Master of Clinical Nutrition students inspire high school students with rural medicine

Meghan Windham featured in Real Simple article

Meghan Windham, MPH, RD, LD was one of the experts featured in a Real Simple article about the effects of skipping breakfast. Key takeaways from the article are that skipping breakfast might save time but will cost energy and a disrupted circadian rhythm.

Read the full article and view Windham's amazing insight here.

Grace Lee receives Emerging Scholar Excellence Award

Assistant Professor Grace Lee, Ph.D., received the Emerging Scholar Excellence Award at the 30th Anniversary Conference of the Korean Society of Community Nutrition, held at Seoul National University. The conference included participants from the U.S., Japan and South Korea, including the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, Japan's Society of Nutrition and Dietetics and Korean government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, as well as public health organizations in the food and nutrition sector. 

Three nutrition faculty present at American Public Health Association meeting

Three of our faculty presented at the American Public Health Association meeting, held in Washington D.C., in early November. Stephanie Rogus, Ph.D., presented “Development and Evaluation of a Nutrition Education Program for Emerging Adults,” which summarized the proposed evaluation of an emerging adult nutrition education program her team is piloting on the Texas A&M campus. Beth Racine, DrPH, presented “Developing a Regional Food Business Inventory for Texas and New Mexico,” and Katelin Alfaro Hudak, Ph.D., presented “Metabolic Syndrome and Risk Factors Among Emerging Adults.”

Teresa Davis inducted into National Academy of Medicine

Teresa Davis, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture, was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in Washington D.C. during its annual meeting. Davis was recognized for her expertise on the nutritional regulation of growth and for her leadership on protein and amino acid requirements.

Beth Racine gives keynote at Prairie View A&M’s World Food Day

Beth Racine, DrPH, associate department head for Extension and director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso, gave the keynote talk, "The Need For A Strong Regional Food System," at Prairie View A&M University’s annual World Food Day event. Hosted by Prairie View’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences the event is focused on food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture.

Beth Racine gives keynote at Prairie View A&M’s World Food Day

The Ion Research Lab recruited participants for its lutein, zeaxanthin, fish oil supplement study during First Friday in downtown Bryan on Nov. 7. Those who stopped by were able to measure their macular pigment optical density, MPOD, test their cognition using Neurotracker and their reaction time using Blaze Pods. For more information about participating in this study, email ionhealth@tamu.

Star Student: Overall Student Excellence

Zeyu "Woody" Liu is a Ph.D. student in Yuxiang Sun's lab. In addition to his nutrition courses, Liu has also completed 15 hours of biomimetics training.

"I am so happy to see him growing into such a dynamic scientist," said Sun.

In addition to his own work, he has dedicated countless hours to helping everyone with their RNA-seq analyses — reflecting not only his impressive omics expertise, but also his tremendous team spirit. "Woody is truly the RNA-seq wizard of the Sun Lab, and we are so grateful for all of his remarkable contributions," Sun said.

Outstanding Student and Researcher

We are excited to recognize Ila Caron in our undergraduate student spotlight this month. Ila is an effective and reliable leader. She is a participant in the Department of Nutrition Honors Program and has served as Nutrition Honors Association treasurer, a Department of Nutrition Student Ambassador and a Peer Mentor for Hullaballoo U. Additionally, she has been an outstanding leader and contributor to the ION Research lab for two years.

"Ila is an outstanding student and excels academically and on the ION Research Team. She is a mentor and leader for her peers," said associate department head for undergraduate studies, Karen Beathard, Ph.D..

Waylon Hastings, Ph.D., was invited to speak to the Professional Soccer Athletic Trainers' Society. His presentation was titled “Molecular approaches to athletic performance optimization and recovery.”

Teresa Davis, Ph.D., published the paper "Amino acids and lean mass accretion in preterm neonates," with co-authors Antonio Ramos dos Santos, Ph.D., and Marta L. Fiorotto, Ph.D. The paper was published in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care.

The paper evaluates recent evidence on how total protein and energy intake, amino acid composition and nutrient delivery modality influence protein synthesis in preterm neonates, with the goal of informing nutritional strategies to support optimal lean mass accretion and growth.

Davis also spoke at the 49th annual American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS, Forum on Science & Technology Policy. This event is designed for policymakers, researchers, scientists, industry professionals, science journalists and stakeholders invested in the implementation and regulation of science policy.

Heidi Vanden Brink, Ph.D., was featured on the Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show, a podcast aiming to provide people with science-backed insights to improve their lives.

On this episode, Vanden Brink and Lyon discussed the menstrual cycle, PCOS and hormone science. The episode aired in late October and has already amassed nearly 5,000 views on YouTube.

Stephanie Rogus, Ph.D., Beth Racine, DrPH, and Sumathi Venkatesh, Ph.D., attended the Healthy Campus Research Consortium annual meeting, held in late October in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They are all part of the group that focuses on emerging adult — ages 18-25 — nutrition research.

Oral & Poster Presentations

Development and Evaluation of a Nutrition Education Program for Emerging Adults. Stephanie Rogus, Ph.D., RDN, Michael Laguros, MS, RD, CSCS, Sumathi Venkatesh, Ph.D., Lilian Ademu, Ph.D., Katelin Alfaro Hudak, Ph.D. and Beth Racine, DrPH, RD. American Public Health Association Meeting, Washington DC.

Metabolic Syndrome and Risk Factors Among Emerging Adults. Katelin Alfaro Hudak, Ph.D., Lilian Ademu, Ph.D., Julie Hess, Ph.D. and Beth Racine, DrPH, RD. American Public Health Association Meeting, Washington D.C.

Developing a Regional Food Business Inventory for Texas and New Mexico. Beth Racine, DrPH, RD, Perla Alarcon, Lilian Ademu, Ph.D., Marisol Domiguez-Tuda, Ph.D., Morium Bably, Ph.D., Ogochukwu Abasilim, Gabriela Gallegos, JD, MPP, Celia Cole, Cristina Domiguez, Jennifer Palecek and Colin Cain

Publications

Lauren Rae Gladwell, Jhanvi Karthik, Laura Packer, Sunil Venkategowda, Mahua Choudhury. Micro- and nanoplastics: Emerging environmental threats to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. ELSEVIER Reproductive Toxicology Volume 139, January 2026, 109098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.109098

Ramos dos Santos, Antonio C.a; Fiorotto, Marta L.b; Davis, Teresa A.a,b. Amino acids and lean mass accretion in preterm neonates. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care ():10.1097/MCO.0000000000001178, October 07, 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000001178

Venkatesh, S., Alfaro Hudak, K. M., Bably, M. B., Rogus, S. M., Krueger, D., Fowler, H., & Laguros, M. (2025). Program Evaluation of Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes: Promoting Healthy Living in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetology, 6(10), 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/diabetology6100105

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 high-quality 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 

Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

600 John Kimbrough Blvd. Suite 510 TAMU 2142 | College Station, TX 77843-2142 US

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.