I am an Assistant Teaching Professor of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Health and Human Development at The Pennsylvania State University. My teaching interests include nutrition education and community and public health nutrition. I'm also interested in cultural food practices and the influence of traditional food habits on health, nutrition and disease, and the importance of proper counseling techniques for diverse cultural groups.
I earned my PhD in Nutrition with a minor in Molecular Biology from Texas Woman's University focusing on the inhibitory impact of mevalonate suppressors on adipocyte differentiation and examined the underlying mechanisms impacting the adipogenic process. I also investigated their chemo preventive role in cancers of the prostate, pancreas and skin. I completed two post-doctoral fellow positions, one at The University of Calgary and another at Georgia State University in this subject area. I also completed a dietetic internship at Iowa State University and am a Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist.