Tennessee Tech celebrating 50 years of its nutrition and dietetics program, which provides accredited training for students pursuing careers as registered dietitians.
Graduate Program Director Samantha Hutson said the nutrition program’s accreditation ensures students receive a standardized education that prepares them for national exams. Hutson said the curriculum is designed to protect students by providing the necessary knowledge to succeed in their professional healthcare careers.
“Over the past 50 years, you know, if you look at all of the students who have graduated from our program and gone on to provide that education and just support their communities, I think you can really see how the Upper Cumberland has been benefited from that,” Hutson said.
Hutson said the program has made a local impact as many graduates from the Upper Cumberland return home to serve their communities with their expertise. Hutson said these professionals provide nutrition advice and health education to help local residents live healthier lives.
“They work in health departments, local hospitals, long-term care… we have dietitians here on campus, private practice, telehealth, higher education, UT Extension,” Hutson said. “So there are so many areas that dietitians can work and health educators can work. And all of those are impactful in their communities from either a community health perspective or a chronic disease clinical perspective.”
Hutson said the program teaches students how to navigate complex nutrition information found on social media by focusing on evidence-based practices and research.
“It’s difficult to navigate the right information versus the wrong information,” Hutson said. “There are a lot of really convincing people out there. But it’s important to look for that RD credential (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) just to ensure that that person that you’re speaking with… even if they don’t know all the answers, they know where to find the correct information that’s based on evidence.”
Hutson said the university launched its graduate program in 2021 and is now exploring the creation of a Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition. Hutson said there are currently no programs in Tennessee that offer the advanced practice doctorate accreditation.
“The current students, they are so interested and engaged and motivated,” Hutson said. “Just to have such a solid foundation to just be able to let them run with the ideas that they have so they can get some great experience and also do the things and projects that interest them at the same time we think is very beneficial. So we’re just looking forward to whatever’s coming next and continuing to grow.”
Hutson said the potential doctoral program would provide students with opportunities to conduct research, teach in higher education and become community leaders and experts in their field.
As a whole, Hutson said nutrition is often over-complicated and is usually simpler than people expect. In the age of quick fixes and internet diets, Hutson said she reminds those working on their diet to stick to the basics.
“It’s really just about consistency and we always try to balance that with health,” Huston said. “It’s not just about a number on a scale but it’s really about… you’re going to your doctor and you’re having checkups and your labs look good. It’s not about that number, but it’s about what you’re doing, what you’re eating day in and day out and your physical activity as well.”
