MPS Program Update 2022 | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

MPS in Nutritional Sciences Program Update for 2022

The MPS graduate program focuses on advanced skills in nutrition, dietetics and leadership and culminates with a capstone project. The MPS also offers the optional Experiential Track as a pathway to the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential- which is an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Future Graduate Program. In January 2022, the MPS Experiential Track was approved by the University and ACEND to offer the supervised experiential learning (SEL) components at a distance, along with at the in-residence SEL sites at University Park, PA and Hershey/Harrisburg, PA. The program is excited to expand student access to the RDN pathway through the MPS online course work integrated with SEL at a distance.

Undergraduate student award and scholarship winners

Amanda Gordineer was awarded the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (PAND) General Student Scholarship 2022. This award provides a scholarship to a member of PAND who wishes to become eligible for registration through an accredited dietetics program.

Ambreen Imran was awarded the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (PAND) Outstanding Dietetic Student award. This award recognizes emerging leadership and achievement of students enrolled in accredited dietetics education programs and encourages participation in the Academy.

Faculty award recipient

Shawnee Kelly, assistant teaching professor and Master of Professional Studies coordinator, received the PAND Keystone Award 2022 at the PAND Annual Meeting & Exhibition on Saturday, April 23 in Allentown, PA. This award recognizes Pennsylvania dietitians who through their leadership ability demonstrated outstanding professional standards to serve and advance the aims of PAND. Shawnee was also nominated by PAND for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Leadership Institute. She was recently accepted to the seven month-long program that began in April 2022.