Department News

The holidays are full of flavorful dishes and family traditions. Whether it’s homemade stuffing or a cookie swap, all foods are meant to be enjoyed this time of year. Maintaining a healthy approach to eating during the holiday season may feel overwhelming, but Debbie Fetter, associate professor of teaching with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, has some helpful pointers to help everyone feel good about those once-a-year favorites (hello, pumpkin pie).

If you’re passionate about advancing the science of nutrition, from molecular mechanisms to public health, consider joining the Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology (GGNB) at UC Davis. As part of the GGNB you will collaborate with leading researchers, explore diverse areas of nutritional science, and contribute to discoveries that shape health outcomes worldwide.

The UC Davis Department of Nutrition and its collaborators made a strong impact at this year’s International Milk Genomics Consortium (IMGC) Symposium in Aarhus, Denmark, with students, faculty, and clinical researchers all contributing to the program. The symposium brought together scientists, industry leaders, and clinicians from around the world to advance understanding of milk, its bioactive components, and its role in human health across the lifespan.

Every August, National Breastfeeding Month invites us to celebrate nursing parents and their dedication. But it also offers an opportunity to reconsider how science and public health approach one of the most foundational aspects of human development: nutrition in early life.

What makes a baby healthy—and what does the latest research say?

ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Fruit and Vegetable Foundation announced a $10 million gift to the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Health. This gift establishes the Dr. Douglas S. L. Howard Endowed Chair in Nutrition for Transformative Healthcare and supports the development of the corresponding program.

In the Department of Nutrition and the Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis, our scientists are diving deep into the wonders of human milk — from its unique composition to how it shapes lifelong health.

Dr. Kathryn Dewy has been awarded the 2024-2025 UCD Emeriti/Emeritae Association’s Distinguished Emerita Award. This annual award honors outstanding scholarly work and/or University or professional service performed by a UC Davis Senate emeritus or emerita since their retirement.

It’s mid-February and many New Year’s resolutions have already fizzled out, with research suggesting that about 80% don’t last past this point. Debbie Fetter, associate professor of teaching with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, shares some practical tips to help make healthy habits last all year long. Fetter, who teaches the NUT 10 course, earned her Ph.D. in nutritional biology from UC Davis and provides strategies to help make healthy eating and exercise fun and sustainable.

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.

The Nigerian government has enacted a new industrial standard for bouillon which includes a provision for adding vital micronutrients. The new standard specifies the inclusion of iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12 on a voluntary basis in nationally produced and imported bouillon cubes to reduce malnutrition and child mortality.

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.

Christine Stewart, PhD, MPH, Professor, UC Davis and Leila Larson, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor, Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health have organized a NUTRITION 2024 session to honor the life and contributions of ASN Member Elizabeth “Beth” Prado, PhD, Associate Professor, UC Davis who recently passed away. 

UC Davis student Makhi Jones likes to enjoy a hearty meal. One of his go-to favorites is the Hawaiian Spicy Chicken entrée at Good Friends Hawaiian Poke restaurant in downtown Davis. The clinical nutrition major who is set to graduate this spring, said it’s all about balance when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

“I’m not perfect; I still eat out here and there, but I try not to do it too often,” Jones said.

While he likes to dine out sometimes, he frequently prepares meals himself.

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.