Dr. Sylvia Hurd Crixell received her PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in biological sciences/nutrition. She is a Professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). She is the Didactic Program Director for the Nutrition and Foods program, and teaches a diverse array of courses, including Nutrition Science, Food Science, Nutrition in the Lifespan, Sports Nutrition, Nutrition for Wellness and Fitness, Biochemical Nutrition, and Advanced Community Nutrition.

She is the author of an online food science laboratory, Visualizing Food Science, the development of which was funded by the US Department of Agriculture. In addition, she created and taught an honors course, The Science and Politics of the Human Diet.

Her research interests are diverse. For example, she has worked with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Department of Agriculture to evaluate school meals in Texas, and has worked with ConAgra, Inc., to determine acceptability of healthier food options by children eating school meals.

Currently, Dr. Crixell is collaborating with faculty in other departments at Texas State to direct a research-based community wellness program in central Texas. This program, funded by a grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to help Mexican American women and their children achieve healthier body weights. The program could not function without the invaluable assistance of the FCS department staff and many dedicated Nutrition and Foods majors. Dr. Crixell also serves as a professional consultant for schools in the community and well-kids camps at Texas State.