Department of Nutrition
Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, Chair
Miroslav Styblo, Program Director
General Student Inquiries
Introduction
The Department of Nutrition is one of the top-ranked nutrition departments in the county. The curriculum offers a wide range of courses on the nutritional and epidemiological aspects of human diseases.
Advising
All majors have a primary academic advisor in the department. Undergraduate students are encouraged to meet regularly with their advisor and review their Tar Heel Tracker each semester. Advisors, the program director, and the Office of Student Affairs staff work with current and prospective majors by appointment (see contact information above). Departmental academic advising is particularly important for those majors who are considering going on to graduate school. Further information on courses, undergraduate research opportunities, the honors program, careers, and graduate schools may be obtained from the department’s Web site.
Distinguished Professors
Alice Ammerman, Cynthia Bulik, Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, Margaret Bentley, Barry Popkin, June Stevens, Steven Zeisel.
Professors
Linda Adair, Melinda Beck, John French, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Anthony Hackney, Stephen Hursting, Martin Kohlmeier, Mark Koruda, Sergey Krupenko, Philip May, Susan M. Smith, Mirek Styblo, Susan Sumner, Deborah Tate, Dianne Stanton Ward.
Associate Professors
Kyle S. Burger, Shufa Du, Eric Klett, Sandra Mooney, Shu Wen Ng, Carmen Samuel-Hodge, S. Raza Shaikh, Amanda Thompson, Kimberly Truesdale.
Assistant Professors
Seema Agrawal, Ximena Bustamante Marin, Ian Carroll, Molly De Marco, Temitope Erinosho, Derek Hales, Amanda Holliday, Folami Ideraabdullah, Natalia Krupenko, Stephanie Martin, Katie Meyer, Brooke Nezami, Wimal Pathmasiri, Grace Shearrer, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Delisha Stewart, Stephanie Thomas, Carmina Valle, Saroja Voruganti, Heather Wasser.
NUTR–Nutrition
Undergraduate-level
NUTR 175. Introduction to Food Studies: From Science to Society. 3 Credits.
Introduction to food studies covering a variety of topics including how food was consumed over history, land use and aquaculture, food in the arts, food and culture in the American South, food politics, and nutrition science.
Gen Ed: GL, NA.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: ANTH 175, AMST 175.
NUTR 240. Introduction to Human Nutrition. 3 Credits.
Relationships of human nutrition to health and disease. Integration of biology, chemistry, and social sciences as related to human function. Nutrient composition of foods and safety of the food supply.
Requisites: Prerequisites, BIOL 101/101L and CHEM 102/102L.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 245. Sustainable Local Food Systems: Intersection of Local Foods and Public Health. 3 Credits.
Examines the intersection of local foods and public health with respect to nutrition and environmental, economic, and community issues. Students explore impacts and potential solutions of the increasingly industrialized and centralized food system, while assisting community partners to increase opportunities for farmers, local food marketers, distributors, and entrepreneurs.
Gen Ed: EE- Service Learning.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 295. Undergraduate Research Experience in Nutrition. 3 Credits.
Permission of the instructor. For undergraduates enrolled in the department's baccalaureate degree program. Directed readings or laboratory study on a selected topic. May be taken more than once for credit.
Gen Ed: EE- Mentored Research.
Repeat rules: May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 12 total credits. 4 total completions.
Grading status: Letter grade.
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level
NUTR 400. Introduction to Nutritional Biochemistry. 3 Credits.
Function of the human body focusing on chemical properties, function, and metabolism of nutrients. Biochemistry of nutrients with a limited focus on medical aspects of nutrient metabolism. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students needing to enhance background prior to NUTR 600.
Requisites: Prerequisites, BIOL 101, CHEM 101 and 102, and NUTR 240; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 600. Human Metabolism: Macronutrients. 3 Credits.
Cell biochemistry and physiology emphasizing integration of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids in whole-body metabolism; regulation of energy expenditure, food intake, metabolic adaptations, and gene expression; and macronutrient-related diseases (atherosclerosis, obesity).
Requisites: Prerequisite, NUTR 400; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 611. Food And Your Life Stages. 3 Credits.
This course covers nutrition during the life cycle. Units include women during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation; infancy; childhood; adolescence; and older adults (65+). Nutrient and energy needs, assessment of nutritional status, and cultural and socioeconomic barriers are discussed for each phase.
Requisites: Prerequisite, NUTR 240.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: MHCH 611.
NUTR 620. HUMAN METABOLISM: MICRONUTRIENTS. 3 Credits.
Cell biochemistry and physiology emphasizing metabolism of vitamins and minerals including antioxidant protection, immune function, nutrient control of gene expression, and disease states induced by deficiencies (e.g., iron-deficient anemia).
Requisites: Prerequisites, NUTR 400 and 600; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 630. Nutrition Communication and Culture. 3 Credits.
Course teaches the future nutrition professional the art and science of communicating with individuals, groups, and the public. Students will enhance cultural awareness and frame nutrition messages for mass media including social media.
Requisites: Prerequisite, NUTR 240; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 640. Medical Nutrition Therapy: Chronic Disease Management. 4 Credits.
A lecture and skills course where students practice skills used in nutrition therapy and the Nutrition Care Process (such as calculating caloric intake and modifying intake, calculating diabetic diets, calculating sodium content of intakes, etc.) under the supervision of a registered dietitian.
Requisites: Prerequisites, NUTR 611 and 630; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 642. Medical Nutrition Therapy II: Acute Disease Management. 3 Credits.
Course designed to examine the rationale and implementation of diet therapy and nutrition support in the prevention or treatment of acute diseases.
Requisites: Prerequisite, NUTR 640.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 646. Mouse Models of Human Disease. 1 Credit.
This course will focus on the laboratory mouse as a model organism to learn fundamental genetic concepts and understand how state-of-the-art experimental approaches are being used to elucidate gene function and the genetic architecture of biological traits.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: GNET 646.
NUTR 660. Food Service Systems Management. 2 Credits.
Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Basic concepts of institutional food service systems management applied to small and medium-sized health care facilities in the community.
Requisites: Co-requisite, NUTR 660L.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 660L. Food Service Systems Management Experience. 1 Credit.
This is a food service management practicum that applies the basic concepts of institutional food service systems. Two laboratory hours per week.
Requisites: Co-requisite, NUTR 660.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 691H. Honors Research in Nutrition. 3 Credits.
This is an honors course for research for the first semester of senior year, to be followed by NUTR 692H in the second semester. NUTR 691H/692H is a two-course sequence. Enrollment is only for students approved to conduct a senior honors thesis project.
Requisites: Prerequisite, NUTR 295.
Gen Ed: EE- Mentored Research.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 692H. Honors Research in Nutrition. 3 Credits.
Permission of the instructor. Directed readings or laboratory study of a selected topic. Requires a written proposal to be submitted to and approved by the B.S.P.H. Committee and faculty research director. A written report is required. May be taken more than once for credit. Six laboratory hours per week.
Gen Ed: EE- Mentored Research.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 695. Nutrition Research. 1-9 Credits.
Permission of the instructor. Individual arrangements with faculty for bachelor and master students to participate in ongoing research.
Repeat rules: May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 12 total credits. 8 total completions.
Grading status: Letter grade.
NUTR 696. Readings in Nutrition. 1-9 Credits.
Permission of the instructor. Reading and tutorial guidance in special areas of nutrition.
Repeat rules: May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics; 12 total credits. 8 total completions.
Grading status: Letter grade.
