Alumni Spotlight: Jimmy Grattan, MSAN

Jimmy Grattan, Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
Jimmy Grattan earned her Master of Science in Applied Nutrition in order to advance her career and open up new options for herself in academia – specifically in the area of nutrition and sustainability. Here, she discusses her journey through the Applied Nutrition program and how it has aligned with her goals so far. Can you tell us a little about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your master’s degree in Applied Nutrition? I started my career in advertising, where I quickly realized that I could pair my skills in marketing and communications with two of my other loves – food and healthy eating. So, I moved to California and became the marketing manager for a culinary arts college…

Tags: | | | |

Alumni Spotlight: Melanie Berdyck, MSAN

Melanie Berdyck, MSAN, UNE Online Alumna
We interviewed Melanie Berdyk, MSAN, when she was a Student Ambassador in the Applied Nutrition program at CGPS in 2018. Here’s an update on what she’s up to, how she is using her MSAN in her career, and how her MSAN has helped her with career advancement. Can you give us an overview of what you’ve been up to since graduation? Since my graduation in August of 2018, I’ve continued to work in corporate nutrition – counseling patients, and working in a retail environment. I’ve found that I’ve been able to apply a lot of the knowledge and research from my graduate degree to a wide variety of real-life work situations. I’m impressed with the amount of information I…

Tags: | | | | |

Alumni Spotlight: Megan Thompson, Master of Science in Applied Nutrition Program

Megan Thompson, Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
Megan Thompson is an alumna of the MS in Applied Nutrition program. Here, she talks about her writing career, how she got interested in the field of nutrition, and how she plans to move forward with her MSAN. Could you start out by telling us a little bit about yourself, and why you decided to pursue your Master of Science in Applied Nutrition? I love writing – and after earning my undergrad in Creative Writing, I knew I wanted to be involved in something creative, but I hadn’t found anything in particular that really worked out for me. I felt like I didn’t have a niche or particular subject that I felt passionate enough about to write at length about.…

Tags: | | | |

Student Spotlight: Annie Lin, Applied Nutrition Program

Annie Lin Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
Annie Lin is a second-year student in the online Master of Science in Applied Nutrition program at the University of New England. We spoke with Annie about her experience in the program, her poster presentation at a nationally-renowned conference for the field of nutrition, and her thoughts on being a part of an online learning community. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, and what encouraged you to pursue your Master of Science in Applied Nutrition? I grew up in a traditional Chinese medicine household. We always prioritized health and nutrition, but it wasn’t until my husband had a liver transplant and stroke that I decided to focus on nutrition.  While he was recovering from the transplant he…

Tags: | | |

Ambassador Spotlight: Melanie Berdyck, MSAN Program

Melanie Berdyck, MSAN, UNE Online Alumna
Melanie Berdyck is a dietitian and student in the UNE Online Master’s of Science in Applied Nutrition program. We spoke to Melanie recently about her work, her online graduate school experience, and her thoughts about the Applied Nutrition program. What encouraged you to pursue your Master’s in Applied Nutrition? I earned my Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics in 2008, and I’ve been working in the field as a dietitian for about ten years now. Most of the people I work with have advanced degrees, and I’ve always had the feeling that there was so much more to learn – so I decided to go back to school. I figure that I have about another 40 years or so working in…

Tags: | | |