Marie Thoma, University of Maryland

About the Presentation

Dr. Thoma will present her ongoing research on the impact of external shocks on WIC program initiatives. She will focus on one study examining the ability of state WIC agency benefit transfer systems to facilitate prenatal WIC enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To explore this question, we analyze birth certificate data with information on prenatal WIC participation. Findings suggest that all states experienced declines in prenatal WIC enrollment during the pandemic, but states with electronic benefit transfer systems (EBT), regardless of type, declined less than states without EBT systems in place. This has implications for understanding how program design choices and system modernizations can mitigate risk, influence early enrollment into WIC, and better navigate future shocks.

About the Speaker

Marie Thoma is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She received her PhD from the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health and her MHS from the Department of Biostatistics at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH). Dr. Thoma is a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist / population health scientist focusing on the measurement, influences, and impact of maternal and infant health, birth spacing, and infertility at the population level. Her robust research program aims to optimize outcomes, enhance data and methods, and translate research into evidence-based policies and programs underpinning these areas. Through her research she strives to create a world where individuals of all backgrounds can freely pursue their reproductive goals and access services safely and equitably. Dr. Thoma’s research has been published in the Lancet Global Health, American Journal of Public Health, Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, and American Journal of Preventive Medicine and highlighted in several media outlets, including ProPublica / NPR’s Lost Mothers, USA Today, Reuters, and Global Health Now.

Seminar Format

Location IN PERSON: 2208 LeFrak Hall. We are requesting advanced registration so that we can track capacity. Please use this link to RSVP.

Location ONLINE VIA ZOOM: Zoom Registration Link. Upon registration, you will receive an automatically generated email with the direct link for the seminar

If accommodations are needed, please send request to meeting organizer (mprc-support@umd.edu) at least 72 hours prior to the event, if possible, to allow time to discuss and implement alternatives.

COVID-19 Information

MPRC public events for Fall 2024 will be a mix of in person and online via Zoom.  For in person events, all event attendees must follow current protocols