Fellowships

Diversity and Inclusion Fellow:
Marie Allsopp, DrPH, MPH, MS, RD, LD/N, CHES

Project: Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion in Nutrition and Dietetics: Overcoming Obstacles to RDN Recruitment, Education and Advancement

Funded by: The Nutrition and Dietetics Educators and Preceptors (NDEP) and member leader Diane Heller, MMSc, RDN, LD, FAND

Dr. Marie Allsopp is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Purdue University in the Department of Nutrition Science. Through her fellowship, she is building on the important work of the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee to build a framework to identify and more fully understand barriers to success for students of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Her work includes identifying barriers that students of diverse backgrounds and cultures face in becoming RDNs and NDTRs; identifying obstacles for RDNs and NDTRs of diverse backgrounds and cultures in advancing in the profession; creating a framework with solutions to support students, RDNs, and NDTRs of diverse backgrounds and cultures; and enhancing pre-professional and continuing education for RDNs and students in the area of cultural competency and cultural humility to support the United States’ diverse population.

Maire is passionate about pursuing pedagogical practices to increase undergraduate student engagement as well as diversity and inclusion. Her line of scholarship of teaching and learning includes using multi-media to engage students, collaborative learning, service-learning, and flipped classrooms. In fall of 2019, Marie was a fellow of Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT), which was a Chronicle of Higher Education 2018 Innovator for promoting classroom culture change. Prior to joining academia, she accrued over a decade of work experience as a registered dietitian in clinical, community, and customer service settings in in the South. Subsequent to completing her Doctor of Public Health degree in 2015, Marie held full-time posts at Miami University (OH) and later at Mississippi State University. Marie Allsopp has received recognition professionally as a practitioner, program (DPD) director, and assistant professor for her dedication and service and is a member of NDEP, NOBIDAN, and the DBC DPG.

Research Fellow:
Gabriela Montenegro-Bethancourt, PhD

Project: Early Complementary Feeding of Eggs in Rural Guatemala

Funded by: Egg Nutrition Center

Gabriela Montenegro-Bethancourt is a Guatemalan nutritionist who is interested in improving the quality of life in children with fewer opportunities to develop their full potential through promoting adequate nutrition. In her fellowship, she is serving as study coordinator and working with primary investigators and Maya Health Alliance/Wuqu’ Kawoq in Tecpán, Guatemala to conduct research that is examining the impact of the daily provision of eggs on child development. She holds a PhD in Food Sciences and Human Nutrition from Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (Bonn, Germany), a Masters of Science in International Public Health from Vrije Universteit (Amsterdam, Netherlands), and a Nutrition Degree from Universidad de San Carlos (Guatemala City, Guatemala). Prior to her fellowship, Gabriela served as a research methods teacher in various universities in her hometown (Quetzaltenango, Guatemala) and as an affiliated researcher at CeSSIAM (a research Institute in Guatemala), where she worked on a number of nutrition-related studies. She is member of the Nutrition Leaders Program for the Latin American region (IUNS) and the Guatemalan Academy of Medical, Physics and Natural Sciences.

Nutrition in Food Retail Program Development Fellow:
Allison Yoder, MA, RDN, LD

Project: Leveraging RDNs in the Food Retail Environment to Improve Public Health

Funded by: Walmart

Allison Yoder is an award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist and leader in the retail health and wellness industry, specializing in the strategic development of wellness programming. Through her fellowship, she is developing a concept and scope for how to leverage RDNs in the food retail environment. Allison has a passion for improving the health of individuals and communities and utilizes data analytics and her extensive background in health promotion and retail nutrition to produce cost-effective and results-driven wellness strategies to improve nutrition and health outcomes. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Iowa State University and has a Master’s degree in Health Promotion from the University of Alabama. She is certified in adult weight management and is a trained lifestyle coach through the National Diabetes Prevention and Recognition program. Prior to the fellowship, she spent 13 years at Hy-Vee.

Jenica Abram, MPH, RDN

Project: GENIE Development and Validation

Funded by: ConAgra Foods Foundation

In her role as the ConAgra Foods Foundation Nutrition Education Research Fellow at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Jenica Abram worked as a primary member of the project team responsible for the design and validation of the Guide for Effective Nutrition Interventions and Education.

Stephen Alajajian, RDN

Project: Maya Health Alliance/Wuqu' Kawoq

Funded by: The Academy Foundation Nutrition Education for the Public Fund

Stephen Alajajian is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a passion for serving culturally and linguistically diverse people. Through his fellowship, he is currently working with Maya Health Alliance/Wuqu' Kawoq in Tecpán, Guatemala. In this role, he is overseeing the implementation research and quality improvement aspects of a garden research project and participating in nutrition-related efforts for the organization. Prior to this fellowship year, he served as a Foundation Fellow with Gardens for Health International in Rwanda as Senior Nutrition Technical Adviser. He completed his undergraduate degree in dietetics at University of Vermont and his dietetic internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Previously, he worked as a nutrition consultant for the Clinica Sanjuanerita in Guatemala and as a maternal-child nutritionist at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center.

Lauren Au, PhD, RD

Project: Grace L. Ostenso Nutrition and Public Policy Fellowship

Funded by: The Academy Foundation Ostenso Fund

Lauren Au is an Assistant Researcher at University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nutrition Policy Institute. The Foundation fellowship provided her the opportunity to serve one year as a Congressional fellow in Washington, D.C.

Courtney Bliss, MS, RDN, CNSC

Project: Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics and Staffing Optimization Study (now the AAIM – Academy and ASPEN Indicators to Diagnose Malnutrition Study) – Pediatric Emphasis

Funded by: Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group

Courtney Bliss is a registered dietitian nutritionist who enjoys the challenge of ensuring growth and good nutritional status during metabolically stressed states. In her fellowship, she is working with primary investigators to plan, execute, and publish research conducted for the Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics and Staffing Optimization Study specific to the pediatric population. She completed her undergraduate work at Simmons College and completed both her dietetic internship and Master’s degree in nutrition at Arizona State University. She has prior experience as a PICU dietitian, Cardiac Transplant dietitian, and Research Coordinator at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in critical care.

Sandra Carpenter, MS, RDN

Project: Simulation Area Identification and Development

Funded by: Funded by the Commission on Dietetics Registration

Sandra Carpenter served as Simulation Research Fellow at Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Greater Pittsburgh Area Health, Wellness and Fitness. As a registered dietitian specializing in diabetes management, nutrition support, cardiovascular health and food service management, she is a passionate educator and worksite wellness professional who leads by example.

Lindsey Field, MS, RDN

Project: Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics Pilot Trial

Funded by: Abbott Nutrition

Lindsey Field is a registered and licensed dietitian who holds a Master’s of Science degree in Nutrition from Texas A&M University. She served as the Abbott Nutrition Malnutrition Research Fellow from 2014-2015. During the fellowship, she served as project coordinator for the Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics Validation Pilot Study. She assisted with data extraction and analysis and communicated regularly with dietitian participants at three study sites.

Alice Figueroa, MPH, RDN

Project: Central America Malnutrition – Policy Perspective

Funded by: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Wimpfheimer-Guggenheim Fund for International Exchange in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Management

Alice Figueroa is a registered dietitian nutritionist who is passionate about promoting universal access to nutrition support, health services, and wholesome foods for all. Through her fellowship, Alice conducted research to address chronic malnutrition and stunting in Central America. Her research focused on identifying gaps in nutrition services in Central America and vulnerable indigenous populations in Guatemala who are at increased risk for malnutrition and stunting. She earned a Master’s in Public Health from New York University, where she also completed her dietetic internship. She holds an honors degree in International Relations with a focus on healthcare policy from Tulane University and is a CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program Certified Lifestyle Coach. She is also a James Beard Foundation National Scholar Award Recipient and a Natural Foods Chef.

Leigh A. Gantner, PhD, RD

Project: Grace L. Ostenso Nutrition and Public Policy Fellowship

Funded by: The Academy Foundation Ostenso Fund

Leigh Gantner is an analyst at USDA in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She completed a PhD in nutritional sciences from Cornell University, where her dissertation was entitled, “Building environments to promote healthy weights among childbearing women.” The Foundation fellowship provided her the opportunity to serve one year as a Congressional fellow in Washington, D.C.

Janice Giddens, MS, RDN

Project: Gardens for Health International

Funded by: The Academy Foundation Nutrition Education for the Public Fund

Janice Giddens was the first Gardens for Health International Fellow in Rwanda. During her fellowship, she developed and implemented an antenatal nutrition pilot curriculum reaching hundreds of women and families and participated in Ministry of Health Technical Nutrition meetings.

PNPG Pediatric Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics Study Fellow:
Julie Long, MS, MPH, RDN

Project: Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics and Staffing Optimization Study (now the AAIM – Academy and ASPEN Indicators to Diagnose Malnutrition Study) – Pediatric Emphasis

Funded by: Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group

Julie Long is a registered dietitian nutritionist who is interested in improving the lives of children through helping provide access and resources to adequate and appropriate nutrition. In her fellowship, she is working with primary investigators to plan, execute, and publish research conducted for the Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics and Staffing Optimization Study specific to the pediatric population. Prior to beginning the fellowship, she was the Project Manager of a research study assessing micronutrient absorption of young children at risk for environmental enteric dysfunction in Bangladesh. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Nutrition from California Polytechnic State University and completed her dietetic internship, MS in Nutrition and Wellness, and MPH from Benedictine University.

Debra Petitpain, MS, RDN, LDN

Project: Food Security Solutions – Community-Based Pilot

Funded by: General Mills Foundation

Debra (Debbie) Petitpain is a registered dietitian nutritionist who currently serves as the Wellness Director for the Medical University of South Carolina. In her fellowship, she led the development and implementation of a robust communications, engagement, and dissemination plan to promote increased awareness and use of the Food Security Solutions guide and tools and the ANDHII Survey App in the public health community and to related stakeholders. In addition to her fellowship, Debbie represented the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its members as a national Spokesperson.

Marie Spiker, PhD, MSPH, RDN

Project: Foundation Future of Food Program

Funded by: National Dairy Council

Marie Spiker is a registered dietitian nutritionist who advocates for expanding the role of credentialed food and nutrition practitioners in shaping healthy and sustainable food systems. Through her fellowship, she is working to empower future food and nutrition professionals to be leaders in sustainable food systems, food and nutrition security, and global malnutrition. She has conducted a wide range of food systems research related to urban agriculture in Baltimore, food loss and waste in the United States, and vegetable supply chains and food security in India. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Public Health and her Bachelor of Arts in Medical Anthropology from the University of Washington. She also completed her dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and her MSPH in Human Nutrition at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Human Nutrition at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has received the Abell Award in Urban Policy, served as the Gordis Teaching Fellow at John Hopkins University, and received multi-disciplinary training in public health nutrition, systems science, and medical anthropology.

Lee Unangst, MS, RDN

Project: Hunger Free Communities (now the Food Security Solutions Project)

Funded by: General Mills Foundation

Lee Unangst is currently a consultant in nutrition and informatics, providing services in the areas standardized terminology, application and tool development, and nutrition counseling. In his role as a fellow and as part of the Foundation’s Hunger Free Communities project, he worked closely with the Academy’s Research team to plan, execute, and publish a modification to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Health Informatics Infrastructure so that ANDHII can be used for public health nutrition projects. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Maryland and his Master’s degree in Information Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Chris Vogliano, MS, RDN

Project: Agriculture, Food and Health Consensus Conference & Food Waste

Funded by: The Academy Foundation Research Endowment

Chris Vogliano is a registered dietitian with a passion for creating a sustainable and waste-free food system that is healthy for both people and the planet. During his fellowship, he was the primary member of a team that hosted an Agriculture, Nutrition and Health consensus conference at the Academy headquarters with nearly two dozen thought leaders and experts. Following the conference, he authored a proceedings paper that was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as a proceedings paper for the Foundation’s 2015 FNCE Symposium, “The RDNs’ Guide to Plentiful, Nutrient-Dense Food for the World.”

Lindsay Woodcock, MS, RD, LDN

Project: Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics and Staffing Optimization Study (now the AAIM – Academy and ASPEN Indicators to Diagnose Malnutrition Study) – Adult Emphasis

Funded by: Commission on Dietetics Registration

Lindsay Woodcock is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a background in clinical research. In her fellowship, she worked with primary investigators to plan, execute, and publish research conducted for the Malnutrition Clinical Characteristics and Staffing Optimization Study specific to the adult population. Lindsay completed her Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics and Religious studies at Lafayette College, her dietetic internship at Wellness Workdays, and her Masters of Science in Human Nutrition from Drexel University in 2013. Prior to her fellowship, she worked at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she worked on a number of studies and diet trials related to the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez, PhD, RDN

Project: Hunger Free Communities (now the Food Security Solutions Project)

Funded by: General Mills Foundation

Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez is currently a research associate professor at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, NM. She also serves as the Director of the Dietetics Practice Based Research Network at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During her time as a fellow, she developed and validated a food and nutrition security facilitation guide and tools to assist communities with identifying and prioritizing appropriate interventions to address hunger.