Department News

Dr. 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.

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).

Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition