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Department of Nutrition

Faculty

Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras, Chair and Ruby Winslow Linn Professor

Teresa Fung, Professor and Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics

Lisa Brown, Associate Professor and Dietetic Internship Director

Sharon Gallagher, Associate Professor of Practice and Assistant Dietetic Internship Director

Rachele Pojednic, Assistant Professor

Kathrina Prelack, Assistant Professor

Kellene Isom, Assistant Professor of Practice

Elizabeth Colavito Siu, Associate Director, MS Online

Jennifer Chaves, Dietetic Internship Clinical Faculty

Victoria Bacon, Senior Lecturer

Karlyn Grimes, Senior Lecturer

Paula Cerqueira, Lecturer

Susan Frates, Lecturer

Ruth Kimokoti, Research Assistant Professor

Leah Smith, Administrative Assistant

Overview

Housed in the College of Natural, Health and Behavioral Sciences (CNHBS). The Department of Nutrition offers undergraduate majors preparation for careers in food and nutrition or in dietetics, for graduate work in these areas, and for a track in food service management. The program provides opportunities for all students in the College to become knowledgeable about the fundamental principles of nutrition, dietetics, and food science and current scientific concepts of the relationship between diet and health.

The mission of the Simmons College Department of Nutrition is twofold. The first is to educate students and foster an appreciation of lifelong learning in preparation for their success in advanced nutrition or dietetics education or employment so that they can be effective in a profession that works to affect the eating behaviors and subsequent health and quality of life of a multicultural and diverse population, a profession that adds to the scientific investigation about food and health, and one that fosters an appreciation of food’s relationship to other sciences; second, to provide the College community with the intellectual basis and professional expertise for achieving and/or maintaining health through food habits.

Career opportunities for nutrition majors are available in a variety of settings, including research, industry, education, health care, government, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Students may wish, therefore, to combine their study of nutrition with majors in biology, chemistry, communications, education, management, public health, or psychology. For those students interested in the field of dietetics, the program requires a variety of learning experiences in each of the major areas of the dietetics profession: clinical, community, and food service management. For some careers, such as research, postgraduate education is required. A Master’s degree will also be required to become a registered dietitian beginning in 2024.

Program course requirements are described below. Students interested in research careers in nutrition or dietetics should plan to take additional courses in science and mathematics. Students must also maintain an acceptable level of clinical, management, and academic performance to progress to the next nutrition course. Progression is also affected by professional behavior and health status. Students should refer to the Department of Nutrition Student Guide regarding criteria for academic performance, professional behavior, and health requirements. Students receive this upon entrance into one of the nutrition majors.

The Department of Nutrition also offers a post-baccalaureate certificate for students wishing to complete the Didactic Program in Dietetics but who have completed a degree in a different discipline (many courses are the same as those in the nutrition and dietetics major shown below); the latter (DPD) is one of the requirements of becoming credentialed as a registered dietitian. For further information see the Simmons College Website. Students can also obtain a Master of Science in Nutrition and Health Promotion and can choose either the Wellness or Entrepreneurship track; they can do this concurrently with the DPD certificate from Simmons College. For further information, see the Simmons College website.

In addition, Simmons’ nutrition program, in conjunction with the Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy and the School of Medicine-Public Health and Professional Degree Programs at Tufts University, offers a joint program for students wishing to complete the academic requirements for the Didactic Program in Dietetics Certificate. Students doing so take courses at Simmons and Tufts University concurrently and obtain the DPD certificate from Simmons College while completing a Master of Science in Nutrition or Public Health from Tufts University. For further information, contact Simmons’s Department of Nutrition, 617-521- 2718. The Simmons College Nutrition Department also has affiliation agreements with North Shore Community College and Merrimack College; the Department will accept specific courses from those colleges as counting towards the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Academic and grade requirements for all majors and tracks are described in the Nutrition Student Guide, which is available on the Simmons website and is given to all students annually.

Program Goals and Objectives for the DPD Program

The mission of the Simmons College Didactic Program in Dietetics is to educate students and foster an appreciation of lifelong learning in preparation for their success in the nutrition and dietetics profession so that they can be effective in a profession that improves the eating behaviors and subsequent health and quality of life of a multicultural and diverse population, a profession that adds to the scientific investigation about food and health, and one that fosters an appreciation of nutrition and dietetics’ relationship to other sciences.

The Didactic Program in Dietetics' goals and corresponding program outcomes (updated June, 2018) are shown below:

Goal #1: The Simmons University DPD will prepare graduates to become competent entry level dietetics professionals.

Corresponding program outcomes:

  • At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirement within 6 years (150% of program length). 
  • The program's one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.  At least 75% of graduates will assign a 4 (i.e., “agree”) or a 5 (i.e., “strongly agree”) to being prepared on 75% of the items (that pertain to content they learned at Simmons) on the graduate survey.
  • At least 75% of Directors of Supervised Practice will rate Simmons University DPD graduates as acceptable or higher on 75% of items listed on the survey.

Goal #2: The DPD will prepare graduates to succeed in one or more of the following: a graduate program, an accredited dietetic internship program, or employment.   

Corresponding program outcomes:

  • 50% of BS/DPD and 70% of DPD graduates apply to supervised practice programs prior to or within 12 months of graduation.
  • 55% of BS/DPD and 80% of DPD graduates are admitted to supervised practice programs prior to or within 12 months of graduation.* 

*Among those who applied for supervised practice programs

Program outcome results for the Simmons University DPD are available upon request. 

As part of our accreditation requirements set forth by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) we have set forth the aforementioned measurable outcome objectives, which track our progress toward attaining the aforementioned goals.

For those students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree and who would like to complete solely the DPD requirements to become a registered dietician, the Simmons College Certificate in the Didactic Program in Dietetics is a post-baccalaureate program that allows students to just complete the DPD. Even Students who have already obtained a bachelor’s degree in a different discipline can complete the DPD certificate program in order to apply for supervised practice program (e.g., dietetic internship). Please go to the Simmons College Website for further details. The Simmons College Nutrition Program Didactic Program in Dietetics is currently granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL, 60606-6995, telephone: 800-877- 1600 ext.5400

Departmental Awards and Honors

Anne DeForest Baker Spaulding Award

This award is given to a rising Junior who has an outstanding academic record and shows leadership potential.

Ruby Winslow Linn Scholarship Award

This award is given to a rising senior who has an outstanding academic record and shows leadership potential.

Nutrition Faculty Award

This is awarded to a graduating senior who holds promise as a leader in the profession.

Nancie Herbold Humanitarian Award

The Nancie Herbold Humanitarian Award is given each year to a Nutrition student who has demonstrated commitment to social justice.

Didactic Program in Dietetics Outstanding Achievement Award

This is awarded to a graduating student in the Certificate of Didactic Program in Dietetics who holds promise as a leader in the profession.

Nutrition and Health Promotion Outstanding Achievement Award

This is awarded to a graduating Masters of Nutrition and Health Promotion student who holds promise as a leader in the profession.