Extension for Diabetes”. Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of SC. $25,000.
6. McFall, D, Bales, M, Stancil, M, Sherrill, W, and Parisi, M. 2023. “Know Diabetes by Heart”.  American Diabetes Association. $16,500.
7. Sherrill, W, Stancil, M, and Parisi, M. 2022. “Enabling Precision Medicine: Increasing access to DSMES via an EHR-based clinical decision support tool”. American Diabetes Association. $600,000.
8. Parisi, M. 2022. “EXCITE: Adult vaccination in underserved populations.” National Extension Foundation. $10,000.
9. Griffin, S, Parisi, M, Northcutt, J, and Sherrill, W. 2022. “CDC-HOP Supplemental Project – Childhood Obesity Prevention”.  Centers for Disease Control. $100,000. 
10. Parisi, M. 2022. “Inventory of Cooperative Extension Services Veteran Mental Health resources”. United States Veterans Administration. $155,000. 
11. Parisi, M and Cartmell, K. 2021. “EXCITE: Extension collaborative on immunization, teaching and engagement”. National Extension Foundation. $45,000.
12. Parisi, M and Sherrill, W.  2021. “Know Diabetes by Heart”.  American Diabetes Association.  $100,000.
13. Griffin, S. Parisi, M, Northcutt, JK, and Sherrill, W.  2018. “South Carolina County Health Extension: high obesity prevention and elimination”. Centers for Disease Control. $4,300,000. 
14. Sherrill, W., Parisi, M, and Stancil, M. 2017. “Healthy South Carolina: A Population Health Extension Initiative”. The Greenville Health Authority. $2,300,000.

Available Graduate Research Assistantships

No assistantships available currently

Contact Dr. Parisi for more information.

Current Classes

NUTR 8595 Survey of Obesity Weight Management; Spring 2024

Current Research

1. Parisi, M and Sherrill, W. 2023. “Health Extension for Diabetes: Georgia”. A Strategic Approach to Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control. $269,000.
2. Parisi, M. 2023. “Health and Mental Health Needs of Rural Veterans”.  USDVA-Office of Rural Health. $150,000.

Job Description

Extension Specialist for Chronic Disease Self-Management programming

Journal Articles

Selected publications from 2021-2025:

1. Sherrill, W, Hall, L, Kanny, S, Evatt, J, McFall, D, Dietz, C, and Parisi, M. Health Extension for Diabetes: Development, Implementation, Effectiveness, and Dissemination of a Community-Based Diabetes Self-Management Support Program. In review in Public Health Reports. Apr 2025.

2. Parisi, M, McFall, D, Sherrill, W, Stancil, M, Dietz, C, Kanny, S, and Rossi, M. Effectiveness of a Diabetes Self-Management Support Program Delivered In-Person and Online: A Quasi-Experimental Comparative Study. In Review in Journal of Diabetes Research. Mar. 2025.

3. Koob, C, Babatunde, A, Baxter, SLK, Parisi, M, and Griffin, SF. Examining primary care utilization across distance and body mass index classification among Medicaid-insured children in South Carolina. In review in Journal of Public Health. Mar 2025.

4. Parisi, M, Rossi, M, and Radunavich, H. Multiple Chronic Conditions and Extension program opportunities for Rural Veterans living in South Carolina and Florida: A Qualitative Study. In review in BMC Public Health. Jan. 2025.

5. Rossi, M.M., Radunovich, H.L. & Parisi, M.A. Rural veteran perception of healthcare access in South Carolina and Florida: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 24, 826 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11241-3

6. Rossi, MM³, Parisi, MA, Radunovich HL, Parker J¹. Facilitating Healthcare for Veterans Residing in Rural South Carolina and Florida: What is Community Care?. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2023 Nov. LGP 1182. https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/facilitating-healthcare-for-veterans-residing-in-rural-south-carolina-and-florida-what-is-community-care/ .

7. Rossi, M³, Parisi, M, Cartmell, KB, and McFall, D. Understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Hispanic adult population of South Carolina: a complex mixed-method design evaluation study. BMC Public Health 23, 2359 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16771-9 .

8. Hossfeld, C¹, Rennert, L, Baxter, S.L.K, Griffin, S.F, and Parisi, M. 2023. The association between food security status and the home food environment among a sample of rural South Carolina residents. Nutrients. 15:3918. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183918

9. Baxter, SLK³, Jackson, E, Onufrak, S, Parisi, M, and Griffin S. Differences in Rural Built Environment Perceptions Across Demographic and Social Environment Characteristics. Health Promotion Practice. 2022. 23(1suppl):44S-54S. https://doi.org/10.2337/ds21-0054. 

10. Jackson, E, Onufrak, S, Parisi, M, and Griffin, S. Assessing demographics, the social environment, and walkability in rural South Carolina. Health Promot Pract. 2022. 23(1 Suppl):44S-54S. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/123905

11. Parisi, M, Lane, E, Dye, CJ, Matthews, R, McFall, D, Bain, E, and Sherrill, WW. Traditional and Virtual Hypertension Self-Management Health Education Program Delivered Through Cooperative Extension. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 2022. 10(3), 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1435.

12. Dietz, CJ¹, Sherrill, WW, Ankomah, S, Rennert, L, Parisi, M, and Stancil, M. Impact of a community-based diabetes self-management support program on adult self-care behaviors. Health Education Research. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac034

13. Parisi, M, McFall, D, Ankomah, S, Dietz, CJ, Kanny, S, Jones, KG, Stancil, M, and Sherrill, WW. Know diabetes by heart: Education about the linkage between cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Health Education Journal. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/00178969221143218.

14. Dietz, CJ¹, Westbrook-Sherrill, W, Stancil, M, Rennert, L, Parisi, M, and McFall, D. Health Extension for Diabetes: Impact of a Community-Based Diabetes Self-Management Support Program on Older Adults’ Activation. Diabetes Spectr, September 2022. https://diabetesjournals.org/spectrum/article-abstract/doi/10.2337/ds21-0054/147594/Health-Extension-for-Diabetes-Impact-of-a?redirectedFrom=fulltext

15. Eck, CJ, Layfield, KD, DiBenedetto, CA, Jordan, JK, Scott, SO, Thomas, W, Parisi, M, and Dobbins, T. Assessing Awareness and Competence of Best Practices in Synchronous Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Clemson Cooperative Extension Professionals. The Journal of Extension, 2022. 60(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.01.09.

16. Polašek O, Wazny K, Adeloye D, Song P, Chan KY, Bojude DA, [...], Htay MN, Parisi M, Peprah P, Sacks E, Akinyemi KO, Shahraki-Sanavi F, Sharov K, Rotarou ES, Stankov S, Supriyatiningsih W, Chan BT, Tremblay M, Tsimpida D, [...], Rudan I. Research priorities to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries. J Glob Health. 2022 Apr 15;12:09003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35475006/

17. Graham, J², Altman, M, Baxter, S, Griffin, S, and Parisi, M. Implementation of a Cooperative Extension food distribution action plan during times of crisis. Land Grant Press, 2021.  https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/implementation-of-a-cooperative-extension-food-distribution-action-plan-during-times-of-crisis/

18. White, M¹, McFall, D, Matthews, R, and Parisi, M. Reaching At-Risk Communities Through Extension-Clinical Partnerships LandGrant Press, January 2021. https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/reaching-at-risk-communities-through-extension-clinical-partnerships/

Publications

Extension Trade, Training, and Consumer Publications:

1. Rossi, M ³, Patsel, C, McFall, D, Burns, A, and Parisi, M. EXCITEd about COVID prevention – youth activity and resource guide, 2022. Developed for agent and teacher distribution to 4-H clubs and school enrichment programs.
2. Parisi, M, McFall, D, Stancil, M, and Sherrill, W.  Health Extension for Diabetes; Community-Based Diabetes Self-Management Program Expanded Curriculum Facilitator’s Guide, 2020.  Developed for the education and training of those delivering the Health Extension for Diabetes Program.
3. Parisi, M, Sherrill, W, McFall, D, and Stancil, M.  Health Extension for Diabetes; Community-Based Diabetes Self-Management Program Participant Manual, 2019. Developed for the education of the general public.