Honors and Awards

Professor Fawaz Haj Moderates Panel on Precision Medicine for Chronic Metabolic Diseases at U.S.-Kuwait Workshop

Professor Fawaz Haj with the Department of Nutrition is set to moderate a panel on precision medicine for chronic metabolic diseases this week as part of a workshop series highlighting the innovative research between the U.S. and Kuwait. 

Kudos to Professor Haj on being part of these important discussions about the advancements in precision medicine! The event is Feb. 2-3 in Kuwait, details here: https://lnkd.in/gDWyqp-V

Joan Frank named 2025 Outstanding Dietetics Educator

Joan Frank MS, RDN, FAND has been honored with the 2025 Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award for the Western US region by the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). This award recognizes the teaching, mentoring and leadership activities of faculty in ACEND-accredited dietetics education programs. One educator is selected from each of five program types within each geographic region. Award winners will be recognized at the annual meeting of dietetics educators in March 2025.

Clinical Nutrition Alumni, Rachael Mack, Brings Olympic Routine and Consistency to UC Davis

PARIS – Since taking the role of Director of Performance Nutrition within UC Davis Athletics, Rachael Mack has been committed to providing expert input while building meaningful and trusting connections with UC Davis student athletes.

Mack's ability to excel and be an asset for the Aggies comes partly from her time spent as a former lacrosse student athlete and Aggie alumni. It also comes from her time with USA Men's Water Polo, and just this past summer Mack spent her second summer Olympics with the team helping them take home a bronze medal.

Community Nutrition Class Presentations Awarded

Dr. Lauren Au’s Community Nutrition class is centered around a research project to improve the health and well-being of the UC Davis campus community. Seniors spend their quarter developing useful skills, such as creating a research question, collecting and analyzing data, and translating their findings into recommendations during a poster presentation. Top presentations are selected by their peers and teaching team. This year, a special award was dedicated to Dr. Elizabeth Prado, who was the former co-instructor of this course and recently passed away in 2023.

Lauren Au, PhD, RD Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research grant

Dr. Lauren Au is one of 10 recipients of the 2023 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Healthy Eating Research Grants. Her project aims to determine whether length of participation in Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC is associated with diet quality and weight status at 2-5 years, and whether there is a synergistic benefit of safety net program participation on diet quality and health.

10th annual GGNB Research Symposium

Thank you to all of the GradSAC members who worked tirelessly in planning and executing the 10th annual GGNB Research Symposium on Friday; and thanks to all of the presenters, judges, and all of those in attendance at Walker Hall. It was fabulous to have such a large number of student and faculty attendees – we are fairly certain we may have had record attendance/participation!

It was an excellent primer to the active research in the graduate group and dedication of our graduate students that will continue in the coming academic year(s).

Carl Keen Named 2023 Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition

Dr. Carl Keen, Professor Emeritus, has been selected by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and ASN Foundation as one of 16 individuals who will be inducted into its class of 2023 Fellows. To be inducted as a Fellow of the Society is the highest honor ASN bestows, recognizing individuals for significant discoveries and distinguished careers in the field of nutrition.

Nutritional Biology Doctoral Candidate, Marcela Radtke, has been selected as a finalist for the Grad Slam competition!

She will be competing among the other finalists for monetary prizes and a spot in the UC-wide competition. Come cheer her on for the semi-final round on Thursday, April 6 from 1 - 3 p.m. at the Graduate Center at Walker Hall. 10 Finalists, 3 Minutes Each

Graduate Studies announced the master’s and doctoral students who will compete in the campus Grad Slam, Thursday, April 6. RSVPs are now being accepted (space is limited). Cash prizes will be awarded, and the first-place competitor will advance to the systemwide Grad Slam in May.

Congratulations to the 2022 Graduates in Nutrition Science and Clinical Nutrition!

Congratulations to each and every one of our outstanding 2022 seniors in Nutrition Science and Clinical Nutrition – You have done it!  You completed your BS degree and persevered through the challenges of the COVID pandemic since 2020. You have shown amazing resilience and dedication to your education. The Nutrition department faculty and staff is happy to recognize your accomplishments at UC Davis and we know that you will do amazing and exciting things in your future.

Professor Christine Stewart given ASN award in Global Nutrition

Christine Stewart, MPH, PhD, the Corinne L. Rustici Endowed Chair in Applied Human Nutrition, Professor of Nutrition, and Director of the Institute for Global Nutrition has been awarded the Nevin Scrimshaw Mid-Career Award in Global Nutrition from the American Society for Nutrition. This award is given to a mid-career professional who has done innovative work to advance the field of global nutrition and who has had a sustained record of substantial research, mentoring and training.