The Simmons Nutrition Department is proud to announce that the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and the Dietetic Internship Program (DI) were granted full re-accreditation by the Accreditation Council on Nutrition Education in Dietetics (ACEND). Both Simmons programs received exemplary reviews based on the written self-studies and the subsequent program site visit in Spring 2022. We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to all our students and alumnae who participated in the site visit, the nutrition faculty who make our program exemplary, and Dean Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, and President Lynn Wooten for their continual support and motivation.
Dean of the College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences shared, "I am appreciative of the contributions of Dr. Lisa Brown, Professor Sharon Gallagher, and Dr. Teresa Fung for their ongoing and steady commitment to leading the development of the self-study for their respective programs. Their unwavering commitment to this process has directly brought about these positive outcomes."
As Professor Fung explains, the Nutrition program at Simmons is very strong in both its didactic and internship components. The program also has an impressive record concerning job placement. "We have students who go on to be clinicians at major teaching hospitals around the country. We also have students interested in academia who go on to obtain their Ph.D. Our programs are strong and diverse enough to train students with different career interests," says Fung.
The Nutrition Department provides students with crucial training that they may be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. For instance, Simmons is one of only two programs in the country that offers a concentration in eating disorders. Given the high mortality rate of individuals with certain eating disorders, this kind of training is critical for students of nutrition.
Chair of the Simmons University Department of Nutrition, Dr. Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras, PhD, RD remarks, "I am proud of and grateful for our expert and diligent faculty who led and participated in the self-study and site visit process; their high standards, visionary leadership, and attitude of exceeding the accreditation requirements underlies the success of our programs and our students. I also appreciate the commitment and support of our students along the way."