Kudos Corner

Below is an archive of our department's recent media appearances, awards, funded grants, publications, presentations, and other news highlighting the work of our talented faculty, staff, students, and alumni. To submit information for inclusion in our weekly Kudos Corner distribution, please use the link on the right-hand side of the page. Questions can also be directed to Dr. Emma Laing, Director of NUTR Communications at emonk@uga.edu.

• Media Appearances New

  May 23, 2023

  • Hepcidin - The Liver Hormone Regulating Iron Metabolism (Art Grider) – agNS YouTube channel
  • Prevent raw flour from being a recipe for disaster in your kitchen (Carla Schwan) – CAES Newswire

  May 16, 2023

  • 30 foods you should never put in your freezer (Tracey Brigman) – Women’s Health
  • Dietetics students achieve perfect match rate for internships (Dianna Thomas, Emma Laing) – UGA FACS

  May 02, 2023

  • 12th Annual UGA Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition (Chisom Okoli) – UGA Graduate School 
  • How Do Sardines Compare to Fish Oil Supplements? (Emma Laing) – Verywell Health, EIN News 

  Apr 25, 2023

  • Can you save money by preserving food at home? (Carla Schwan) – UGA FACS 
  • 2023 Research Awards (Emily Noble) – UGA Today
  • UGA approves tenure for 53 faculty members (Emily Noble) – UGA Today 
  • Promotions approved for 204 UGA faculty members (Emily Noble) – UGA Today

  Apr 11, 2023

  • How long do hard-boiled eggs last? (Tracey Brigman) - Tri-City Herald
  • Tips for maintaining a healthy body image in college (Emma Laing) - Glam
  • Director discusses honey as an alternative to sugar (Emma Laing) - UGA Today
  • Alumni Awards honorees recognized at annual celebration (Joe Kindler, Emma Laing, Lynn Bailey) - UGA FACS

  Mar 28, 2023

  • Cotwright takes key director role with USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Caree Cotwright) – FACS News, UGA Today

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Do Cocktail Cherries Go Bad? (Tracey Brigman) – Epicurious
  • Keys to Nourishing Yourself (Courtney Vickery) – Be Well and Be Whole podcast
  • Do I Need More Iron in My Diet? 5 Ways to Incorporate It (Courtney Vickery, Emma Laing) – Aaptiv 
  • Supplements, According to a Dietitian (Emma Laing) – VeryWellFit
  • Four best habits for stronger bones at every age (Emma Laing) – The Healthy/Reader’s Digest, West Daily Report

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Active Learning Leader Certificates presented at event (Emma Laing) – UGA Today   

  Feb 22, 2023

  • 16 Self-Care Gifts to Get Yourself for Valentine’s Day (Courtney Vickery) – Buy Side from WSJ 

  Feb 14, 2023

  • Stop Counting Calories and Get Out of the Restrict Binge Guilt Cycle (Courtney Vickery) – The Kitchen Invitation Podcast   
  • 8 Ways to Make Eating Healthy Less Expensive (Emma Laing) – What's Good

  Jan 31, 2023

  • Factors that could alter vitamin D's effect on health (Emma Laing) – Health Day, U.S. News & World Report, KOAM News

  Jan 24, 2023

  • Cottonseed oil may be beneficial to cardiovascular health in adults, study finds (Jamie Cooper) – EurekAlert! 
  • These common recipe instructions make food safety experts cringe (Carla Schwan) – The Washington Post 
  • How to tell if soda has gone bad (Carla Schwan) – Mashed 
  • 5 body neutrality tips for college students (Maybrie Eubanks) – Vickery Wellness 
  • Language is important when talking to kids about food, dietician says (Emma Laing) – UGA Today 
  • Pushing the limits: Athens Pilates studio owner balances business and motherhood (Georgia Stockton) – Red&Black

  Jan 10, 2023

  • Honey as an alternative to sugar? New study indicates the health benefits (Emma Laing) – Fox News, Yahoo! Entertainment, Jannah Times, Delecious Food

  Jan 03, 2023

  • How to make empanadas (Isabelle Smith) – WTOC 11 TV 
  • Creating an Affordable, Healthy Diet That Works for You (Tracey Brigman) – MoneyGeek 
  • How to Eat Healthy When Food Costs Are On the Rise (Tracey Brigman) – MoneyGeek 
  • Impact of assigning a moral virtue to food, according to experts (Emma Laing) – VeryWellFit 
  • Study: Raw honey may improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels (Emma Laing) – VerywellHealth, Lifestyle Asia 
  • The alcoholic drinks most likely to cause bloating, gas, and acid reflux, and what to sip instead (Emma Laing) – Business Insider South Africa

  Dec 13, 2022

  • Prunes may help prevent bone loss and preserve bone strength (Connie Rogers) – PSU 
  • Raw honey: Study finds this sweetener may help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels (Emma Laing) – Healthline 
  • How to know when you’re stress eating (Emma Laing) – Aaptiv 
  • Why you shouldn’t worry (much) about weight gain during the holidays (Jamie Cooper) – AJC 
  • Four experts to present obesity-related research at symposium (Jamie Cooper, Chad Paton) – FACS News 
  • Cooking from the heart: Latina student's empanada business shines light on her culture (Isabelle Smith, Bethany Younce) – Red&Black

  Nov 29, 2022

  • Is It Okay to Stick My Fingers in the Salt Cellar While I’m Cooking? (Carla Schwan) – Epicurious 
  • Food Safety Tips for Preparing a Holiday Turkey (Carla Schwan) – UGA Extension 
  • Leftovers: The complete guide (Elizabeth Andress) – Health Digest 
  • Georgia CTSA KL2 Scholar Uses Cutting-Edge Techniques to Enhance Precision in Assessing Human Bone Health (Joe Kindler) – Georgia CTSA Weekly eRoundup. The article was also posted on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages. 
  • Nutrient Sisters Podcast Interview: Body Positivity is Toxic Positivity? (Courtney Vickery) – Nutrient Sisters Podcast 
  • Not an Influencer, an Impact Maker Podcast Interview: How and where to connect with more clients (without having to post on social media) (Courtney Vickery) –Impact Maker Podcast 
  • Pediatric Disordered Eating, Weight Stigma, and Movement – (Courtney Vickery) – Fit Friends Happy Hour Podcast

• Awards and Honors New

  May 23, 2023

  • Congratulations to nutritional sciences major Tiolulope Popoola who was awarded the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Foundation’s Undergraduate Diversity Research Fellowship Award (UDRF) for her proposal titled, “What Children Eat: Children's Dietary Recall Accuracy by Quantification Type.” Tiolu is the sole winner of the diversity research fellowship and one of only five nationally who will receive research as well as travel funding to attend the ASN meeting “NUTRITION 2024” in July. Tiolu has been working with Sina Gallo’s research group over the past 2 years, was funded through both CURO and LSAMP, and will present this work as a poster presentation at ASN. More information about this prestigious award can be found here and here.

  May 16, 2023

  • Congratulations to doctoral student Wang Shin “Ann” Lei for receiving a prestigious American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Young Investigator Award! Ann has been invited to attend the European Calcified Tissue Society Ph.D. Training Course occurring in Sonderborg, Denmark, in June 2023.
  • Congratulations to dietetics major Hallie Chestnutt for receiving the Promise 360 Champion Award from Piedmont Athens Regional! This award is given to employees who go above and beyond to demonstrate Piedmont’s purpose, promise, and values.
  • Congratulations to the NUTR featured graduates for spring and summer 2023: Sherifa Akinniyi, Emily Crum, Caitlyn Davis, Katherine Ingerson, Isabelle Smith, Mary Lazzaro, and Tiffany Vo. Photos were shared on the FACS and NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  May 02, 2023

  • Congratulations to SDA’s newly appointed 2023-2024 Executive Council!  
  • President: Anna Faye Dupree
  • Vice President: Samantha Pregel
  • Secretary: AnnaLisa Hutchinson
  • Treasurer: Anna Nguyen
  • Communications Chair: Callie Dellinger
  • Social Chair: Gaby Contreras
  • Community Service Chair: Savannah Regnier
  • Public Relations Chair: Lily Grant

  Apr 25, 2023

  • Elizabeth Cogan successfully defended her dissertation on 4/19! The title of her presentation was, "The Effect of Pecan Consumption on Vascular Function and Health." Betsy will graduate in August and will begin her faculty position at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN soon after. Her official job title is going to be Assistant Professor and DPD Director (starting in 2024) in the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Exercise Science Department. Photos of Betsy and her advisor, Dr. Cooper, were shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages. Congratulations on your amazing accomplishments, Dr. Cogan!
  • Congratulations to Culinary Science and Nutrition major Noah Mewborn for receiving the Remarkable Futures Scholarship from Chick-fil-A! Recipients of this scholarship display dedicated work ethic and leadership in their roles as Team Members for the company. Noah’s photo was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.
  • Congratulations to Tracey Brigman who received the 2022-2023 Transfer Advocate Award! Students identified Dr. Brigman as a person who has had a significant and positive impact and contributed greatly to their successful transition to UGA.
  • Congratulations to Emily Noble on receiving the Charles B. Knapp Early Career Scholar Award! This award recognizes outstanding accomplishment and evidence of potential future success in scholarship, creative work, or research by an early career faculty member in the social and behavioral sciences. Dr. Noble received her award at the Research Awards banquet on April 20th in the Georgia Center. This news was shared in UGA Today and on the FACS Facebook page.
  • Congratulations to Emily Noble for being appointed as the Associate Editor of the journal Obesity Reviews (impact factor 10.87).

  Apr 11, 2023

  • Congratulations to PhD student Chisom Okoli for emerging as the 1st runner up for the UGA 3MT finalist competition held on 4/5. Chisom’s presentation was titled, “Equity in Wellness: Development of an eLearning Training to Improve Healthy Beverage Consumption in Black Families of Young Children." Photos of Chisom receiving her award from Provost Hu and Graduate School Dean Walcott were shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.
  • Congratulations to the newly elected nutritional sciences GSO executive board for 2023-2024!
    • President: Megan Appelbaum
    • Vice President: Eden Crain
    • Treasurer: Julia Lance
    • Secretary: Yu-Chen (Jenny) Lin

  Mar 28, 2023

  • Caree Cotwright has been named director of nutrition security and health equity for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Congratulations, Dr. Cotwright! This news was shared on the FACS and NUTR Facebook pages, as well as the news outlets, FACS News and UGA Today. 
  • Congratulations to nutritional sciences major Sherifa Akinniyi who was selected as a First Honor Graduate, the highest academic distinction a student at the University may attain. First Honor Graduates attending the 2023 Presidential Honors Week Luncheon on 4/19 will receive an official academic honor cord and fourragere designating this special recognition. Sheri will be formally recognized for this honor during Commencement. 
  • Congratulations to dietetics major Emily Crum who was selected to receive the Outstanding Honors Student in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences Award. Emily will be recognized at the Morehead Honors College Graduation Banquet on 4/19.
  • Congratulations to MS student Julia Lance, nutritional sciences major Caitlyn Davis, and dietetics major Rose Sebaugh for receiving membership into the Blue Key National Honor Society. Blue Key members have a distinguished character and quality in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and service. Our students will be recognized at the initiation ceremony on 4/2.

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Congratulations to PhD students Sitara Cullinan and Yu-Chen (Jenny) Lin who are among this year's Outstanding TA Award winners! OTA Award winners will be celebrated in the March GradTeach newsletter and formally recognized at the Spring Teaching Symposium event. Photos of Sitara and Jenny were shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.
  • Congratulations to the following FACS Award Winners from our department. These faculty and staff will be recognized at the FACS College Assembly on 4/11:
    • Tracey Brigman: Super-Includer Award
    • Caree Cotwright: Faculty Mentoring Undergraduate Research Award
    • Joseph Kindler: Early Career Faculty Research Award (physical/biological science)
    • Emma Laing: Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor of the Year Award (faculty)
    • Kandice Mitchell: Nettie Marie Nickols Outstanding Staff Award

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Congratulations to the following individuals from our department who were selected for the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics awards! Recipients will receive their awards during the GAND Annual Conference and Expo on Thursday, March 2.
    • Catherine Prater: Outstanding Dietetic Student Award in the Dietetic Intern category
    • Emily Crum: Outstanding Dietetic Student Award in the Undergraduate Student category
    • Brianna Cannova: Recognized Young Dietetic Technician of the Year Award
    • Courtney Vickery: Distinguished Service in Media Award
  • Congratulations to Tonya Harris, Tracey Brigman, and Emma Laing who have each been recognized by the UGA Career Center as a student career success influencer! As part of the UGA Career Outcomes Survey, Class of 2022 graduates were asked to identify UGA faculty and staff who have had a significant, positive impact on their career decision-making process.

  Feb 22, 2023

  • Congratulations to our faculty who were selected as recipients of the 2023 FACS Alumni Awards. Each will receive their awards at the FACS 44th annual Alumni Awards at the State Botanical Gardens on 3/24: 
    • Joseph Kindler: Pacesetter Award
    • Emma Laing: Distinguished Alumni Award
    • Lynn Bailey: Honor Hall of Recognition

  Feb 14, 2023

  • Congratulations to Jung Sun Lee who was featured in the winter 2023 issue of Georgia Magazine in a Q&A written by Leigh Beeson. Dr. Lee’s interview was also published on the FACS website and shared on the NUTR Facebook page.
  • Congratulations to the winners of the student competitions at the Obesity Initiative Research Symposium on 2/10. Photos from the event are available on the FACS Flickr page.

  
  Posters (Basic Science): 

  • #1 Magen Lord 
  • #2 Leah Halls 
  • #3 Junwon Hea  

  
  Posters (Clinical/Population/Policy): 

  • #1 Betsy Cogan 
  • #2 Jenny Lin 
  • #3 Alyssa Guadagni 

  
  Oral Presentations: 

  • #1 Christabel Domfe 
  • #2 Mai Spaulding 
  • #3 Betsy Cogan 

  Jan 24, 2023

  • Congratulations to Bev Hull who was selected for a UGA Campus Spotlight! Ms. Hull’s interview was published in the UGA Today article, “Advisor connects with students on a deeper level,” on 1/20. This spotlight has also been shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Jan 03, 2023

  • Congratulations to the students who were selected to participate in the Fall 2022 FACS Convocation ceremony on 12/16:  
  • Makayla Mayes and Brianna Cannova (selected as Marshals) 
  • Devin Logan (selected to deliver the Student Challenge Address)

  Dec 13, 2022

  • Lilian Sattler assumed the position as adjunct Assistant Professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, effective 12/12/22. 
  • Congratulations to our student-athlete dietetics majors graduating this fall who are moving on to great careers: Morgan Tabler of Georgia Equestrian has been accepted into the Masters of Nursing program at the University of Vanderbilt and Tally Brown of UGA Swimming and Diving secured a coaching position with Oconee Gymnastics. Photos were shared the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages. 
  • Our NUTR featured graduates for fall 2022 are: Jinaka Coker, Brianna Cannova, Devin Logan, and Zoe Starr. Photos were shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Nov 29, 2022

  • The above news story featuring Joe Kindler, Georgia CTSA KL2 Scholar Uses Cutting-Edge Techniques to Enhance Precision in Assessing Human Bone Health, is currently shown under "Recent Content" on the National CLIC CTSA website: https://clic-ctsa.org/.

• Grants Received

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Sina Gallo received travel funding through UGA’s Global Research Collaboration Grant program. Dr. Gallo will be traveling to Cork, Ireland this summer to establish relationships with colleagues at the Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research, at University College Cork. The title of her project is, “An international collaboration to understand ethnic/racial disparities in vitamin dietary requirements during pregnancy.”

  Jan 31, 2023

  • Jung Sun Lee, Jerry Shannon, Alison Berg, and Abigail Borron. USDA/GA DHS SNAP-Admin Grant, “Georgia Hunger Study.” Oct 1, 2022-Sep 30, 2023. 
  • Bhargava, V., Lee, J. S. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and USDA ERS. Food and Health Research Using the Consumer Food Data System Grant, “Deriving Operational Definitions and Measures for Nutrition Security.” Nov 1, 2022-Oct 31, 2025.

  Dec 13, 2022

  • Congratulations to Emily Noble for receiving the UGA Obesity Initiative FY 23 seed grant, “Adolescent obesogenic Western Diet consumption and the development of trait impulsivity.” The research group consists of: Emily Noble, PhD, Department of Nutritional Sciences; Jarrod Call, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; and Eugene Douglass, PhD, Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences.
  • This fall, the Obesity Initiative provided travel grants for graduate students and faculty to present their obesity related research. Graduate student Mai Spaulding gave an oral presentation entitled “Impact of Early Life Food Insecurity on Neural Development and the Regulation of Eating Behaviors” at ObesityWeek®. Graduate student Elizabeth Cogan presented her poster “Pecan-Enriched Diet Improves Cholesterol Profiles and Vascular Function in Older Adults,” and graduate student Catherine Prater presented her poster “Appetite Responses to Cottonseed Oil vs. Olive Oil Diet Enrichment in Adults With Dyslipidemia” at the same event. Chad Paton, PhD, Associate Professor in the departments of Food Science & Technology and Nutritional Sciences presented his poster, "A Cottonseed Oil Enriched Diet Improves Plasma and Liver Lipids in a Mouse Model of NAFLD" at ObesityWeek® as well.
  • Congratulations to Elizabeth Cogan, Leah Halls, Julian Wright, and Catherine Prater. These graduate students wrote and submitted grant proposals, and each was awarded an Obesity Initiative grant for their obesity-related research.

• Publications

  Mar 28, 2023

  • Emily Noble is co-author on a paper that was just accepted for publication in Nature Communications. The title is "Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone neurons integrate food-motivated appetitive and consummatory processes.” Co-authors are Keshav Subramanian, Logan Lauer, Anna Hayes, Lea Décarie-Spain, Kara Mcburnett, Anna Nourbash, Kristen Donohue, Alicia Kao, Alexander Bashaw, Denis Burdakov, Lindsey Schier, and Scott Kanoski.
  • Ali Berg and colleagues have a paper published in the journal Prevention Science. The citation is: Hannah Wilson, Caroline Wieler, Darci Bell, Ajit Bhattarai, Isaura Castillo-Hernandez, Ewan Williams, Ellen Evans, Alison Berg. Implementation of the Diabetes Prevention Program in Georgia Cooperative Extension According to RE-AIM and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Prev Sci. 2023 Mar 17;1-12.

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Joe Kindler, Eugene Rodrick, and Staci Belcher have a manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Eating Disorders. The title is, "Bone Health in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder – A Narrative Review," and the project was funded by the Marcus Foundation. Authors on the paper from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta include Kaitlin Proctor and William Sharp.
  • Alex Anderson and colleagues have a manuscript accepted and posted to the "Early Access" area on IEEE Xplore. The title of the paper is, "Egocentric Image Captioning for Privacy-Preserved Passive Dietary Intake Monitoring."

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Alex Anderson and Prince Osei have a book chapter titled "Infant Nutrition and Feeding in the first 2 years of life" accepted for publication in the IntechOpen Journal.

  Feb 22, 2023

  • Connie Rogers is the corresponding author on the paper “Associations Between Inflammatory Mediators and Bone Outcomes in Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Baseline Data from the Prune Study,” published in the Journal of Inflammation Research.

  Feb 14, 2023

  • The Park lab has a manuscript accepted recently in Scientific Reports titled “Tanshinone IIA-loaded nanoparticles and neural stem cell combination therapy improves gut homeostasis and recovery in a pig ischemic stroke model” by Julie Jeon et al. 
  • Hea Jin Park, Stephanie Dubrof and Jillien Zukaitis are authors on the paper "Nutritional supplement induced modulations in the functional connectivity of a porcine brain" published in Nutritional Neurosciences.
  • Hea Jin Park is an author on the paper "Predicting intestinal effective permeability of different transport mechanisms: comparing ex vivo porcine and in vitro dialysis models" published in the Journal of Food Engineering.

  Feb 07, 2023

  • Ali Berg and colleagues have a paper recently published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. The citation is: Randall, N. L., Sanders, C. E., Lamm, A. J., & Berg, A. C. (2023). Qualitative exploration of cultural influence on a rural health promotion initiative. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 
  • Ann Lei, Joe Kindler, Gene Rodrick, and Staci Belcher have a paper recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology. The title is: "Bone Resorption and Incretin Hormones following Glucose Ingestion in Healthy Emerging Adults." Andrea Kelly (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) is also an author on the paper. 

  Jan 24, 2023

  • Sina Gallo and colleagues from George Mason University have a paper recently published in the Special Issue of Nutrients on Nutrition Policy for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. The citation is: Kogan, K., Anand, P., Gallo, S., & Cuellar, A. A Quasi-Experimental Assessment of the Effect of the 2009 WIC Food Package Revisions on Breastfeeding Outcomes. Nutrients 2023. 15(2), 414. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020414.

  Jan 10, 2023

  • Chisom Okoli, Josephine Shieh, Kassidy Sharpe and Caree Cotwright have a paper published in Childhood Obesity. The citation is: Chisom B. Okoli, Nicole Arrington, Jori Hall, Trena Paulus, Isa Miles, Josephine Shieh, Kassidy Sharpe, and Caree J. Cotwright. Black Parents' Perceptions and Barriers to Limiting Sugar-Sweetened Beverages among Young Children: A Social Cognitive Theory Application. Childhood Obesity, 26 Dec 2022. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2022.0086.

  Dec 13, 2022

  • Lilian Sattler and colleagues have a paper recently published as open access. The citation is: Ishikawa, Y., Laing E. M., Anderson A. K., Zhang, D., Kindler, J. M., Trivedi-Karpoor, R., Sattler, E. L. P. Comparison of Diagnostic Screening Methods for Diabetes in Patients with Heart Failure. Diab Epidemiol Manag. 2022;9:100-109.

  Nov 29, 2022

  • Emily Noble and colleagues have a paper recently published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. The citation is: Junwon Heo, Emily E. Noble, and Jarrod A. Call. The role of exerkines on brain mitochondria: a mini-review. J Appl Physiol. 2022 Nov 23. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00565.2022.

• Presentations and Events New

  May 23, 2023

  • Please join us this Thursday, May 25 from 9a-10a in Barrow Hall 130 to hear from Abbie Klinker, Master’s student in our department. Her thesis is titled “The feasibility of compiling a statewide list of emergency food assistance programs in Georgia”
  • Please join us next Tuesday, May 30, from 10a-11a in Dawson Hall 379 to hear from Sydnee Berman, Master’s student in our department. Her thesis is titled “UGA EFNEP Youth Programming: Teen Cuisine and the Addition of Goal Setting”

  May 16, 2023

  • The Spring and Summer 2023 FACS Convocation was held on 5/12 at the Classic Center. The digital version of the convocation program can be viewed here, and photos of the event were shared on the FACS Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr pages. Special congratulations to our students who were selected to participate in the ceremony:
    • Sherifa Akinniyi (honored as First Honor Graduate and Flatt Academic Achievement Award recipient)
    • Mary Lazzaro and Maybrie Eubanks (selected as Marshals)  
    • Caitlyn Davis (selected to deliver the Student Challenge Address)

  Apr 25, 2023

  • Emily Noble has been invited to deliver a presentation at the American Physiological Society meeting entitled “Mechanistic insights into Western Diet induced hippocampal dysfunction” in a symposium session called Brain Powered: Diet and Exercise Influences on Brain Bioenergetics and Neurocognitive Function. Jarrod Call from UGA (Department of Physiology and Pharmacology) and Dr. Noble are co-chairing the session.
  • Clarke County School District is having their 1st Research Symposium Day on Friday, April 28th. Sina Gallo’s group as well as Caree Cotwright’s lab will be presenting. This event is open to the public and may be of interest to some in our department. Please see the agenda linked here.
  • The FACS College Assembly was held on 4/11 at the Georgia Center. The following faculty and staff were recognized at the assembly: Tracey Brigman, Caree Cotwright, Joseph Kindler, Emma Laing, and Kandice Mitchell. Photos were shared on the FACS flickr and FACS Facebook pages. 
  • Carla Schwan will be presenting at the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) International Conference on April 19 in Atlanta. The title of her presentation is “Characterization of Salmonella enterica from informal markets in Cambodia.”

  Apr 11, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 4/12 in Dawson 312 to hear from Dr. Karolina Skibicka, associate professor at The Pennsylvania State University. Her presentation is titled “Gut Feelings About Anxiety: Gut-Brain Communication in Anxiety-Like Behavior Control.” Lunch will be served afterwards in room 208.
  • The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Symposium was held at the Classic Center on 4/3-4/4, and several of our undergraduate students presented. Three students delivered oral presentations: Sydney Mance and Davia Allen from Jamie Cooper’s lab and Isabella Morris from Claire de La Serre’s lab. We also had 15 students from NUTR research laboratories presenting posters. For the full schedule of our student presenters and faculty mentors (including Drs. Anderson, de La Serre, Noble, Park, Cooper, Pazdro, and Gallo), please visit this link. Photos of the event were shared on the FACS Facebook page.
  • Representatives from the National Dairy Council visited Dawson Hall during the last week in March as part of the National Dairy Council Next Generation Scientist Program, of which Ginn Cox is a Fellow. On 3/30, members of the NDC and NextGen Scientist Program heard from Drs. Cox, Caree Cotwright, and Sina Gallo regarding their research. On 3/31, participants were provided with a hands-on media communications training. NUTR alumna Lauren Coheley was also present as a current NDC NextGen Scientist Cohort member. Photos from the event were shared on the FACS Flickr page.
  • The UGA Chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society held its initiation ceremony on Sunday, 4/2, at the UGA Chapel. Inductees this year from our department included MS student Julia Lance, nutritional sciences major Caitlyn Davis, and dietetics major Rose Sebaugh. Blue Key members have a distinguished character and quality in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and service. Photos from the ceremony were shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Mar 28, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 3/29 in Dawson 312 to hear from Dr. Jennifer Temple, professor at the University at Buffalo. Her presentation is titled “Behavioral Economics of Eating: The Role of Food Insecurity, Economic Scarcity, and other Social Determinants of Health.” Lunch will be served afterwards in room 208.
  • The 44^th annual FACS Alumni Association awards banquet was held on 3/24 and honorees from our department included Joseph Kindler (Pacesetter Award), Emma Laing (Distinguished Alumni Award), and Lynn Bailey (Honor Hall of Recognition). The online program can be viewed at this link. Photos were shared on the FACS Facebook and Flickr pages, and a video recognizing Dr. Bailey (and featuring faculty Joe Kindler, Caree Cotwright, and Barbara Grossman) is linked here.

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 3/15 in Dawson Hall 312 to hear from our very own PhD Candidate Darci Bell. Her presentation is titled "Feasibility and Uptake of Implementing an Online, Self-Paced Nutrition Education Program for Low-Income Populations" Lunch will be served afterwards in Room 208.
  • Our GSO is hosting a MentorU CV/Resume writing workshop! A career center representative will lead our conversation and advise on how to write effective CVs and translate graduate school experiences into resumes. When: Thursday, March 16^th 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. Where: Dawson Hall, Room 208.
  • We are excited to share details about our #NationalNutritionMonth Health Expo on 3/20! Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Nutrition Month® with free health assessments provided by our UGA Peer Nutrition Educators. Where? Dawson Hall 1st floor lobby | When? March 20th, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | What to expect? Having fun at the build-your-own trail mix station & sampling fresh fruit waters. To celebrate and get involved, share your favorite family recipe (use the QR code on the graphic or click this link).

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 3/1 via Zoom to hear from our very own PhD Candidate Josephine Shieh. Her presentation is titled “Development of a Virtual Cooking Class for Parents on Integrating SAM (Science, Art, Math) to Promote Vegetables to Preschool Children Enrolled in Georgia Head Start.” Lunch will not be served this week.
  • Maria (Breen) Williams (BSFCS '07, MS '09) was the guest of honor at the FACS Alumni Association-sponsored “Dinner with the Dawgs” on 2/22. Several of our undergraduate and graduate students attended the event. A photo was shared on the NUTR Facebook page.

  Feb 22, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 2/22 in Dawson Hall Room 312 to hear from Dr. Frank Duca, assistant professor of Gastrointestinal Microbiology from the University of Arizona. His presentation is titled “Impact of the Gut Microbiota and Metabolites on Metabolic Homeostasis.” Lunch will be served afterwards in Room 208.
  • PhD student Yu-Chen (Jenny) Lin will be a presenter at the University Health Center’s 5^th annual Let’s Talk Bodies Spoken Word event on Wednesday, 2/22, from 7-8:30 PM in the Tate Theatre. Original poetry, short stories, and music will be shared by UGA students and community members. Sharing people’s experiences with body image, relationship to food, and identity is an important way to start a conversation about food and body image. This event is FYOS approved. Register here.
  • The Georgia Nutrition Council annual conference is now being held online (the event was going to originally be held in person in Valdosta, GA). This is a great conference for both undergraduate and graduate students. The conference is scheduled for Thursday February 23rd from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. Our own Dr. Carla Schwan and Beth Kindamo will be presenting. The registration fee is only $10 for students/$50 for professionals. A flyer with more information was shared on the NUTR Facebook page. 
  • Emily Noble was invited to deliver the presentation “A rodent model of adolescent food insecurity: impact on eating behaviors and susceptibility to diet induced obesity” at the Swiss Winter Conference on Ingestive Behavior held 2/11-15 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

  Feb 14, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 2/15 in Dawson Hall Room 312 to hear from Dr. Ginnefer Cox, assistant professor in Nutritional Sciences. Her presentation is titled “More Than a Triangle Test: Utilizing Sensory Evaluation Methodology for Nutritional Research within Community-Based Systems.” Lunch will be served afterwards in Room 208.
  • Join us for the GSO-sponsored Valentine's Day party on 2/14 (TODAY)! Coffee and snacks will be served from 11:15am-1:15pm in Dawson Hall Room 216.
  • PhD student Yu-Chen (Jenny) Lin will be a presenter at the University Health Center’s 5^th annual Let’s Talk Bodies Spoken Word event on Wednesday, 2/22, from 7-8:30 PM in the Tate Theatre. Original poetry, short stories, and music will be shared by UGA students and community members. Sharing people’s experiences with body image, relationship to food, and identity is an important way to start a conversation about food and body image. This event is FYOS approved. Register here.
  • Come dine and network with NUTR alumna and UGA Athletics Sports Nutritionist Maria Williams in Dawson Hall! Dinner With the Dawgs will take place Wednesday, 2/22 from 6:00-7:30. Open to any current FACS students who are interested in food science and sports nutrition; however, preference for this dinner is given to students in the department of nutritional sciences. Dinner will be catered by Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. Attire is business professional/business casual. Space is limited to 12 students and reserved on a first come first serve basis! Sign up using this link.

  Feb 07, 2023

  • The third annual Obesity Initiative symposium will be held at the UGA Special Collections Library on 2/10. The program will feature keynote speakers and student research competitions. Morning coffee service and a catered lunch are included with registration. Details on the event are available on the OI website (deadline for symposium registration was 2/3).

  Jan 31, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 1/25 in Dawson Hall Room 310 from 11:30-12:20 to hear from Dr. Kaitlyn Casulli, assistant professor from the UGA Department of Food Science & Technology. Her presentation is titled “Engineering a Safer Georgia Food Supply through Integrated Extension and Research.” Lunch will be served afterwards in Room 208.

  Jan 24, 2023

  • Please join us for seminar on 1/25 in Dawson Hall Room 312 from 11:30-12:20 to hear from Dr. Ryan J. Weiss, assistant professor from the UGA Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. His presentation is titled “Genome-wide Approaches for Investigating the Regulation of Complex Carbohydrates.” Lunch will be served afterwards in Room 208.

  Jan 10, 2023

  • The third annual Obesity Initiative symposium will be held at the Special Collections Library on the UGA campus in Athens, Georgia on 2/10/23. The program will feature four keynote speakers and student research competitions. Morning coffee service and a catered lunch are included with registration. Details on the event are available on the OI website. The deadline for symposium registration is 2/3/23.

  Jan 03, 2023

  • The Fall 2022 FACS Convocation was held on 12/16 in Mahler Hall in the Georgia Center. The digital version of the convocation program can be viewed here. Photos of the event were shared on the FACS Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Dec 13, 2022

  • UGA Commencement and FACS Convocation will be held on 12/16. FACS convocation will be livestreamed via the FACS YouTube channel. The ceremony will be held in Mahler Hall in the Georgia Center beginning at 12:30 p.m. The digital version of the convocation program can be viewed here. Printed programs will be available at the ceremony. 

  Nov 29, 2022

  • Please join us for seminar on Wednesday, November 30^th from 11:30am-12:20pm in Dawson Hall room 310 to hear from the NUTR 8900 class. Graduate student presentations will be centered on Nutrition and Aging, where this week's presentation will be on Preserving Muscle and Bone Across the Lifespan. Lunch will follow seminar in Dawson Hall Room 312, we will be serving pizza.
  • The Third Annual Obesity Initiative Research Symposium will take place on 2/10/23. Please visit the OI website for more information about registration, abstract submission (for graduate students), and keynote speakers.  
  • Sarah Moore, MPH, from Wholesome Wave Georgia visited Jung Sun Lee’s “Public Health Nutrition” class on 11/17. The class learned about Wholesome Wave Georgia’s programs addressing food insecurity including Georgia Fresh For Less, Georgia Food For Health, Georgia SNAP Connection, and Georgia Plant 2 Plate and got to hear about Sarah’s personal career path from intern to Director of Operations with adventures in between. Photos were shared on the NUTR Facebook page. 
  • Nina Santus and graduate clinicians Savannah Bird and Lindsay Hummel spent the afternoon on 11/18 with Emma Laing’s MNT-I class to present Dysphagia, SLPs, and You: Collaboration for Best Outcomes. Photos were shared on the NUTR Facebook page. 
  • Dietetic internship directors & colleagues from UGA, Emory University Hospital, Augusta University, Life University, Meredith College, and Lenoir-Rhyne visited Dawson Hall on 11/16 for SDA’s supervised practice forum. Photos from the event were shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

• Alumni News New

  May 23, 2023

  • Congratulations to Destiney McDaniel for recently passing the RD exam. Destiney is working as a clinical dietitian at Atrium Health Floyd, which is Level-2 trauma center in Rome, GA.

  May 16, 2023

  • Emily Jones accepted a new position as Clinical Dietitian at St. Mary’s Healthcare System.
  • Bethany Keith started a new position as Registered Dietitian at Renal Care 360.
  • Rebecca Mergy accepted a position as Sports Dietitian for Wake Forest University Football.
  • Lauren Tinkey was promoted to Outpatient and Culinary Lead Dietitian at Veritas Collaborative, LLC.

  May 02, 2023

  • Trey Sanders is starting a new position as Head of Product Development at UCAN (UCAN creates product solutions for energy and nutrition without sugar or caffeine).

  Apr 25, 2023

  • Danny Kwak was promoted to Clinical Informatics Dietitian at Wellstar Health System. 
  • Jake Conner was welcomed as the new FACS Agent in Walton County as of April 1, 2023. This news was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Mar 28, 2023

  • Nominations are currently being accepted for the FACS Alumni Board. As a member of this board, you will build strategic relationships with students, faculty and other alumni. Nominate yourself or a friend at this link. 
  • Caroline Jones started a new position as Clinical Dietitian at BridgePoint Healthcare. 
  • Markita Lewis authored the post, “Sustainable eating for people and the planet,” published 3/16 on behalf of the National Peanut Board. 
  • Britt Rotberg, Senior Clinical Services Manager at Insulet, conduced an insulin pump (Omnipod) training session at Piedmont Athens Regional on 3/15. Dietetics major Julia Pittman attended the training. A photo of Britt and Julia was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Kate Keirsey delivered the talk, “Treating Pediatric Obesity from a Non-Diet, Non-Shaming Perspective,” at the 2023 Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference and Exhibition on 3/3. Kate’s private practice is named Well Fed Family. 
  • Sarima Moosa received acceptance to Bluefield University (VCOM/Bluefield MHSA program) as part of their inaugural class to become a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant. A photo of Sarima was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages. 
  • Ivy Odom Aponte was a guest on the TODAY Show on 3/7 in the segment “Here are the best small towns, according to Southern Living.”
  • Nominations are currently being accepted for the FACS Alumni Board. As a member of this board, you will build strategic relationships with students, faculty and other alumni. Nominate yourself or a friend at this link. 

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Jessica Vann started a new position as Dietetic Technician at Aramark.
  • Britt Rotberg was promoted to Senior Clinical Services Manager at Insulet.

  Feb 22, 2023

  • Rebecca (Gould) Koch is lead author on the paper “Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type IV, including adult polyglucosan body disease: A clinical practice resource” recently published in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism.
  • Brittany Bogusz started a new position as registered dietitian at Nutrition Solutions for Me.
  • Christina (Whitworth) Bogardus started a new position at InDependent | Military Spouse Wellness Matters.

  Feb 14, 2023

  • Megan Govedich has accepted a new position as Clinical Dietitian at Piedmont Augusta.
  • Lauren Coheley has started a new position as associate department head for undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University.
  • Alice (Tivzenda) Borukhov started a new position as Community Dietitian at IntegraMD.

  Feb 07, 2023

  • Julie (Dean) Spahn has been promoted to Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Specialist at Nestle. 
  • Elizabeth Klingbeil started a new position as Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. 
  • Jayla Thurman started a new position as Clinical Oncology Dietitian at City of Hope.  
  • Katy Hewitt was featured in a press release by Samford University on 1/23, titled “White Coat Ceremony Honors Dietetic Internship Class of 2023.” A photo of Katy was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Jan 31, 2023

  • Shriya Bhatnagar started a new position as Research Intern at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Promotion. 
  • Haley Sanders will be starting a new position in March with Seeds Nutrition Counseling.

  Jan 24, 2023

  • Savannah Duffy authored the post, “Setting SMART Goals for Your Health,” published in Foodguides on 1/9. 
  • Frances Perkinson started a new position as a clinical dietitian at NutraCo. 
  • Mallory McDaniel started a new position as registered dietitian at Atlanta Bariatrics.

  Jan 10, 2023

  • Alexa Burnett is starting a new position as PRN Dietitian with Morrison Healthcare at Morgan Medical Center.

  Jan 03, 2023

  • Merin Mathew was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune on 12/20. A photo was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages. 
  • Lydia Averette started a new position as Registered Dietitian for Nutrition Healthworks. 
  • Jessica Beasley started a new position as Clinical RD at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. 
  • Julie Dean is a co-author on a paper published in Nutrients. The citation is: Huss LR, Dean J, Lamothe LM, Hamaker B, Reuhs B, Goran MI, Lê K-A. Micronutrient Profile and Carbohydrate Microstructure of Commercially Prepared and Home Prepared Infant Fruit and Vegetable Purees. Nutrients. 2023; 15(1):45. 
  • Sammi Kim received an AHA postdoctoral fellowship for 2023. She will continue to explore the path in which microbiome-derived metabolites communicate with the body's metabolic system. 
  • Sepideh Kaviani will be starting a new position as Principal Scientist at Abbott.

  Dec 13, 2022

  • Kathryn Porter Starr started a new position as associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine. 
  • Abby Bailey started a new position as Registered Dietitian at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 
  • Kelli Dunagan started a new position as Registered Dietitian at CoreLife Healthcare. 
  • Destiney McDaniel has been offered a position as Registered Dietitian at Harbin Clinic - Internal Medicine Singh in Rome, GA, which will begin in late January. 
  • Caroline Barrett started a new position as Registered Dietitian at Tanner Medical Center. 
  • Theavy Tep, Mayra Patino, and Dominique Miller, coordinated program (MS/DI) students at Georgia State University, successfully completed their Capstone Defense presentation on 12/7, titled, “Cultural Foods Module for Healthcare Professionals.” A photo was shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

  Nov 29, 2022

  • Deanna Shaffer obtained a new certification: Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute. 
  • Daniel Gomez and Stephen Varverakis (currently completing their MS/DI at Georgia State University) attended a class at Emory University and ran into fellow alumna Amber Malik (currently a genetic metabolic dietitian at Emory). A photo was posted on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages. 
  • Rebecca Reese was chosen as a Student Ambassador for Augusta University where she is currently completing her MS/DI. Read her profile here. A photo of Becca was also posted on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

• UGA Service of the Week

  May 02, 2023

  • Underrepresented Students Interested in Doctoral Education: The Council of Graduate School’s National Name Exchange (NNE) serves as a clearinghouse for graduate programs interested in recruiting doctoral students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Please share as relevant with master’s students with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA who are interested in doctoral education and would like to be included on the list. To enroll, go here and “Login” at the top of the page. Password: NNE2023. Deadline: Thursday, June 15, 2023.

  Apr 25, 2023

  • The Student Success and Advising Center is looking for new interns for summer, fall, and spring of the 2023-2024 academic year. This internship provides students with real-life work experience in higher education and offers the convenience of a flexible schedule and on-campus location. The SSAC internship is a great option for students who need to earn their experiential learning credit. For any student who wants to get more involved in the college of FACS, this internship is a perfect fit for you! Any students interested in the internship can apply with this link or email success@uga.edu with questions. Students are also welcome to drop by the SSAC (Dawson 112) to learn more! Some internship responsibilities include: Creating college-wide graphics and newsletters, planning and executing events for prospective and current FACS students, and promotion of FACS student organizations and programs, such as the Legislative Aide Fellowship Program.

  Apr 11, 2023

  • Attention undergraduate transfer students! The UGA Transfer Ambassadors program offers students the opportunity to use their transfer experience to welcome and advocate for all new UGA transfer students while simultaneously fulfilling their UGA experiential learning requirement. The application opens on April 1^st and closes on April 30^th. UGA Transfer Ambassadors represent the Office of Transfer Academic Services through various outreach activities and engage in 45 hours of service per academic year. Ambassadors develop leadership and interpersonal skills by: Engaging in peer mentoring; Creating, planning, and hosting transfer student programs, such as Transfer Welcome events, campus tours, and social gatherings; Presenting to students at Orientation, sharing their experiences in the UNIV 2302 Success for Transfer Students, and serving as members of the Transfer Student Club; and Developing newsletters and social media content. Any current undergraduate transfer student in good standing (2.0 cumulative/UGA GPA), enrolled at UGA for at least one term, is eligible to apply through this Qualtrics application. For more information, visit this link.

  Mar 28, 2023

  • The Public Service & Outreach Student Scholars program is accepting applications through 4/7 for the 2022-23 cohort. The PSO Student Scholars program is a structured opportunity to learn how UGA applies expertise across the state to develop leaders, create jobs, and address critical challenges in Georgia and beyond. It includes fall meetings (Friday afternoons) and visits with PSO units and UGA administrators, as well as a spring internship with one of 8 PSO units, which is also an approved Experiential Learning opportunity. Learn more and apply here.

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Applications to join next year's Peer Nutrition Educator team are due by 3/31. The Peer Nutrition Educators work with dietitians from the UGA Health Center and UGA Dining Services to provide nutrition education to both the UGA and Athens communities. See the recruitment flyer linked here.

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Student Dietetic Association t-shirts are now available! You may order one for $23 via this link until Thursday, March 23rd. We are excited to offer a new (beautiful!) design this year, and we appreciate your support of our SDA.

  Feb 22, 2023

  • Bulldog Basics Internship Opportunities: Bulldog Basics provides toiletry and personal care items to UGA students on the Athens campus and we're looking for several interns to help with communications, web development, donation drives, volunteer management, and operations. If interested, apply here. Direct questions to bulldogbasics@uga.edu. Applications close on Sunday, 2/26.

  Feb 14, 2023

  • Applications to join next year's Peer Nutrition Educator team are due by 3/31. The Peer Nutrition Educators work with dietitians from the UGA Health Center and UGA Dining Services to provide nutrition education to both the UGA and Athens communities. Please see the recruitment flyer linked here.

  Feb 07, 2023

  • FACS Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship applications are open. The deadline for fall 2023 and spring 2024 scholarships is 3/1. Visit this site for more information and to apply.

  Jan 31, 2023

  • The Nutrition and Skeletal Health lab is seeking volunteers to participate in a research study to assess the precision of bone imaging technology which will aid in the development of future studies aimed at reducing risk for osteoporosis and fracture. This research study is open to females between the ages of 18-30 or older than 50 and includes a 1-1.5 hour study visit to the Nutrition and Skeletal Health Lab at UGA. Pregnant females are excluded. Participants will receive a $20 check mailed to their home 2-6 weeks after their visit. The online screening can be found here. Contact Staci at NASH-lab@uga.edu if you have any questions!

  Jan 24, 2023

  • The Eating Disorder Treatment Team at UGA’s University Health Center will be hosting the 5^th annual Let’s Talk Bodies Spoken Word event in February and is seeking submissions of original poetry, short stories, or music from students and community members. Sharing people’s experiences with body image, relationship to food, and identity is a way to start a conversation about food and body image. The event will be held on Wednesday, 2/22, from 7-8:30 PM in the Tate Theatre. The deadline for submissions is Friday, 2/10 (submissions will be received at this link). This event is FYOS approved.

  Jan 10, 2023

  • Registration for FACS Day at the Capitol is now open. This event highlights the Georgia State Capitol’s support of Family and Consumer Sciences. It will take place on Thursday, 2/16. If you are interested in attending, please fill out the registration form at https://www.fcs.uga.edu/ssac/fdac. The registration deadline is Friday, 1/20.

  Jan 03, 2023

  • Save the date for FACS Day at the Capitol on Thursday, 2/16/23 from 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM in Atlanta. This event highlights the Georgia State Capitol’s support of Family and Consumer Sciences. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend. Registration will open on Monday, 1/9. For more information, see this link.

  Dec 13, 2022

  • The Institute for Leadership Advancement (ILA) is now accepting applications for the next cohort of Leadership Fellows. This one-year program is open to students of ALL majors. ILA’s mission is to develop values-based, impact-driven leaders. The curriculum challenges students to explore and identify their core values – to develop self-awareness – a critical factor for effective leaders. These insights are ultimately implemented through a final service-learning project to support the mission of a Georgia-based nonprofit. See application. There are two application periods: Applications for Spring Fellows open September 1 and Fall Fellows open December 1. When applying to the program, applicants must have:
    • A minimum GPA of 3.2
    • 45 hours of UGA or transfer credit (not including AP credits)
  • When ILA classes begin, applicants must have:
    • At least 2 semesters of undergraduate courses remaining at UGA
  • The ideal ILA candidate is:
  • Passionate about leadership development and growth
  • Conscientious and driven while also focused on developing positive relationships
  • Committed to being a values-based, impact-driven leader.

  Nov 29, 2022

  • Nod is now live at UGA! Nod is an awesome app and service designed by students for students. Its primary goals are to combat loneliness and assist students with building meaningful social connections. This site will take you to either the Google play or the Apple App Store depending on your device. You can then download, select your school, and enter your single sign on credentials.

• Student Spotlights New

  May 23, 2023

  • This week’s student spotlight features nutritional sciences major Sherifa Akinniyi who was honored as a First Honor Graduate and Flatt Academic Achievement Award recipient at the Spring & Summer 2023 FACS Convocation held on 5/12. Post-graduation, Sheri will be working in the Clinical Genetics Branch of the NIH National Cancer Institute.

  May 16, 2023

  • This week’s student spotlight features nutritional sciences major Caitlyn Davis who was selected to deliver the Student Challenge Address at the Spring & Summer 2023 FACS Convocation held on 5/12. Post-graduation, Caitlyn will commission as an active-duty medical officer in the United States Army.

  May 02, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring MS+DPD student Dianna Thomas who passed her thesis defense on Friday, 4/28! Dianna’s presentation was titled, “Relationships among sources of social support and health outcomes within a Cooperative Extension Diabetes Prevention Program.” Congratulations!

  Apr 25, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring Double Dawgs dietetics major and culinary science and nutrition minor AnnaLisa Hutchinson (pictured below) who was featured in the April 2023 Auxiliary Roundup Newsletter! Double Dawgs dietetics major Anna Faye Dupree is also featured along with Tracey Brigman and Rob Irwin. The article, “Supporting Student Experiences,” showcases the long-standing partnership between Dr. Brigman’s NUTR 3610 Quantity Foods course and UGA Dining Services. Photo by Randy Davis/Auxiliary Marketing and Communications.

  Apr 11, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring MS student Christabel Domfe who passed her thesis defense on Monday, 3/20! Her presentation was titled, “A comparative study of mother-father dyad energy and nutrient intakes assessed objectively with a wearable camera across urban and rural households in Ghana.” Congratulations!

  Mar 28, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring PhD candidate Darci Bell! Darci successfully defended her PhD dissertation on Wednesday, 3/15. The title of her talk was, "Feasibility and Uptake of Implementing an Online, Self-Paced Nutrition Education Program for Low-Income Populations." Congratulations, Dr. Bell!

  Mar 14, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring PhD candidate Josephine Shieh! Jo successfully defended her PhD dissertation on Wednesday, 3/1. The title of her talk was, "Development of a Virtual Cooking Class for Parents on Integrating SAM (Science, Art, Math) to Promote Vegetables to Preschool Children Enrolled in Georgia Head Start." Congratulations, Dr. Shieh!

  Feb 28, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring dietetics major Anna Faye Dupree! Anna Faye landed a job working at St. Mary’s Hospital in the kitchen/foodservice areas, and she is no doubt building her skillset each and every day in this position. Way to go!

  Feb 22, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring Double Dawgs dietetics major Jesse Perry! Jesse represented UGA at the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Advocacy Day at the Capitol on 2/13. 

  Feb 14, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring dietetics major Mary Lazzaro! Mary is serving as Communications Chair on the SDA Executive Board this year. 

  Feb 07, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring dietetics major Rose Sebaugh! Rose is serving as Team Coordinator for the Peer Nutrition Educators this year. 

  Jan 31, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring dietetics major Maybrie Eubanks! Maybrie is serving as Social Chair on the SDA executive board this year.

  Jan 24, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring dietetics major Yiwen Xu! Yiwen is serving as Community Service Chair on the SDA executive board this year.

  Jan 10, 2023

  • This week, we're featuring dietetics major Megan Tomlin! Megan is serving as Vice President on the SDA executive board this year.

  Jan 03, 2023

  • Congratulations to our December 2022 graduates!

  Dec 13, 2022

  • FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Congratulations to Joe Kindler and his wife, Emily, who were married on 11/19 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg, PA. We are so thrilled for you, Dr. Kindler!

  Nov 29, 2022

  • Hugest congratulations to our fall 2022 dietetic internship matches! From left to right: Christi King: University of Houston; Rebecca Mergy: University of Houston; Harley Cobb: Sodexo; Brianna Cannova: Keith and Associates; and Hannah Turner: Keiser University. This photo was also shared on the NUTR Facebook and Instagram pages.

• Other News New

  May 23, 2023

  • We welcome Lindsey Floyd as our new Administrative Associate in the departmental office! Lindsey is an Athens native with a Political Science degree from Piedmont University. Most recently, she was working at a pool in Oconee County, but before that she was a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines and then United Airlines. She has lived all over the U.S., but her favorite places have been Anchorage and Chicago. Can you guess that she's a cold weather person?! Lindsey loved getting to try local foods whenever she landed somewhere new, and that’s probably the biggest aspect that she misses about flying. She is happy to be back in Athens with her cat and dogs and looks forward to getting her garden going this summer. Please join us in welcoming Lindsey! Her photo was shared on the NUTR Facebook page.

  May 16, 2023

  • The May issue of The Advisor F&A Newsletter features our department’s partnership with UGA Dining Services (i.e., Tracey Brigman’s NUTR 3610 Quantity Foods course). The article contains photos of Double Dawgs dietetics major and culinary science and nutrition minor AnnaLisa Hutchinson and Double Dawgs dietetics major Anna Faye Dupree, as well as quotes from Dr. Brigman and Rob Irwin.

  May 02, 2023

  • There are only a few spots left for the free Pilates event for FACS faculty and staff! Sign up today! 
  • The National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program supports training students for master's and doctoral degrees in food, agricultural and natural resource sciences; and Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances for eligible USDA National Needs Fellowship beneficiaries. Awards are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that engage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees in USDA mission areas. Application deadline is June 8. For more information, read the National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants funding opportunity.

  Apr 25, 2023

  • Isis Harrison wrote a blog post for the UGA Dining Services Eating Smart website titled, “The Food Rainbow Series: Stimulating Your Appetite Through Aesthetics.” Isis is pursuing dual degrees in nutritional Sciences and psychology.
  • Deadline extended! The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is currently accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year through its online application portal. Students at all levels of study are eligible to apply, including those accepted to and enrolled in dietetic technician, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as dietetic internship programs. The Foundation has extended the scholarship application deadline to 10:00 am CT on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

  Apr 11, 2023

  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year. Students at all levels of study are eligible to apply, including those accepted to and enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic internship programs. Applicants only need to complete one application to be considered for all Foundation 2023 scholarships, including two Advancing Diversity in Dietetics Scholarships ($25,000) to support the educational advancement of aspiring RDNs of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Other Foundation scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 each. The electronic scholarship application is available within the Foundation’s Application Portal. The deadline for all components of the scholarship application is Tuesday, 4/18, at 10:00 am (Central Time).
  • U.S. Student Fulbright Program: Are you interested in pursuing a Fulbright grant for year-long independent research, study, creative pursuits, or an English Teaching Assistantship abroad? The 2024-2025 Fulbright competition opens April 1, 2023, and the campus deadline is September 5, 2023. Note to undergraduate juniors—if you want to go abroad on a Fulbright the year after graduation, this is the time to apply. Seniors, graduate students, and recent alumni are also welcome to apply. The competition is open to U.S. citizens who will have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree completed by summer 2024. For more information and to schedule an individual advising appointment, contact Maria de Rocher, the campus U.S. Student Fulbright Program Adviser: derocher@uga.edu. All interested applicants should plan to meet with Ms. de Rocher in late spring or early summer to confirm the program is a good fit and to make a plan for preparing a competitive application by the campus deadline. To receive the links for the April and May virtual information sessions and notices about future info sessions and deadlines, register for UGA's Fulbright 2024-2025 listserv here.
  • The Student Success and Advising Center is looking for new interns for summer, fall, and spring of the 2023-2024 academic year. This internship provides students with real-life work experience in higher education and offers the convenience of a flexible schedule and on-campus location. The SSAC internship is a great option for students who need to earn their experiential learning credit. For any student who wants to get more involved in the college of FACS, this internship is a perfect fit for you! Any students interested in the internship can apply with this link or email success@uga.edu with questions. Students are also welcome to drop by the SSAC (Dawson 112) to learn more! Some internship responsibilities include: Creating college-wide graphics and newsletters, planning and executing events for prospective and current FACS students, and promotion of FACS student organizations and programs, such as the Legislative Aide Fellowship Program. 

  Mar 28, 2023

  • Applications to join next year's Peer Nutrition Educator team are due by 3/31. The Peer Nutrition Educators work with dietitians from the UGA Health Center and UGA Dining Services to provide nutrition education to both the UGA and Athens communities. See the recruitment flyer linked here.
  • The Gladys Carol Scholarship (deadline 3/31) is open to current undergraduates enrolled in a full-time STEM program at an accredited university. This scholarship awards up to $5,000, and is merit based. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale is required, along with a minimum 1300 SAT score OR a minimum 28 ACT score. 
  • Crandall Corporate Dietitians awards up to 8 scholarships, for $500 each, to students pursuing either a bachelor's or master's degree in nutrition with the eventual goal of becoming an RD. Applications must be submitted online by 4/1. Eligibility includes being a Junior, Senior, or Graduate student next Fall. Apply at this link. 
  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year. Students at all levels of study are eligible to apply, including those accepted to and enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic internship programs. Applicants only need to complete one application to be considered for all Foundation 2023 scholarships, including two Advancing Diversity in Dietetics Scholarships ($25,000) to support the educational advancement of aspiring RDNs of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Other Foundation scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 each. The electronic scholarship application is available within the Foundation’s Application Portal. The deadline for all components of the scholarship application is Tuesday, 4/18, at 10:00 am (Central Time).
  • Interested in receiving a free weekly newsletter that has 2-3 recipe ideas/week as well as a shopping list to ensure you have all of the ingredients you need? Dietetics major Megan Tomlin invites you to subscribe via her Good Mood Food website.

  Mar 14, 2023

  • Student Dietetic Association t-shirts are now available! You may order one for $23 via this link until 3/23. We are excited to offer a new (beautiful!) design this year, and we appreciate your support of our SDA. You can also view the design on the NUTR Facebook page. 
  • The Gladys Carol Scholarship (deadline 3/31) is open to current undergraduates enrolled in a full-time STEM program at an accredited university. This scholarship awards up to $5,000, and is merit based. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale is required, along with a minimum 1300 SAT score OR a minimum 28 ACT score.
  • Crandall Corporate Dietitians awards up to 8 scholarships, for $500 each, to students pursuing either a bachelor's or master's degree in nutrition with the eventual goal of becoming an RD. Applications must be submitted online by 4/1. Eligibility includes being a Junior, Senior, or Graduate student next Fall. Apply at this link. 
  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year. Students at all levels of study are eligible to apply, including those accepted to and enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic internship programs. Applicants only need to complete one application to be considered for all Foundation 2023 scholarships, including two Advancing Diversity in Dietetics Scholarships ($25,000) to support the educational advancement of aspiring RDNs of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Other Foundation scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 each. The electronic scholarship application is available within the Foundation’s Application Portal. The deadline for all components of the scholarship application is Tuesday, 4/18, at 10:00 am (Central Time).

  Feb 28, 2023

  • Be sure to swing by our coloring station board the next time you're on the first floor of Dawson! We have a new coloring page up! 
  • FACS Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship applications are open. The deadline for fall 2023 and spring 2024 scholarships is 3/1. Visit this site for more information and to apply.
  • Applications to join next year's Peer Nutrition Educator team are due by 3/31. The Peer Nutrition Educators work with dietitians from the UGA Health Center and UGA Dining Services to provide nutrition education to both the UGA and Athens communities. Please see the recruitment flyer linked here.
  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year. Students at all levels of study are eligible to apply, including those accepted to and enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic internship programs. Applicants only need to complete one application to be considered for all Foundation 2023 scholarships, including two Advancing Diversity in Dietetics Scholarships ($25,000) to support the educational advancement of aspiring RDNs of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Other Foundation scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 each. The electronic scholarship application is available within the Foundation’s Application Portal. The deadline for all components of the scholarship application is Tuesday, 4/18, at 10:00 am (Central Time).

  Feb 22, 2023

  • FACS Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship applications are open. The deadline for fall 2023 and spring 2024 scholarships is 3/1. Visit this site for more information and to apply.
  • Applications to join next year's Peer Nutrition Educator team are due by 3/31. The Peer Nutrition Educators work with dietitians from the UGA Health Center and UGA Dining Services to provide nutrition education to both the UGA and Athens communities. Please see the recruitment flyer linked here.
  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year! Students at all levels of study are eligible to apply, including those accepted to and enrolled in dietetic technician, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs as well as dietetic internships. Applicants only need to complete one application to be considered for all Foundation 2023 scholarships, including two Advancing Diversity in Dietetics Scholarships ($25,000) to support the educational advancement of aspiring RDNs of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Other Foundation scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 each. Last year, the Foundation awarded over $860,000 to 309 students. The electronic scholarship application is available within the Foundation’s Application Portal. The deadline for all components of the scholarship application is Tuesday, 4/18, at 10:00 am (Central Time)

  Feb 14, 2023

  • This Valentine’s Day (TODAY!) SAFCS will be doing candygrams. They are $3 each and can be sent to anyone as long as they come pick them up from Dawson Hall on 2/14. There will be pick-up times practically all day for easy accessibility. We will text the recipient that they received a gram and where to get it from, and they will be able to find out who sent it upon collection. To order a candygram, visit this site. 
  • The BEAR ESSENTIALS webinar on 2/20 at 6 pm aims to give underrepresented in medicine (URiM) undergraduate pre-health students tips and information about being a competitive candidate, succeeding on the MCAT exam, and more. Despite the target audience being URiM students, everyone is welcome to attend and participate. Questions can be directed to Asha Wise (medicine.mercer.edu). 
  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is accepting applications for its 2023 Awards and Research Grants. Over 35 applications are available, presenting opportunities for Academy members, credentialed practitioners, and students to apply for Foundation funding. All applications are accessible within the Foundation’s application portal and have a deadline of Tuesday, 2/21 at 10:00 am CT. Questions regarding award applications should be submitted to scholarship@eatright.org. Questions regarding research grants should be submitted to grants@eatright.org. 
  • The UGA Pre-Professional Advising Office will be holding a Health Professions Fair on Tuesday, 2/28 from 11:00am-3:00pm in Tate Grand Hall. The goal of this fair is to provide UGA Pre-Health students the opportunity to connect directly with admissions representatives from health professional schools across the country. This Fair will include representatives from medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, allied health, physician associate, nursing, and pharmacy programs. Click here for a list of over 100 registered programs. A Preparatory Information Session via Zoom will be held Monday, 2/20 from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. (Zoom Link). 
  • FACS Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship applications are open. The deadline for fall 2023 and spring 2024 scholarships is 3/1. Visit this site for more information and to apply. 

  Feb 07, 2023

  • Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP): Offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The program provides up to $20,000 per academic year in tuition, educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses to scholarship recipients. Scholarships are awarded for one year and can be renewed for up to four years. To learn more, register for the NIH UGSP INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR AND Q&A SESSION on Wednesday, 2/8 from 3:00pm-4:00pm ET. 
  • Postdocs at the NIH: The NIH Intramural Research Program has one of the largest postdoc populations in the nation. Come learn about the amazing scientific, career, and professional opportunities for you in the multiple NIH locations to build your career. To learn more, register for the NIH Postdoc Opportunities session on 2/23 from 2:00pm-3:00pm ET. 
  • Join the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on Monday 2/13 at the GA Capitol for the 2023 GAND Advocacy Day. RSVP at this link. Join several UGA dietetics students, staff, and faculty at the GA Capitol on 2/13 from 8am-12pm for nutrition policy advocacy, networking with colleagues and elected officials, and learning more about the legislative process. 

  Jan 31, 2023

  • The RD2BE Mentorship Program is currently seeking students to apply. The program consists of 5 weekly meetings with assigned mentors as well as 5 weekly professional development meetings. The link to the signup is here. The deadline to apply is 2/1. 
  • In celebration of Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day on 3/8, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics invites members to participate in its annual contest. The winner of this contest will be announced online and via social media during National Nutrition Month®, an annual campaign created by the Academy and celebrated throughout the month of March. This year’s theme is "Fuel for the Future." To enter, complete the RDN Day Contest form by 2/8 at 5 p.m. Central time. 
  • The National Dairy Council has three paid summer internship positions for students. NDC’s summer internships support emerging leaders in health, wellness, and sustainable nutrition. You will have an opportunity to work with a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of registered dietitian nutritionists and scientists to share the science-based story about how dairy foods contribute to health and sustainable food systems. Applications are due 3/1. 
  • Intern, Nutrition Affairs 
  • Intern, Regulatory Affairs 
  • Intern, Scientific Affairs

  Jan 24, 2023

  • The Georgia Nutrition Council has announced a call for abstracts for its annual Student Research Presentations and Competition. This year's conference takes place in Valdosta, GA 2/22-24. GNC sponsors a research competition designed to encourage interest in nutrition and food science research among undergraduate and graduate students. Monetary awards are given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. This year’s presentations will be an Ignite 5-minute presentation scattered throughout the conference days, followed by live questions. Presenters must also be 2023 student members ($10) of the Georgia Nutrition Council and pay the student conference registration fee ($175). The deadline for submission is Friday, 1/27. Please reach out to Dr. Tracey Brigman for questions and to receive the submission form <brigman@uga.edu>.

  Jan 10, 2023

  • Be sure to stop by the new coloring station in the first-floor Dawson hallway courtesy of FACS Education. An image of the coloring station is linked here. We are looking forward to seeing it transform into a beautiful work of art!   
  • The Georgia Nutrition Council has announced a call for abstracts for its annual Student Research Presentations and Competition. This year's conference takes place in Valdosta, GA 2/22-24. GNC sponsors a research competition designed to encourage interest in nutrition and food science research among undergraduate and graduate students. Monetary awards are given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. This year’s presentations will be an Ignite 5-minute presentation scattered throughout the conference days, followed by live questions. Presenters must also be 2023 student members ($10) of the Georgia Nutrition Council and pay the student conference registration fee ($175). The deadline for submission is Friday, 1/27. Please reach out to Dr. Tracey Brigman for questions and to receive the submission form brigman@uga.edu.

  Jan 03, 2023

  • The Picture of Health poster that students completed in MNT-1 during the fall semester will soon be posted in the hallway on the 3rd floor of Dawson. The diverse images submitted by students depict how they define leading a healthy life. A photo of the project was shared on the NUTR Facebook page.

  Dec 13, 2022

  • We have a new addition to the Nutritional Sciences family! Baby boy Chidubem Jaden Okoli was born to proud parents Nonso and our PhD student Chisom Okoli on 11/28 at 7:30 pm! The family is doing well! Our sincerest congratulations to Nonso and Chisom! 
  • The Graduate Student Oral and Poster Presentation competition is now open for abstract submissions to the 3^rd Annual Obesity Initiative Research Symposium, which will be held on 2/10/23. Awards of $150-$1000 are offered. 
  • The Georgia Public Health Association is looking for abstracts and poster sessions for the 2023 Conference in Jekyll May 3^rd-5^th, 2023. Please consider submitting your research or supporting a student’s submission for the nutrition section. This is the link. If you are interested, please let Cicely Thomas know (Cicely.Thomas@dph.ga.gov), and she can extend the application deadline for you. 
  • Georgia Nutrition Council is excited to invite GNC members, administrators, retirees and guests to the 2023 GNC Annual Conference, Trending: rising prices, quick fixes, & convenience, in Valdosta, GA, February 22nd to February 24th. Register here | Join GNC here. 
  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation offers recognition awards, leadership recognition and education stipends to members and dietetic student members. All currently available applications for Foundation awards are available within the Foundation’s application portal with a deadline of Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 10:00 am CT. 
  • The National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program offers competitive scholarships to students that are citizens and permanent residents from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research (Note: One of our undergraduate nutritional sciences students recently received this award; see Kudos 7/12/22). The NIH UGSP will pay up to $20,000 per academic year in tuition, educational expenses, and reasonable living expenses to scholarship recipients. Scholarships are awarded for 1 year and can be renewed up to 4 years. For each full or partial scholarship year, you are committed to two NIH service obligations. The obligations are benefits of the UGSP, providing you with invaluable research training and experience at the NIH. Applications will open on 1/5/23 and close on 3/30/23. Info sessions will be held on the following dates:  
  • NIH UGSP INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR AND Q&A SESSION; Date: Thursday, 1/5/23; Time: 3:00pm-4:00pm ET 
  • NIH UGSP INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR AND Q&A SESSION; Date: Wednesday, 2/8/23; Time: 3:00pm-4:00pm ET

  Nov 29, 2022

  • The FACS Student Emergency Fund was just launched to help the most vulnerable members of the FACS family. Grants from this fund will go directly to FACS students in need, helping cover immediate one-time costs for: home utilities, food security, medical & psychological expenses, and car repairs. Make a gift at this link.

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