TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My teaching philosophy spans classroom to community by integrating teaching, research, and service/extension. Working together, my students and I support the university mission as we use the classroom as a launching pad to learn foundational nutrition and behavior change concepts; discuss economic, social, and political issues that influence the health of our communities; and learn skillsets important for translating scientific evidence into practice and educational resources for teachers, children, and families in our community and beyond. Click here for my full teaching philosophy.
Dana Shefet, BS was named an ECU Robert H. Wright Alumni Leadership Award recipient in 2021. Dana has worked in the FEEd Lab since her freshman year. She is now a proud Brody Scholar in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
nutrition education & behavior change
sample course
NUTR 3535 students are challenged to develop culturally relevant nutrition education materials (i.e., handouts, videos with scripts, lesson plan) for preschool children and families that target a specific behavior, with behavioral theory, and grounded is scientific literature as evidenced by a written review. Throughout the writing and translational process students are provided with frequent feedback, time to revise their work, and opportunities to apply their work in real-life community-based settings such as Head Start. Click here for an example syllabus.
NUTR 3535 Nutrition Education & Behavior Change Final Project
Example Student Products
teaching & mentoring awards
2022 East Carolina University Graduate School’s Distinguished Graduate Faculty Mentor [Master’s Category]
2020 East Carolina University Honor’s College Mentor of the Year Award [Finalist]
2019 East Carolina University Honor’s College Mentor of the Year Award
2017 North Carolina Dietetic Association’s Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award
2017 College of Allied Health Science Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching
2016 East Carolina University Honor’s College Mentor of the Year Award
2016 UNC College STAR Student Nomination
2015 East Carolina University College of Human Ecology Wall of Fame Honoree
2015 East Carolina University Pirate Tutoring Center Outstanding Faculty Member
2014 ECU Golden Key Honor Society. Honorary Faculty Member Induction
2014 UNC College STAR Student Nomination
courses taught
I have 10+ years teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate level using face-to-face, distance education, and hybrid models. I currently teach Pediatric Nutrition (NUTR 6500, virtual) and Nutrition Education & Behavior Change (NUTR 3535, face-to-face).
NUTR 6500 Pediatric Nutriton
NUTR 6200 Research Methods in Nutrition (Distance Education)
NUTR 3535 Nutrition Education & Behavior Change
NUTR 3500/3501 Nutritional Research Methodology & Lab
NUTR 3105 Nutritional Biochemistry
NUTR 2105 Nutrition Science
NUTR 2330 Food Science
MENTORING PHILOSOPHY
As a graduate faculty mentor, I am passionate about supporting my students in their professional journey to become practicing dietitians. Over the past 10 years at ECU, I have mentored 18 graduate students. Many of my graduate students begin as undergraduates. After gaining understanding of a student’s background, past experiences, and personal interests, I put them to work in the community. I strive to help students identify their professional purpose, recognize their strengths, and refine skills to be successful in graduate school and their future career. Click here for my full mentoring philosophy.
Over my career I have mentored successfully mentored a diverse group of undergraduate students (31 total) and graduate students (18 total). My students have received 16 undergraduate and 5 graduate awards for oral or poster research presentations at the local and national levels, and a total of $20,835 in funding to support their research ($17,760) and travel to present their findings nationally ($3,075). To date, 14 undergraduate and 12 graduate students having presented their research at a national conferences (e.g. Society for Nutrition Education & Behavior); and 10 undergraduate and 17 graduate students having served as authors on peer-reviewed journal publications, some being named on multiple papers. Each of these students have demonstrated significant gains in interpersonal communication and leadership skills.