Kathy Mellen CV

About

My interests reflect my educational background. As a registered dietitian I understand the importance of nutrition therapy to prevent disease and enhance health and performance. Food really is my business card. My nutrition expertise and background in health promotion and epidemiology provide me with a strong grounding in the need for multi-level approaches to changing health behaviors.

Courses taught

• HHP:2310 Nutrition and Health
• HHP:3820 Community Wellness Guided Practicum
• HHP:4010 Behavioral and Clinical Health Assessment
• HHP:4310 Sport and Exercise Nutrition
• HHP:6310 Advanced Sport and Exercise Nutrition

Research interests

Dr. Mellen’s professional interests are a reflection of her educational background. As a registered dietitian she focuses on helping individuals improve eating habits to prevent disease and enhance health and performance. Working with individuals also requires great knowledge and expertise related to food from production to processing. Her health promotion masters degree extended her interest and expertise to improving health through the promotion of physical activity. Her epidemiology/public health doctoral degree has provided her with a strong grounding in the need for multi-level approaches in changing health behaviors for individuals and communities. She currently serves as a Research Editor for the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Publications

Mellen K, Snetselaar L, Ahrens L. Integrating Exercise is Medicine™ into small group didactic sessions for medical students. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, 42: S323, 2010.

Mellen KM. (2010). Evaluating designer waters/beverages and evaluating sports nutrition products. In F. Armenth-Brothers (Ed), Great Ideas! Active Ways to Teach Nutrition. New York: Benjamin Cumming

Presentations

Community presentations

Dr. Mellen is a member of the University of Iowa Speaker's Bureau. Her nutrition presentations are given to various organizations throughout the state.

Poster presentations

Effects of a School Garden Program on 3rd through 5th Graders’ Fruit and Vegetable Preferences and Intake: The Together We Grow Healthy Project Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health, Cedar Rapids, IA, April 2015

How to Implement a Student-Led Garden in Rural Iowa: The Together We Grow Healthy Project Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health, Des Moines, IA, April 2014

Honors and awards

Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Policy Workshop Scholarship, March 2013
Recognized Outstanding Dietitian of the Year nominee, Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, January 2012
Improving Our Workplace Award, Organizational Effectiveness, Human Resources, November 2011

Fellowships and affiliations

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Active Member

Practice group memberships

• Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition
• Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Research