News & Events
Celebrating our 2022 MPH, MS, and GCPD graduates
Congratulations to our students who will complete their graduate degrees and RDN training in the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics (GCPD) in 2022.
On Friday August 19, the Nutritional Sciences Program faculty and staff gathered with the graduates and their families to celebrate and recognize their accomplishments in an in-person ceremony held on the University of Washington Seattle campus.
Faculty members honoring the students included Graduate Program Director Elizabeth Kirk, Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics Director Anne Lund, and GCPD Associate Director Michelle Averill.
“In the most unexpected and unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kirk, “this group of students pursued their dreams. Hats off to each and every one of them. The mutual support that was evident across the group was key to everyone’s success and invaluable training for their future careers.”
“I am so proud of the 2022 graduating cohort,” added Averill. “They worked through the uncertainty of the pandemic supporting each other throughout the last two years and are exceptionally prepared to become nutrition professionals.”
Congratulations again to all of our students on their accomplishments!
Master of Public Health (MPH) Candidates
Kaitlin Benjamin*
- Thesis: Eating Competence and Gender Identity are significantly associated with Weight-and-Body Shame-and-Guilt, Eating Concerns, and Weight Satisfaction in Undergraduate Students
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Development of a Weight-Inclusive Nutrition Education Toolkit
Amy Ervin*
- Capstone: SNAP and Emergency Food System Use and Users: A Report for UWKC
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Improving Produce Prescription Processes
Beth Faw*
- Capstone: Federal Emergency Food Responses to COVID-19
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Team Nutrition Grant & Scratch Cooked Receipt Development for Highline School District
Norma Garfias Avila
- Thesis: Is a Traditional Mexican Diet Better Suited for Mexican-descent Women?
- MPH Practicum: Afghan Foods Nutrition Education
Anna Fogel*
- Thesis: Farm System Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Analysis of Farmers in Washington State
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Cultural Adaptations for Washington SNAP-Ed Curriculum
Evelyn Morris*
- Thesis: Insights from Washington’s COVID-19 Response: A Mixed-methods Evaluation of WIC Remote Services and Expanded Food Options Using the RE-AIM framework
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Strengthening Lactation Support for Small and Sick Newborns
Olivia Ramoino*
- Capstone: Food Bank Delivery Programs: Best Practices Across the U.S.
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Family Feeding Dynamics: Using Ellyn Satter’s Models to Address Adolescent Weight-Based Concerns
Rachel Ross*
- Capstone: College Students’ Perception of SNAP and Strategies to Increase Participation
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Promoting Equity Within WA SNAP-Ed Curricula
Jen Urban
Chelsea Whealdon*
- Capstone: SNAP Policy Changes During COVID-19
- Practicum and Public Health Concentration: Increasing Gardening in Early Care and Education in Washington State
Master of Science (MS) Candidates
Jennifer Dearden*
- Thesis: Changes in Eating Habits Among Eating Competent and Non-Eating Competent College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Concentration: Nutrition and Glycemic Management in Type 2 Diabetes
Kate Evans*
- Thesis: Disordered Eating and Eating Competence in Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on Symptom Severity
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Concentration: Histamine Intolerance and the Low Histamine Diet
Sarah Haack*
- Capstone: Assessing Demographics of United Way King County DoorDash Clients vs. Low-income King County Residents
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Concentration: Advancing Nutrition Assessments in the ICU
Trey Lee Hill*
- Thesis: Effect of Low vs High Eating Frequency on Perceived Appetite, Plasma Appetite Hormones, and Appetite Relationships: A Component of the Frequency of Eating and Satiety Hormones (FRESH) Study
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Concentration: Patient with COVID Leading to Multisystem Organ Failure Including ESRD with CRRT
Ana Portilla*
- Capstone: Strategies for the Provision of Culturally Relevant Foods
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Concentration: Going Home with a Feeding Tube: A Needs Assessment
Kaitlin Sandberg*
- Thesis: Healthy Food, As Told by TikTok: A Thematic Analysis of the Most Liked #healthyrecipes on TikTok
- Medical Nutrition Therapy Concentration: Updated Protocol: Outpatient Follow-Up Chart Note Template
A listing with an asterisk (*) identifies a student who has also completed the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics (RDN training).
August 23, 2022