First Students Graduate, Earn Master’s Degrees in Dietetics at UAMS
| The first nine UAMS students to earn Master of Science degrees in dietetics graduated Aug. 4 in a milestone event for them and for the degree program they had just completed.
Courtney Fose, MS, RD, LD, CNSC, FAND, is the program director of the degree program in the UAMS College of Health Professions Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. She said the students’ graduation was the culmination of years of work by the college and department’s faculty and staff. The future prospect of their success also was personally sustaining for her during the worst, early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
In the summer of 2020, she and other faculty members were working on the accreditation of the combined dietetic internship and master’s program even as the pandemic disrupted so many things, Fose said. While so many things felt beyond her control, she told herself she could plan for the Class of 2023 — when she hoped things would be more normal.
“I didn’t know who any of you would be, but you were what got me through the summer of 2020,” Fose said. “It’s incredibly exciting for me to make it to this moment with you. It’s significant for me, too.”
Courtney Fose, left, delivers opening remarks at the graduation ceremony for the Master of Science in Dietetics Degree Program’s Class of 2023. Image by Bryan Clifton
Previously, UAMS offered a dietetic internship certificate program that required students to complete 12 credit hours. Students must now complete 36 hours of study for the master’s degree. Eight new courses were created and taught to the students, who started the program in May 2022.
At the graduation ceremony, Fose highlighted a few of the accomplishments of the graduating class. They each completed more than 1,000 hours of supervised practice over 15 months, together supervised a $2.8 million food supply budget, and assisted in a Veterans Administration food service operation that prepares more than 2,200 meals daily.
Reza Hakkak, Ph.D., department chair and professor, said the origins of the degree program reach back 50 years.
“This class is the first class of the new degree program,” Hakkak said. “They are making history today for our department, our college and for UAMS. It’s a great opportunity for gaining more knowledge.”
He encouraged the graduates to increase their nutrition knowledge as this field is changing daily. He said “more than 90% of the alumni of DI program are now preceptors who helped you to get the experience so, I hope that you all consider helping our new and future students as preceptors.”
Tina Maddox, Ph.D., College of Health Professions associate dean and former director of the dietetic internship program, and the college’s Dean Susan Long, Ed.D., both spoke and congratulated the graduating class.
“I want to thank you for taking a chance,” Long said. “When applying for this program, you had the choice of going through a shorter, less expensive post-baccalaureate certificate program somewhere else. You chose a new, longer, more expensive program at UAMS. You saw the future and the benefit of the master’s degree. Thanks for betting on us.”
Each of the nine graduates selected a preceptor to individually recognize with a Distinguished Mentor in Dietetics Award. The graduating students presenting the awards to the preceptors and each of their mentor/awardees were:
- Hope Snyder — Grace Cate, RD, LD
- Payton Stowe — Anna Claire Goodroe, RDN
- Isabella McPherson — Katie Inebnit, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
- Sydnie Locascio — Laura Quick, MS, RD, LD, CDCES
- Alexandria Singleton — Jessica Sernel, MS, RDN, LD, CSP
- Abby Benham — Carmen Shaw, MS, RDN, CNSC
- Kennedy Kerins — Carly Stanley, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
- Mary Cris Lebig —– Carly Stanley, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
- Reilly Cline — Jordan Tackett, MS, RDN, LD
Katie Inebnit, the co-director of the dietetic internship at VA and an instructor in the department, presented the Maxine Hinton Faculty Gold Key Award to Abby Benham.
Reza Hakkak, right, chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, addresses the first cohort of students, front row.Image by Bryan Clifton