Nutrition and Wellness (MS)
Gain experience investigating current nutritional issues related to fad diets, obesity, aging, athletic performance, food sustainability and motivating clients to make change.
Gain experience investigating current nutritional issues related to fad diets, obesity, aging, athletic performance, food sustainability and motivating clients to make change.
Do you have an interest in disease prevention, health advocacy, or nutrition education?The Nutrition and Wellness degree is designed for students with a variety of career goals who have a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics, nutrition, a life science or a physical science. You will study nutrition counseling methods in Food Behaviors and Motivations; analyze food policies and controversial food issues in Sustainable Food Systems; and investigate the role of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion in Obesity and Chronic Disease.
Explore a variety of career paths with: Food Companies (marketing, product development, research); Non-profit organizations such as United Dairy Industries, American Heart Association (health promotion, health policy); Corporations (employee wellness); Pharmaceutical Companies (sales); Universities (faculty lecturer, extension nutrition educator); Private Practice (food and nutrition media specialist, health coach); International Food and Nutrition Organizations such as USAID, FAO, WHO (food and health policy)
Pathways that require the MS plus RDN credential: Clinical Dietitian, Outpatient Dietitian, Sports Dietitian
Kate Kloss earned her B.S. in dietetics and M.S. in Nutrition and Wellness at Madonna University. She completed an internship at Henry Ford Hospital, and worked for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan where she partnered with funders to bring nutrition and physical education classes to local schools.
At Michigan Medicine she has worked as a diabetes educator, trained in the philosophy of patient empowerment, and earned her CDE credential. Since then, Kate worked as a behavioral health specialist on a diabetes research project with Stanford University and Cecelia Health and is now a program manager for the University of Michigan School of Social Work for the Center for Health Equity Research and Training.
Work toward a career as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) by gaining advanced knowledge in many areas of nutrition and gaining skills in creating nutrition plans and educating clients of diverse backgrounds.
Ph.D. Michigan State University
M.S. Iowa State University
B.S. University of Iowa
Dietetic Internship, University of Michigan School of Public Health
734-432-5534
Franciscan Center S217-U
Dr. Schmitz is the Department Chair for Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a former Peace Corps volunteer who became interested in the field of nutrition while working as a high school science teacher in Lesotho, Africa. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who has worked in the areas of research, nutrition education and nutritional counseling. She enjoys teaching courses in Nutrition Assessment, Medical Nutrition Therapy, Nutrient Metabolism and Research.
Karen has been active in many professional associations related to nutrition and dietetics, most recently serving as an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper editor and on the board of the Southeastern Michigan Dietetics Association. She has served as a reviewer for several nutrition textbooks and on advisory boards for dietetic internships. Her recent research includes collaborating with nursing faculty on the project titled, "Teaching Nutrition Screening and Assessment of the Geriatric Patient: An Inter-professional Approach."
In addition, she has worked with many graduate students on research projects related to food waste, nutrition knowledge and the impact of social media. Several of these students have presented their research and won awards at the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference.
M.S. University of Michigan
B.S. Michigan State University
Dietetic Internship, University of Michigan School of Public Health
734-432-5519
Academic Building 1502A
Laura Freeland Kull is the Director of the Undergraduate Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics. She began teaching at Madonna University as an adjunct faculty member in 1997 and joined as full-time faculty and director in 2008. Her interests include food system sustainability, public health nutrition, food insecurity, public policy, and life span nutrition. Laura also serves as the faculty advisor for the Nutrition Network Student Organization.
Laura has worked in clinical nutrition specializing in nutrition support in the long-term care population. She has served in many leadership positions in Dietetics Associations, including President of the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is the recipient of multiple awards including the Michigan Dietetic Association’s Outstanding Educator, the Michigan Dietetic Association’s Registered Dietitian of the Year, The Michigan Dietetic Association Award, the Southeastern Michigan Association Distinguished Service Award and the Volunteer of the Year for the St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center.
M.S. Eastern Michigan University
B.S. Madonna University
Dietetic Internship, DMC
734-432-5515
Franciscan Center S217-P
Tina (Christina) Miller has over 30 years of experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Her career has focused on consumer wellness education, academic teaching, mentoring and professional service. At Madonna, Tina has a focus on new program development and course instruction. In addition to teaching, her work experience includes positions in Food and Clinical Nutrition Management, Retail Nutrition and Community Outreach.
Ms. Miler is an active member in the dietetics profession. She has served in many leadership positions in state and national Dietetics Associations, including Past-President of the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Tina served as an advisory board member for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation assisting in the development of “Nutrition in Food Retail” Curriculum for Dietetic Students and Interns. In 2021 Tina was honored by Eastern Michigan University with an Alumni Achievement Award.
