A few recent NDSU dietetics graduates recently shared how the program helped shape their successful professional careers. Read below about how NDSU dietetics coursework, hands-on experiences and student-focused faculty help produce knowledgeable leaders in the field.
“The coursework I completed at NDSU greatly helped me prepare for my work in my current position. The individual attention I received from the nutrition science faculty helped guide me to the area of dietetics I was meant to work in, which is a combination of community nutrition and food service. My role requires robust communication skills, which were strengthened during my time at NDSU. The practical experience I received through coursework and supervised practice prepared me to communicate with and teach individuals with various levels of experience in nutrition. I love sharing what I know as a food and nutrition expert with school nutrition service professionals to promote the health and well-being of children and help fight hunger and obesity.”
Amanda (Kosel) Middaugh
Nutrition program consultant
Minnesota Department of Education
NDSU dietetics, BS ’08, dietetics; MS ’11, health, nutrition and exercise sciences
“NDSU prepared me to be successful by giving me the proper education and hands on experience. After completing my undergraduate dietetics degree, I realized that I wanted to go on for my master’s degree in nutrition and exercise science so that I could better understand the relationship between nutrition and exercise. I often think back to and pull content from what I learned in food principles and metabolism courses. Being able to practice having our own restaurant was such a fun experience that not only taught food management skills but also social skills. I have also learned that reciting the full Krebs cycle may have been stressful at the time, but I am now better prepared to teach it to my students with the education NDSU provided. NDSU provided me with the proper education to excel in my career. I felt as though the professors in the nutrition science department truly cared for me not only as a student but as a person. I still have kept those relationships and have the upmost respect for my past professors as fellow educators in the field.”
Nicole (Vasichek) Hochhalter
Assistant professor of kinesiology
University of Jamestown, North Dakota
BS ’13, dietetics; MS ’16, health, nutrition and exercise sciences
“My education at NDSU provided me with an in-depth understanding of not only nutrition, but also physiology and metabolism. These aspects have provided me with unique subset of skills in both gastroenterology and obesity medicine. My internships and work as an inpatient Registered Dietitian helped me to gain patient care experience and establish relationships with other multidisciplinary team members. Obtaining my degree in dietetics from NDSU taught me that nutrition and lifestyle habits can greatly impact health and well-being I find great joy in educating and sharing this knowledge with my patients and their families. It is without a doubt that my education at NDSU has contributed to my success as a physician assistant.”
Stephanie (Anderson) Severson
Physician assistant, gastroenterology, liver care
Essentia Health, Fargo
BS ’14, dietetics
