At age 17, Ortiz joined the military and is a medic in the Nebraska Army National Guard. A career in nursing felt like an obvious choice until she realized how many patients have chronic illnesses that could have been prevented. “My focus shifted from the acute side of health care to overall wellness and chronic illness prevention,” she says. “It wasn’t until I took my first college nutrition course that I started to understand the substantive role nutrition plays in general wellness and disease prevention.”

While in graduate school, Ortiz participated in a study abroad opportunity in Zambia. Focusing on food security, health and nutrition, the students in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Mississippi partnership spent the summer working with the Copperbelt University School of Medicine in Ndola, Zambia. “As a Mexican-American who focuses on Spanish-speaking populations and rarely has to think about micronutrient deficiencies, I took this opportunity to move out of my comfort zone and learn about an entirely different context and culture in a country in the throes of a nutrition transition,” Ortiz says.

In 2015, Ortiz began working with the Nebraska Extension as an assistant in the Nutrition Education Program, supporting mainly Spanish-speaking families with limited resources. About four years later, she joined the Omaha VA Medical Center’s MOVE! Weight Management Program as a clinical dietitian, encouraging healthful eating and physical activity for veterans. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My career path changed once again when the pandemic hit,” Ortiz says. “I worked with the state of Nebraska’s COVID Response Team while being activated with the Nebraska Army National Guard. We assisted the state by providing COVID testing to populations throughout Nebraska. Shortly after, I accepted a position with Nomi Health to continue the efforts of rapid COVID response across the country.”

So much of Ortiz’s life and career experiences helped her thrive in Nomi Health’s field operations department, including operational knowledge acquired while serving in the National Guard and adaptability skills developed while working in community nutrition. Now, as the company expands its health care services, Ortiz is taking on a new role as senior operations analyst. “I hope to contribute to the design of new programs that address overall wellness and health care improvement initiatives,” she says. “As an RDN, I want to emphasize prevention and treatment measures for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity, especially for underserved and minority communities.”

This sentiment has spanned Ortiz’s work thus far. “All of my work has been community-based and focused on leaving communities better off than when we began our collaborative exchange,” she says. “Although there have been times in my professional life where I felt that I was wasting time because I was not focusing all my efforts on becoming the best dietitian and nutrition expert possible, I have realized that I must experience different settings and cultures to offer the best and most comprehensive services in nutrition and health care.”

At the New York City Department for the Aging, Goykadosh works fully remote as a consultant dietitian for the Virtual Smart Living Initiative grant. “The grant takes a holistic approach to address the nutritional, social and mental health needs of older New Yorkers,” she explains. “We provide individual and group counseling. Once a month, we conduct live cooking demos where we show how to prepare healthy, easy and low-cost recipes.”

The Virtual Smart Living Initiative grant allows for innovation, creativity and planning in developing lesson plans and curriculums. “Resourcefulness is especially important in this type of work,” Goykadosh says. “Examples include being aware of different nutrition-related apps and tools, recipes for diverse populations and nutrition-related items that can be provided to participants to help them practice healthier eating.”

During counseling sessions and cooking demonstrations, Goykadosh focuses on ways to make food more flavorful while still being nutritious. For example, she offers clients who have hypertension ideas for salt substitutes that don’t sacrifice flavor. “When clients learn and experience that healthful eating can be just as delicious as eating other foods, we knock down one common barrier toward healthy eating,” Goykadosh says.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges, Goykadosh made the most of the virtual work experience, finding unique opportunities. “During sessions, I may have clients go to their kitchen and pull out some foods that they commonly eat so we can discuss them,” she says. “At times, clients tell me the type and brands of foods they eat and within a few moments, I can pull up the item with a nutrition label and share my screen with the client to review the nutrition label together. Using my mouse to enlarge the screen, which is particularly helpful for older adults who may not read smaller font as easily, I can point out which nutrients they may want to limit and which they may want to aim for more of.”

Due to the pandemic, many older adults are socially isolated which can lead to depression. The nutrition education and counseling that Goykadosh provides not only helps clients to improve their eating, but also serves as a social connection through real-time video interaction. “Since our services are entirely virtual, I find it particularly rewarding to be able to connect with older adults all over New York City,” Goykadosh says. “I enjoy connecting with people from different backgrounds, as this may not have been possible if the services were in-person.”

The Virtual Smart Living Initiative grant has another component, called “Do More, Feel Better,” in which trained coaches provide intervention to older adults with depression. “Being in a depressed state impacts one’s health, food choices and well-being,” Goykadosh explains. “We utilize a holistic approach toward health, screening older adults for depression and then referring them to ‘Do More, Feel Better.’ I feel lucky to play a role in improving not only the nutritional health, but their mental health as well.”

Henderiks gravitated toward media, specifically television, where she made regular on-air appearances and served as editorial contributor for ABC’s Good Morning America. “From my first local TV appearance, I knew this was going to be the medium for me to share my knowledge and skills with a lot of people at one time,” she says.

As host of the show Fresh to Frozen and Back, available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Altice, Henderiks uses her expertise as a registered dietitian and chef to create recipes with fresh and simple ingredients. “My audience is home cooks and families who want to improve nutrition at home,” Henderiks says. “I believe simplicity is key. The first step to healthier eating is to try to eat as close to nature as possible.”

Henderiks finds joy in cooking for family and friends, and also in volunteering and working with nonprofit organizations including Autism Speaks, Warriors in Motion, the Boomer Esiason Foundation and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, for which she serves as resident guest chef for JBJ Soul Kitchen, a nonprofit community restaurant. “I’ve created the seasonal guest chef five-course fundraising dinner series for JBJ Soul Kitchen,” Henderiks says. “I’m proud to say I’ve consistently participated over the past several years in master chef fundraisers.”

Beyond her TV show and volunteer work, Henderiks does catering and is a private chef. “The positive feedback I receive is that organizations, TV shows and individuals all love my passion for cooking,” she says. “The lasting impressions and solid relationships speak for themselves.”

A true inspiration to fellow nutrition and dietetics professionals and students, Henderiks imparts this encouraging advice: “Follow your passion and never give up. Volunteer and give back as much as you can to organizations that mean something to you. Strive to be one of the go-to experts in nutrition!”

In 2017, Roberts retired from the Marine Corps to earn a graduate degree and complete his internship. Now, he’s the owner and CEO of Top Nutrition & Performance, LLC, in Belleville, Ill. “I always knew I would open my own facility to serve the local community and build up the dietetics profession in the sports world,” Roberts says.

Roberts is an athlete, too, naturally transitioning into obstacle course racing, which he notes is similar to Marine Corps training. He also has trained for ultra-races and cycling and triathlon competitions, putting his nutrition education into practice. “I sought out certifications through USA Triathlon, USA Track and Field, Ironman University and the American Council on Exercise to provide science-based coaching methods with my evidence-based nutrition,” Roberts says.

Some of Roberts’ clients are endurance athletes who are training and competing in running, cycling and triathlon events. “I write all the training for them and help with their daily nutrition, as well as sports nutrition,” he says. Other clients are members of the community, often adults who took up running and cycling without a coach. “Many are easily influenced by social media and mixed messages from bloggers and running or cycling stores,” Roberts says. “These individuals try nutrition practices that are not beneficial for them in the long run and will often over train or train through injuries they sustained from training too much or too hard. As a coach and dietitian, I do my best to educate the public on safe practices.”

That includes the high school students on his triathlon team, which he began coaching in the spring of 2019. “USA Triathlon influenced me to create an opportunity for local high school athletes to get involved in triathlon,” Roberts says.

In all his interactions as a registered dietitian, Roberts helps people establish a healthy relationship with food using an open-minded and understanding approach. “A lot of people have tried so many diets that they have unrealistic and confusing beliefs about food and nutrition,” Roberts says. “I explain to people that food is connected to our very identity — it’s in our memories, holidays and traditions, religions and ideological beliefs. It helps to understand where a person is coming from; when you understand someone, you are in a better position to provide them the help they want.”

For 32 years, Brenda Richardson, MA, RDN, LD, FAND, has provided nutrition services to a diverse group of people age 50 and older. But her journey began in college when she took a nutrition course that ignited her passion to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.

After earning an undergraduate degree in dietetics and institution administration from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., Richardson was selected for an internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Later, she served as the RDN at several military acute-care facilities and then became the hospital chief of clinical dietetics at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Richardson left active duty to work as the coordinator of food procurement and nutrition education for the Jefferson County School System in Louisville. “Working with schools, the foodservice staff and children was such a wonderful opportunity,” she recalls.

In 1987, Richardson was offered a role serving a different population in long-term care. “While I enjoyed working in acute care and schools, I gravitated toward working as a consultant to skilled nursing facilities,” she says. “I loved seeing the actual impact food, nutrition and dining has in prevention and management of malnutrition and in overall quality of life for each resident.”

Richardson not only is a consultant for independent living, assisted living and nursing facilities, but also works with food manufacturers and distributors on product development of dietary supplements for the aging population.

Additionally, Richardson volunteers with organizations including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Healthcare Association, Pioneer Network and Leading Age, providing education and training to their members and collaborating on regulatory reviews.

“I love working with my colleagues in demonstrating the value of nutrition for healthy aging,” she says. “It is so rewarding to see improvements in person-centered care, prevention and management of malnutrition and other chronic diseases, and the positive impact nutrition has in the daily lives of individuals.”

In 2019, after being nominated by the Dietetics in Health Care Communities dietetic practice group and Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Richardson received the Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecture Award. “This is such a prestigious honor in that it represents Cooper’s legacy and her leadership in the field of nutrition and dietetics,” she says. “Her legacy has enabled me to practice in the profession through evidence-based nutrition to improve lives. I am honored and humbled.”

Stella Hall Cash, MEd, MS, FAND, didn’t follow a traditional career path to be where she is today: senior advisor to the President of Michigan State University and provost for international engagement.

Thinking back to 1958, Cash admits she didn’t even know what a dietitian does when her high school home economics teacher suggested she become one. “In that era, the routes to a professional career were somewhat limited for women,” she recalls.

Cash earned an undergraduate degree in dietetics and a master’s degree in education before pausing her dream to raise a family. When her husband was recruited for a food science position at MSU, Cash was hired as “part of the package,” serving as an academic advisor for dietetics students.

“I was a spousal hire, but by the time I found out what that meant, I had completed the experience requirements to become an RD, passed the RD Exam and was director of the didactic program in dietetics at MSU,” she says. “What mattered was what I had done with this opportunity.”

Several other opportunities arose for Cash during her more than 25 years as the director of dietetics at MSU: a TV cooking show with her daughter; working with the food industry, commodity groups and government agencies; and establishing Food Creations Inc. “For years, on behalf of Kellogg, I went to St. Jude’s Hospital to work with some very sick children,” Cash recalls. “I would never have had this opportunity had I not been a dietitian.”

Within months of retiring from MSU, Cash returned to establish a sports nutrition program and later was asked to be the interim vice president and executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. “With MSU having one of the largest dietetics programs in the country, this role allowed me to interact with many of my former students,” Cash notes.

Because of Cash’s prominence in the community, Sparrow Health System recruited her for a new position in strategic community partnerships. As vice president of development and strategic partnerships, Cash recalls, “my second most impactful project was convincing Sparrow leadership that we needed to take health care to the most disadvantaged in our community.”

In recognition of contributions to the profession, Cash received the 2019 Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award, the Academy’s highest honor. “I have read about Copher’s life and the previous recipients, and I could not be more honored,” she says.

Cash acknowledges those who have been influential during her career. “So many leaders, the President of MSU and CEO of Sparrow, my colleagues and family encouraged and gave me confidence to pursue new challenges,” she says. “With the investment from others comes the responsibility, privilege and honor to support and provide opportunities for new dietitians.”

“Because of the increased emphasis on the relationship between health and food, specifically on disease prevention through improved dietary habits, I saw a dire need for dietitians to address the growing epidemic of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease that plagues our society,” she says. “As a dietitian, I believe I’m improving quality of life in communities, one person at a time.”

Hall does it all, with five jobs that keep her busy and constantly learning. As an acute care clinical dietitian at Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, Ga., Hall provides nutrition care for hospitalized patients and is a preceptor for dietetic interns. When she’s not at the medical center, Hall is a consultant to three businesses, providing expertise in the areas of family medicine, behavioral health and worksite wellness.

“I provide medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling for patients at South DeKalb Family Physician, LLC, in Decatur, Ga., where the emphasis is on disease prevention and management of chronic conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes,” she says.

With the DeKalb Community Service Board, Hall provides one-on-one consultations with clients who have developmental or mental health challenges as well as conditions such as elevated blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol, physical inactivity and nutrition-related side effects of medication. Hall also teaches nutrition classes that focus on introducing new foods, healthy recipes and physical activity.

“As the link between diet and mental health strengthens,” Hall says, “it is imperative that we consider the relationship between what we eat and our brain and overall health.”

Through CareATC, Inc., Hall provides nutrition counseling and medical nutrition therapy to people enrolled in a worksite wellness program. In this role, she also leads group education classes and food demos to teach people how nutrition can help prevent, manage and even reverse some chronic diseases.

Most recently, Hall launched her own nutrition consulting business: Nina’s Nutritional Values, LLC. She says her mission is to ensure that people have the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to achieve their diet and health goals.

“It’s very important that each client views our relationship as a partnership or therapeutic alliance,” Hall says. “As a result, the client is more apt to believe that he or she can make healthy changes.”

“It was around the time when my appearance seemed to matter more than ever to me,” Moskovitz says. “At first, I started researching all the ways I could eat healthier and lose weight. What started as probably not the healthiest relationship with food and weight turned into a passion to help others find themselves and appreciate their bodies.”

After several years as an employee and in the nutrition and dietetics profession, Moskovitz realized she didn’t thrive under someone else’s management — she knew private practice was her calling. In 2013, Moskovitz started her own practice and never looked back. “It was a lot harder than I imagined, but it is truly the most rewarding feeling to not only counsel clients and help them live happier, healthier lives, but also mentor other dietitians in my area of practice to pursue their dreams,” she says.

As founding dietitian and CEO of The NY Nutrition Group in New York City, Moskovitz has several roles: counseling clients who want to lose weight and build muscle as well as those with eating disorders, digestion issues, infertility, women’s health issues or hormonal imbalance; providing meal planning, nutrition coaching and medical nutrition therapy; building a successful business; and mentoring other like-minded registered dietitian nutritionists who are interested in opening a private practice.

“The rewards are endless,” Moskovitz says. “From clients telling me how much I helped them — or, even better, changed their lives — to the dietitians I work with and see learn and grow within my practice. Just to help people in general is a never-ending reward.”

In 2018, after having gone through a tough time with fertility, Moskovitz welcomed twin boys. “To date, nothing has changed my perspective about nutrition and weight more,” she says. “I’ve never had more respect and appreciation for my body and what sound nutrition can do.”

Tell us about your work. Who is your audience? What need does this work help serve?

I am a Dietitian/Manager with Mercy LIFE (Living Independently For Elders). LIFE programs are what PACE programs are called in PA. I am the Dietitian/Manager at Valley View, a group home where 36 deaf elderly people reside. The Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) comes to Valley View to provide care for these elderly folks whom we refer to as participants. I am the person responsible for everything that has to do with food and nutrition, including performing nutrition assessments, managing the kitchen, ordering the food, ensuring that the food service and kitchen is in compliance with regulations, troubleshooting issues that come up regarding food or nutrition, doing payroll for the kitchen staff member who reports to me, etc. And (since we are a small facility), I also help out in the kitchen, re-stock the food, etc. as needed. Valley View is unique because the majority of the 36 participants are deaf as well as the majority of the Staff who care for them. The work that I (and the other members of the Mercy LIFE IDT) perform enables these participants to live as independently as possible in their home. Since the participants mostly communicate using American Sign Language (ASL), it is wonderful that they can be cared for by staff who are either deaf themselves, or can communicate with ASL. If it wasn’t for Valley View, many of these participants would likely be living in long-term care facilities where few, if any, people know ASL. I imagine they would feel quite isolated there.

What inspired you to undertake this work or project? Include when and how you became involved.

It is truly amazing how I became involved in working with the deaf. First, some background information: In addition to being a dietitian, I teach part-time at Delaware County Community College as an adjunct instructor (at that time, I also worked as a full-time clinical dietitian at a long-term care facility). In 2014, I accepted a temporary position at the college as the executive administrator to the interim dean of Allied Health, Emergency Services and Nursing. As part of this position, I was also the coordinator of the Nurse Aide Program. One day, I received a phone call that Mercy LIFE recently had begun a LIFE program at Valley View, and Mercy LIFE required all of the first line caregivers at Valley to become Nurse Aides by completing an accredited course and passing the test so they could be placed on Pennsylvania’s Nurse Aide Registry. To make a long story short, I had to collaborate with many people (including the PA Dept. of Education, Mercy LIFE and various people at the college ), but the result of the collaboration was that a unique and beautiful thing happened: As far as I know, this is the first time a group of deaf first line caregivers successfully completed a Nurse Aide Program at a college, passed both the skills component and the written component of the exam, and are now on the PA Registry as Nurse Aides! As the coordinator, I worked very closely with the students (especially the first cohort to go through the program). I did not know ASL and communicated mostly through an interpreter or by writing notes. I truly enjoyed working with these students, and we developed a great working relationship. As the first cohort was finishing their clinical rotations, my temporary position at the college was completed. I was accepted back at the long-term care facility where I previously worked. Then a surprising thing happened: A position opened for a Dietitian/Manager at Valley View. I excitedly interviewed for the position and was offered the job. Needless to say I was thrilled beyond belief at the prospect of working with these colleagues whom I got to know so well at the college!

What do you personally find most rewarding about your efforts?

It is very rewarding to be able to learn ASL and to communicate with my colleagues and the participants in their heart language! I am still in the process of learning ASL and am learning primarily by immersion. I have been at Valley View for about 16 months now, and every day either a colleague or participant teaches me a new sign! Everyone is so accepting, patient and helpful! For the first time in my life, I am a minority (a hearing person in a deaf world)! I love the irony… and I didn’t even realize it until I was working there about six months! At home, I study ASL flashcards and also use the internet to learn new signs. It is rewarding to be able to conduct a nutrition assessment in sign language, or to have a simple conversation with one of my colleagues. It is rewarding to speak ASL to the participants who are both blind and deaf (I have learned to sign into their hands so they can feel the signs)!

What are the most important values you demonstrate in your work?

Compassion is one of the values that I demonstrate. When a participant is unhappy with the food or has a suggestion for the menu, I like to listen to them and troubleshoot with them. Dietetics is a helping profession, and I really feel that at Valley View!

What about food, diet, nutrition or health drew you to this field?

I was interested in food and nutrition from a young age. My mother enjoyed cooking and serving a wide variety of foods from different areas of the world. We had our own garden and fresh vegetables were often a part of our meal. I was heavy as a child and my mother made sure that I ate healthy, and she enrolled me in dance class. It worked! Not only did I slim down as I grew up, I became a dietitian to help others!

“I felt most welcomed into the fold when I was invited to be recognized as a Champion of Change by the Obama White House in 2011 for my volunteer work with Chefs Move to Schools,” Berdan says. “Through this recognition, and a meeting with [White House chef] Sam Kass and [Under Secretary of Agriculture] Kevin Concannon in Washington, D.C., I realized the potential to make a change was great.”

A few years later, the Culinary Institute of America, Berdan’s culinary alma mater, launched the Healthy Kids Collaborative initiative to support school nutrition programs. “I am happy to be involved with this national collaborative leadership initiative in which we work to enhance the culinary culture of school meal programs,” Berdan says.

In 2018, Berdan accepted the role of nutrition services supervisor at Spokane Public Schools to shape menus for the district. “As a consultant, I was able to reach school cooks across the country and influence the direction of meal program menus,” he recalls. “But working directly in a school system for nutrition services is the ultimate way to make positive changes in the way public school children are nourished.”

Berdan is able to show ways school meals can be enhanced. “Nutrition, food and hospitality have the potential to work in harmony to serve our nation’s students,” he says. “Working hard with attention to detail on how we present food to our customers can result in high-quality meals and dining experiences.”

Berdan describes school nutrition as “the perfect line of work for dietitians,” one that brings together aspects of health, diet and food. “The time period in grades K–12 is an opportunity to help young people develop good eating habits for life,” he says. “Those of us in child nutrition can work together to provide great quality meals and exceed the expectations of our customers, all while nourishing bodies and minds of the next generation.”

Having lived with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years, Ann L. Albright, PhD, RDN, has an intimate understanding of the difficult journey people with diabetes often face. As a child, Albright learned from her mother, a registered nurse, how to manage her diabetes and live life to the fullest. “Back then, we didn’t have any of the tools or technology we have now,” Albright recalls. “I’ve lived with Type 1 diabetes for most of my life and can tell you: It is very challenging and, at times, scary. It shouldn’t be as hard as it is.”

As a PhD student, Albright decided to pursue exercise science and devoted her work specifically to diabetes. “I wanted to help those with diabetes feel good and lead active, healthy lives,” she says. “Subsequently, I added nutrition to my field of study, since both nutrition and physical activity are critical for diabetes care and Type 2 diabetes prevention.”

After completing a postdoctoral research fellowship, Albright became a registered dietitian, leading the diabetes program at the California Department of Health while working part-time in a county clinic. Albright then served as a senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, a role she chose as a way to help more people.

Fast-forward to the coalescence of Albright’s experience as a researcher, clinician and public health professional: serving as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Diabetes Translation. “In this role, I am incredibly fortunate to work with a fantastic team and partners all over the world who inspire me daily,” she says. “In all the work I do, my hope is to make the journey easier and better for others with and at-risk for diabetes and their loved ones.”

Diabetes patient education and tools haven’t always been widely available or easy to understand, but Albright and her team at the CDC are working to change this in the United States and around the world. In recognition of her inspiring career and dedication to diabetes prevention and treatment, Albright was named the recipient of the Academy’s 2018 Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecture Award.

“I am very grateful and humbled that my peers felt I am worthy of this prestigious award,” says Albright. “I share this award with my family and my team at CDC.”

A career in education wasn’t initially the plan for Judith A. Gilbride, PhD, RDN, CDN, FAND. Growing up, Gilbride developed a love for food, nurtured by her father, a chef, who prepared what she refers to as “special adult-kid foods,” such as squab and lobster tea sandwiches.

In her undergraduate studies at Framingham State College, she was required to follow a dual curriculum within the home economics education division including teaching and dietetics. “There was no space for choosing elective courses,” she recalls. “As a senior, I struggled to teach 7th and 8th graders clothing and textiles along with nutrition and health. My resolve for pursuing a dietetic internship and a career in nutrition and health became even stronger from my experience as a student teacher.”

Despite early struggles, teaching has remained a substantial part of Gilbride’s life: from teaching assistant to lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor — and now, as a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. Gilbride works with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as interns and alumni who live and work in New York and all over the United States and the world.

“Most rewarding has been the accomplishments of my students and watching them grow and find their special niche,” she says. “In particular, I take great pride in watching undergraduate and doctoral students grow and flourish through the acquisition of new knowledge and real-world experiences.” Her advice to students and professionals entering the workforce — or in any stage of their career: “Each position should offer new challenges and the opportunity to succeed.”

And succeed, she has. Beyond her work at NYU, Gilbride has served the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in positions ranging from committee member to House of Delegates speaker and president. She received a Medallion Award in 1997 and is the recipient of the 2018 Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Award, the highest honor the Academy bestows on a member.

“The Copher Award represents the pinnacle for serving the nutrition and dietetics profession and I am truly honored,” says Gilbride. “Based on Marjorie Hulsizer Copher’s pioneering leadership and an examination of our history as a profession, it is up to all of us to ‘touch and change’ the narrative today and tomorrow.”

Tell us about your work. Who is your audience? What need does this work help serve?

Many of the students at MATC are the first in their families to go to college, and their goal is to prepare for a job or to make a career change. My work focuses on providing the hands-on training they need to obtain the skills necessary to get that job and contribute to the local Milwaukee and surrounding economy. Many of my students also continue their education after earning an Associate’s degree from MATC by pursuing a bachelor’s in science degree.

What inspired you to undertake this work or project? 

I started at Milwaukee Area Technical College in 2013 and began to develop food science technology curriculum for courses offered at MATC. I was inspired to undertake this role since my background is in food science and nutrition, Milwaukee has a strong and growing food and beverage industry, and my trained students earn living wages with great benefits when they land a job. As of today, the chemical technology program incorporates food analysis experiments and we hope to expand. Another inspiration for this role is that I can also teach nutrition courses, so I utilize both my CFS and NDTR credentials.

What do you personally find most rewarding about your efforts?

The most rewarding part of my job is helping students succeed in class and in reaching their goals, like landing an internship or job, graduating, or transferring to a university. 

What about food, diet, nutrition or health drew you to this field?

I graduated with a degree in food science and nutrition. When I entered the workforce as a food product developer and worked in that role for many years, I realized that I did not want to focus on food science or nutrition. I wanted to have a career where I could utilize both of those areas of expertise. I was surprised, and continue to be, that there are not many careers paths for someone that has a passion for the food industry, including processing and manufacturing, and dietetics. I feel very lucky that I am in my current position at MATC. However, I am optimistic there will be more roles that combine nutrition/dietetics and food science in the future!

Now, Collazo-Colón is a clinical dietitian in the High Intensity Psychiatric Unit at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System in Tuskegee, Ala. She is responsible for the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, which includes the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program and Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program — services that assist veterans experiencing issues such as illness, addictive behavior, post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional problems. In 2014, Collazo-Colón collaborated on the Veteran’s Garden Project, designed to provide educational and therapeutic benefits to patients. To introduce nutrition basics, classes include container gardening, healthy kitchen sessions using produce grown in the garden, anti-inflammatory nutrition and a diabetes group, which educates veterans on using food to control illness and chronic pain.

“The garden not only helps patients who have different comorbidities, but also those who have been rejected by society for drug abuse, alcoholism or serious mental disorders,” says Collazo-Colón. “It encourages them to stay active and well.”

As part of the project, veterans can grow plants from seeds, harvest crops and eat the fresh produce, which helps fulfill some nutritional deficiencies. Patients also learn about foods’ nutritional value, possible health benefits and farming fundamentals.

“I was inspired by the nobility of the project and the effort and satisfaction shown by the participants in the garden,” Collazo-Colón recalls. “This led me to adopt the project as my own and coordinate resources to make it grow.”

Since its start, the Veteran’s Garden Project has produced up to 300 pounds per month of fresh produce and donated more than 1,000 pounds of food to local schools, churches and shelters. “This experience has been very rewarding for participants because, other than sharing fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs, they recognize the nutritional value and healing properties of the produce they are giving to others,” says Collazo-Colón.

The project has been rewarding for Collazo-Colón, too, for somewhat different reasons. “Personally, the most rewarding aspect of this effort is the capacity for giving back,” she says. “My patients receive nutritional knowledge and gardening skills, and the community receives produce harvested with the passion and dedication of the patients who are trying to transform their lives.”

Maybe that’s because she landed in the dietetics field after an unplanned meeting with an influential professor in college. “Through a series of unexpected twists and turns, I ended up in the academic office of a dietetics professor who was so dynamic, she decided I should be a dietitian,” recalls Derelian, who entered college as a drama major. “She explained to me that everything I had done up to that point was in direct line to becoming a dietitian. I have never looked back.”

As a professor of nutrition at California Polytechnic State University, Derelian teaches students from freshmen to seniors in classes such as food law and nutrition education and communications. “I teach future nutrition professionals, and I love it,” she says.

Derelian describes her most rewarding career moments as “bundles” — there’s the student bundle, which includes past pupils reaching out years later to say she helped them become successful professionals. And the colleague bundle, which Derelian describes as working with “beacons in the profession.” “I have been rewarded by being able to work with some of the greatest in our field,” Derelian says.

Another bundle is lifelong learning — having a career that requires constant exploration and being able to study law. Lastly, there’s the bundle of “sharing in the respect of being in a ‘helping’ profession.” “We as dietitians are respected and admired,” Derelian says. “I know I chose a calling that brings honor.”

“The need is clear: Every school day, more than 14 million children in the U.S. eat school breakfast, and more than 30 million children eat school lunch,” Hayes says. “The majority of these students live in low-income homes and are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.”

As president of Nutrition for the Future Inc., in Bozeman, Mont., Hayes leads educational presentations for groups ranging from lunchroom servers to school superintendents throughout the country and in Canada. “I talk to anyone who will listen about the importance of school meals that rock for smart brains, strong bodies and super behavior,” she says.

Understanding that some people have an outdated and inaccurate view of school meals, Hayes uses social media (@SchoolMealsThatRock) to showcase outstanding school districts and nutrition professionals. “Lunch ladies and food dudes have some of the most important jobs in our country,” she says. “I try hard to make certain they get the recognition, support and training they deserve.”

And Hayes isn’t stopping there. “I am planning to devote my ‘retirement’ to improving school eating environments,” she says. “My inspiration is quite simple: I believe that no child should go hungry in America.”

At the age of 7, Mascha Davis and her family became political refugees, fleeing the former Soviet Union and settling in the United States. Shaped by this experience and having traveled while growing up, Davis was drawn to helping people in impoverished areas. She earned a master’s degree in public health and became a registered dietitian, working in a clinical setting until 2010.

That is when Davis pursued a long-held dream of working abroad — first in Switzerland, then in Africa, where she worked in international development and humanitarian aid. For five years, Davis worked with nonprofit organizations in South Sudan, Chad, Darfur, Ethiopia and Gabon.

Spending most of 2015 in South Sudan, her tasks ranged from coordinating delivery of aid supplies, managing and training staff, and performing nutritional assessments. “We were running nutrition centers that treated about 2,000 malnourished children each week,” Davis says. “It was difficult and frustrating at times, but it was one of the most impactful experiences I have ever had.”

While living in a remote area of Chad, Davis and her staff implemented long-term development projects in local villages. In Darfur, she focused primarily on developing nutrition projects for the prevention of malnutrition.

“Living and working in some of the least developed countries in the world has been very humbling and has opened my eyes to the importance of those in our profession using their expertise to impact the lives of people around the globe,” Davis says. “We have the capacity to make a huge difference.”

In 2016, Davis returned to the United States and launched her private practice, Nomadista Nutrition, in Los Angeles. She continues to work with the United States Healthful Food Council, Satellite Healthcare and several nonprofit groups.

“I believe every single one of us has a role to play in making a positive influence on the world,” Davis says. “It’s up to each of us to discover what that role is and to take action.”

Active listening and operating in a “no-judgment zone” are fundamental work values that Weiner has developed. After all, she says, “putting people down for not following a health professional’s advice doesn’t lead to positive and long-term lifestyle changes.” Instead, Weiner tailors her approach to “meet clients where they are in their personal health journey.”

Weiner also shares her expertise with organizations, including Marjorie’s Fund, Project REAL, The Betes Organization and DiabetesSisters. In 2016 at the American Association of Diabetes Educators’ Annual Conference, Weiner and the CEO of DiabetesSisters co-presented a section of the report “Women & Diabetes: 10 Relevant Health Topics for Women Living with Diabetes,” which she co-authored.

“Talking about topics like pregnancy and menopause, and providing the educational material free of charge, will help make a difference in so many lives,” says Weiner. “As a proud contributor and advisor to DiabetesSisters, I promote selfworth of women, so they can improve their health outcomes and feel great about themselves at the same time. These achievements fill my heart with gratitude and inspire me to do more to help this organization reach more women and their families.”

Weiner’s accomplishments have earned her numerous awards, including the 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year and the 2016 Dare to Dream Award from the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.

In 2014, Schultz was honored as the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance Retail Dietitian of the Year for her implementation of the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System and her work on the Eat Well at Festival Foods ad program.

What led to your career in nutrition and dietetics?
In short, it was my dad. I was probably 6 years old when I went to a doctor’s appointment with him, where his doctor prescribed him cholesterol medication. Dad asked, “How long will I be on this? Two or three weeks?” His doctor replied, “Your father died in his early 40s from a heart attack, right? You’ll be on this for life.” I learned the power of prevention through a healthy lifestyle early on. That lesson stuck with me.

Tell us more about your work at Festival Foods.
Our primary purpose is to provide programs that offer general guidance for our customers who are trying to make better choices. We provide real-world solutions to healthy eating, guidance for those who might be newly diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance, and general nutrition education in our communities. We also serve as a non-biased, evidence-based resource for our customers on nutrition-related topics — even the controversial ones like GMO regulation and organics. We have found that our customers see us as a trustworthy, unbiased resource for nutrition information.

What do you find most rewarding about your efforts?
I truly enjoy making a difference in people’s lives. Nothing beats hearing from a customer who writes, calls or seeks us out at an event to tell us that our resources and programs have given them the start or support they needed on their journey to a healthier lifestyle! As the leader of the Health & Wellness Team, I also find it extremely rewarding to watch my team grow and develop their roles within our organization.

Looking ahead, how would you like to see your project develop or grow?
I would like my team to get more involved with our associate wellness program. The employees working for our organization are our most important asset, so helping them to lead a healthy, happy life is paramount. It will also help to make them champions of our programs in the store!