I have been teaching at PCC since 2016 and truly love what I do. As a teacher, I want to help you to connect with the material we cover in the course so you can not only improve your own health but to also help those around you.
A little bit about me: After earning my BS in Nutrition & Food Science I was really unsure of where I wanted to take my passion related to nutrition. I grew up in a household in New Jersey where health was a focus which included my mother doing her best to cook healthy meals and always encouraging us to get physical activity. She was an educator herself and was constantly trying to provide us lessons at home around health.
My father was diagnosed with adult onset type 2 diabetes in his 50s as well as heart disease which really drove me to want to learn about how diet impacts our health, specifically chronic disease risk. I purchased a book titled “Food Politics” by Marion Nestle and after reading about the corruption in our government related to food and specifically how capitalism and profit shape our dietary guidelines I realized my passion around food and nutrition was related to our food system and how our food system can impact our own health. I also knew that I wanted to understand more about Nutritional Science, meaning the science of digestion, absorption and nutrient utilization in our bodies. This passion led me to Chico, CA to obtain my Master’s degree.
My thesis work in my Master’s program involved evaluating the impact of the Harvest of the Month program on fruit and vegetable consumption in low-income elementary schools using a photography method. I was also working as an adjunct faculty member at CSU, Chico while completing my Master’s degree. My passion for education expanded during this time as an instructor while witnessing firsthand the impact I could make on students. I quickly developed my own teaching style which includes an approachable manner, allowing students to feel comfortable talking with me outside of the classroom or through email while also adopting a variety of approaches that enable all students to learn effectively. Each student learns differently and I recognize the importance of combining numerous learning styles into lesson plans as a key element to potential student success.
After completing my dietetic internship program at OHSU, I started working at PCC instructing in the Foods and Nutrition department. I have also held clinical roles at Women Infants and Children (WIC) as a dietitian, as well as at Providence St. Vincent in their pediatric neurodevelopment clinic as their lead dietitian working with infants and children with feeding challenges. I have also taught at The National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland in their undergraduate nutrition program.
I have many interests when it comes to the field of nutrition and welcome student questions as it can be confusing to navigate all of the misinformation out there when it comes to health and nutrition. I look forward to working with you to explore the dynamic field of foods and nutrition!
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” -Hippocrates