Spring 2025 Graduation!

The Department of Nutrition proudly celebrated the accomplishments of over 60 Bachelor of Science graduates, two Master of Science graduates, two Master of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Program graduates, and two Doctor of Philosophy graduates who earned their degrees this spring. We are so proud of your hard work and dedication — congratulations to the Class of 2025!

End of Year Celebration

We had so much fun celebrating each and every one of the people that make Nutrition what it is! Thank you to all who came out to enjoy the fun.

Check out our event reel here.

Undergraduate Spotlight: Ryann and Gabby lead outstanding donation session for The 12th Can

Nutrition students Gabby Rivera-Vega and Ryann Orcutt helped lead The 12th Can through another impactful year, raising over $2,000 and collecting more than 12,000 pounds of food in the annual SEC Food Fight. Learn how their passion for nutrition and service fuels their work with this student-run food pantry!

Read about Ryann and Gabby here.

Nirjhar Ruth Ghosh successfully defends her doctoral dissertation

Congratulations to Nirjhar Ruth Ghosh on successfully defending her doctoral dissertation titled "Evidence-Based Practice Competencies and Informed Dietary Decision-Making." Her research was completed under the supervision of Bradley Johnston, Ph.D.

Recruiting for Neighborhood and Health study at Indigo Agrihood Community meet and greet

Lexi MacMillan Uribe, Ph.D., Jay Maddock, Ph.D., and Renee Umstattd Meyer, Ph.D., recently attended the Indigo Agrihood Community New Neighbors Meet and Greet to engage with residents and recruit participants for the proposed Neighborhood and Health study from the newly developed Indigo Community in Fort Bend County.

This 13-month multidisciplinary study will use a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the health impacts of living in an Agrihood, a type of residential neighborhood that integrates agriculture into its design.

Fisher and Luong attend 2025 food summit in Brownsville

Kelly Fisher, DCN, and Vi Luong participated in the 2025 Food Summit: A Farmer, Rancher and Community Event held on April 22 in Brownsville. Hosted by the Institute for Ecology, Scholarship and Health, the summit brought together farmers, ranchers, buyers, policymakers and community leaders to transform ideas into action and strengthen the regional food system.

Hicks-Roof honored with Outstanding Early Career Alumni Award

Kristen Hicks-Roof ’17, Ph.D., a graduate of the Department of Nutrition doctoral program, has been honored with the Outstanding Early Career Alumni Award from the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This award recognizes graduates within 15 years of completing their degree for outstanding leadership and significant contributions in career, public service and volunteer activities.

Check out the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Instagram post here!

Congratulations to doctoral student Joelle Sfeir from the lab of Heidi Vanden Brink, Ph.D., for receiving the 2025 Gerber Predoctoral Fellowship Award from the American Society for Nutrition, ASN. Her project, “Impact of Diet and Social Determinants of Health on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Risk in Hispanic Adolescents,” was selected for its contribution to advancing maternal and child nutrition research.

She will be recognized at the ASN NUTRITION 2025 meeting this June in Orlando.

The Texas MyPlate Food Ambassadors program aims to train high school students to provide nutrition education within schools and communities to help improve the health of young Texans. By hosting recipe tasting events, the program aims to highlight nutritionally balanced, flavorful recipes that could potentially end up on the school’s lunch menu. Five schools across the state of Texas were selected to host a recipe testing event this spring and try different recipes that incorporate MyPlate food groups. The MyPlate ambassadors spearheaded recipe selection, planned the event and promoted the event within their school.

This spring, the MyPlate team, led by Jacob Szeszulski, Ph.D., drove 2,430 miles, served approximately 705 students and tested 12 different recipes.

Accepted Conference Abstracts

Tranchina C, MacMillan Uribe AL, Econie S, Jetel H, Patterson JA. Exploring Breastfeeding Professionals’ Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence for Breastfeeding Support. Accepted as poster at the 2025 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo to be held in Nashville.

Jetel H, Patterson JA, Tranchina C, Econie S, MacMillan Uribe AL. Evaluating Informational Quality of AI-bot Generated Outputs for Common Breastfeeding Questions.

Econie S, MacMillan Uribe AL, Jetel H, Tranchina C, Patterson JA. Comprehensibility of Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Responses for Common Breastfeeding Questions.

MacMillan Uribe AL, Seguin-Fowler RA, Fisher KP, Bender E, Eldridge E, Demment M, Bailey RL, Ross AC, Mitchell DC, Shankar K, Ray S, Gras-Najjar J, Early A. Understanding Motivators and Challenges to Enrollment in Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Research: A Mixed Methods Study with Women of Child-Bearing Age and Clinical Practitioners.

Largacha-Cevallos E, Trevino V, Seguin-Fowler RA, Szeszulski J, Rethorst CD, MacMillan Uribe AL. Characterizing Cultural and Contextual Influences on Hypertension Management Health Behaviors among Hispanic American Women.

Giving to the Department of Nutrition

The quality of education for nutrition students at Texas A&M University is shaped by the invaluable contributions of a diverse educational team. This includes not only faculty and staff but also donors, advisory committee members, guest speakers, industry leaders, internship supervisors, employers, community partners and many others. Together, they enrich the student experience and support the department's mission to advance the field of nutrition.

You can support the Department of Nutrition by making an endowed gift, which provides lasting support, or by contributing a non-endowed gift for immediate use toward a specific purpose. Your generosity plays a critical role in fostering student success and innovation in the field of nutrition.

About the Department of Nutrition

The Department of Nutrition at Texas A&M University is committed to providing students with an exceptional education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and expertise to excel as leaders in nutrition, health and food systems. Our students receive a comprehensive, science-driven education that prepares them for careers in health care, clinical nutrition, research, public health and more.

We offer a range of programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, minors and certificates, to help students expand and tailor their educational journey. With guidance from our experienced faculty and staff, who bring cutting-edge research and real-world expertise to the classroom, students are supported every step of the way as they prepare to address the complex challenges in the field of nutrition.

aglifesciences.tamu.edu | nutrition.tamu.edu 

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