Department of Nutrition
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 website.
Distinguished Professors
Alice Ammerman, Cynthia Bulik, Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Barry Popkin, June Stevens, Steven Zeisel.
Professors
Linda Adair, Melinda Beck, John French, Anthony Hackney, Stephen Hursting, Martin Kohlmeier, Mark Koruda, Sergey Krupenko, Philip May, Susan M. Smith, Mirek Styblo, Susan Sumner, Deborah Tate, Amanda Thompson, Dianne Stanton Ward.
Associate Professors
Kyle S. Burger, Shufa Du, Amanda Holliday, Folami Ideraabdullah, Eric Klett, Natalia Krupenko, Sandra Mooney, Shu Wen Ng, Carmen Samuel-Hodge, S. Raza Shaikh, Kimberly Truesdale, Saroja Voruganti.
Assistant Professors
Seema Agrawal, Ximena Bustamante Marin, Ian Carroll, Molly De Marco, Derek Hales, Stephanie Martin, Katie Meyer, Brooke Nezami, Wimal Pathmasiri, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Delisha Stewart, Stephanie Thomas, Carmina Valle, Heather Wasser.
NUTR–Nutrition
Undergraduate-level
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.
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.
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.
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.
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level
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.
This course focuses on food and nutrition policy on a federal, state, and local level. Topics covered include policy formation, interest/consumer advocacy groups, key legislation, how research informs policy, equity and diversity, global food policy issues, sustainability and health, advocacy, and current public health nutrition policy hot topics and examples.
This course is designed to introduce students to clinical trials in nutrition, including experimental designs, nutrition intervention methods, and skills necessary to critically analyze, describe, and evaluate feeding and behavioral nutrition interventions. The course covers concepts, skills and methods related to nutrition interventions, with an emphasis on theory-based interventions at the individual, community, or environmental levels to improve health and nutrition outcomes.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
This is a food service management practicum that applies the basic concepts of institutional food service systems. Two laboratory hours per week.
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.
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.
Permission of the instructor. Individual arrangements with faculty for bachelor and master students to participate in ongoing research.
Permission of the instructor. Reading and tutorial guidance in special areas of nutrition.
Chair
Elizabeth Mayer-Davis
General Student Inquiries