Creating a Collaboration Between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to Increase Diversity and Inclusion

Description

Learning Objectives

• Describe the history of HBCUs in creating a pipeline and leaders of Black Dietitians to the profession.
• Identify three ways NOBIDAN has created a community for Black students, dietitians, educators and program directors to overcome the barrier of isolation in Dietetics.
• Describe two examples of innovative strategies that would support a collaboration between HBCU programs and the Academy leading to an increase in diversity in Dietetics.

Performance Indicators

• 2.1.7 Develops or facilitates person-centered culturally sensitive community programs and services in collaboration with interested parties/groups.
• 10.3.2 Develops a variety of learning activities based on a plan of action and the needs of individuals, groups, communities and populations
• 4.2.8 Challenges, encourages and supports others to take action to advance the profession.

Speakers

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  Rojean Williams

  Dietetic Internship Program Director / Nutrition and Food Service, West Palm Beach VA HCS

  Rojean Williams, MS RD, LDN is a native of Miami, FL educator, licensed, Registered Dietitian. She started her professional career in 1985 as a Registered Dietitian at the Gainesville VA Medical Center after obtaining her master’s degree in nutrition and Dietetics from Florida International University. She relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida to pursue and expand career opportunities in the federal government. She co-authored a cookbook titled” Family Style Soul Food Cooking” sponsored by the American Diabetes Association 2007. In addition, she led a community project - Culturally Sensitive Wellness Challenge, published in the “The Internet Journal of Health”. Jan. 2009. By 2018, she was appointed as the National Chair for NOBIDAN where she led the collaborative project on documenting the History of Blacks in Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2020, Rojean became an ACEND site reviewer for accreditation with the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and by 2023 was appointed the Dietetic Internship Program Director for the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Palm Beach Florida. Her years of coaching and mentoring students has fulfilled the dreams of numerous students to attain their goals to become Registered Dietitians.

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  June Thompson

  Renal Dietitian, Fresenius Medical Care

  June M. Thompson, MS, RDN, FAND, FNKF has worked as a Registered Dietitian for over 35 years, primarily as a Renal Dietitian. She consults with a group that provides service to adults with intellectual disabilities, and a collective that provides medically tailored meals. June is a proud alumna of N.C. A&T State University, having obtained her BS in Home Economics with a specialty in Clinical Nutrition in 1979, and her MS in Foods and Nutrition in 1984, respectively. She is also currently the interim Dietetic Program director and an adjunct instructor there. Mrs. Thompson has received several awards including the National Kidney Foundations Council of Renal Dietitians Recognized Renal Dietitian award in March 2024, NOBIDANs “YAM” (You Are Amazing) award in October 2020 and she was voted Dietitian of the year in 1996 by the National Kidney Foundation. She is a two-time past president of the NC counsel of renal Nutrition and served as chair of NOBIDAN in 2022 In her personal life, she has been married to Tony L. Thompson for 43 years. They are the proud parents of two adult children, Kenya Danielle and Tony Lee II. She is a lifelong resident of Greensboro, and a proud North Carolinian.

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  Patricia Lynch

  Director Didactic Program in Dietetics & Associate Professor of Nutrition, Virginia State University

  Patricia Lynch is Associate Professor and Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics at the Virginia State University where she works collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research, outreach, and educational environment focusing on nutrition and health disparities in underserved populations. Dr. Lynch has taught Nutrition and Food Science for more than 15 years at several institutions (Meredith College in Raleigh, NC; North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC; Vance-Granville Community College in Henderson, NC; North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC.; Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA). She has participated on more than 10 thesis committees and several research grants over $1.2 million Dr. Lynch completed her Doctorate in Nutrition from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Her research and outreach continue to focus on community nutrition interventions to alleviate health disparities. She completed her M.S. degree in Food and Nutritional Science from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, National Kidney Foundation, North Carolina Council on Renal Nutrition, American Public Health Association, and National Organization of Blacks in Dietetics and Nutrition.

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Moderator

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  Lucy Balogun

  RD Services to patients, health and food service professionals, LBB Health Services Consultation

  Lucy Baker Balogun is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs. Her formal education was obtained from Purdue University and Indiana University and interned at the University of California Hospitals and Clinics. Other credentials include School Nutrition Director Certified, State of Georgia; Budget and Financial Management Certification, The State of Georgia and The University of Georgia; Certified ServSafe Instructor and Registered ServSafe Examination Proctor; AANAC Resident Assessment Coordinator Certified. Ms. Balogun has been working in the field of nutrition for over 20 years, providing nutrition information to children and adults. For eighteen years her emphasis has been child nutrition, with positions at the Georgia Department of Education, School Nutrition Division as a Grants Program Consultant where she traveled the state working with school superintendents, school nutrition program directors, managers and food service assistants or program regulatory and compliance issues. She is the current National Organization of Dietetics and Nutrition (NOBIDAN) Chair and also served as Chair-elect and Treasurer. Other volunteer activities included 2016-2017 Diversity Chair for Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Nutrition Educators of Practitioners Task Force developing dietetics recruitment tools for use in K-12 education.

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