Recent UW Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) graduates and their instructors
are, front row, left to right, Professor Enette Larson-Meyer; Jubilee Hoover, Cheyenne;
Sarah Luzinski, Windsor, Colo.; Rachel Peterson, Laramie; Allison Hinze, Cody; and
Kristin McTigue, DPND director. Back row, Katie Jacobs, Rock Springs; Kerry Schinkel,
Rawlins; Nathan Raska, Laramie; and Jill Keith, assistant professor. Not pictured,
Taylor Kraft, Sheridan; Christine Davis, Saratoga; and Lauren Osborn-Gibbs, Cheyenne.
(Steve Miller Photo)
The University of Wyoming’s Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND) recently
received full reaccreditation from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition
and Dietetics (ACEND) board.
The UW dietetics program was established in 1923 and has been accredited since 1993.
Reaccreditation, which officially began last year, will run seven years and end Dec.
31, 2024. UW’s DPND program is within the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences,
which also offers a bachelor’s degree in human nutrition and food.
UW’s DPND program reaccreditation was based on a peer review of the program’s self-study
report addressing the 2012 accreditation standards, site visit report and the program’s
response.
“ACEND recognizes your program’s compliance with the 2012 Accreditation Standards
and encourages you to continue your efforts in providing quality dietetics education,”
ACEND Chair Wanda Eastman wrote. “ACEND values your commitment to the quality and
continued improvement of dietetics education as demonstrated during the accreditation
process. Thank you for your support of dietetics education and students.”
Accreditation allows UW to continue to train the next generation of registered dietitian
nutritionists, says Enette Larson-Meyer, UW human nutrition and food/dietetics professor.
“Our graduates are prepared to help tackle pressing nutrition concerns in this country,
including food insecurity, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other nutrition-related
chronic diseases,” Larson-Meyer says. “The site visit confirmed that our program provides
a rigorous and well-rounded education with unique opportunities for experiential learning.”
She adds that remaining as an accredited program also benefits Wyoming residents because
many of UW’s dietetics program graduates work as registered dietitian nutritionists
in several local hospitals, medical and community clinics; and in a variety of food
service settings across the state.
“Many also work in the national and global setting, which is an attribute to our strong
program,” Larson-Meyer says. “The dietetic profession is a growing field with additional
opportunities in sports, corporate wellness, industry, and public and private schools,
and sustainable agriculture. It is exciting to be a part of the training of our young
professionals.”
UW’s DPND program this past academic year achieved a 100 percent match of its students
in the program into internship sites. The list includes seven seniors from this spring,
one master's degree student and two former students.
“This is a huge accomplishment and reflection of the strength of our program and students
because the national match rate is typically between 50-60 percent,” says Jill Keith,
a UW human nutrition and food/dietetics assistant professor. “Also, our students matched
with highly competitive internship sites across the nation including Veterans Administration
medical centers in San Diego and Memphis, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill School of Global Public Health.”
An informational session about UW’s DPND is scheduled from 1:15-2:10 p.m. Wednesday,
Dec. 5, in Room 3026 of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Building.
ACEND is an autonomous accrediting agency for education programs preparing students
to begin careers as registered dietitians or dietetic technicians. Programs meeting
the ACEND Accreditation Standards are accredited by the organization.
To learn more about UW’s DPND, email Kristin McTigue at kmctigue@uwyo.edu or Megan McGuffey-Skinner at mcguffey@uwyo.edu.
