Distinguished Lecture Award

The Distinguished Lecture Award honors an Academy member who has been recognized as a notable and inspiring speaker. The member chosen to deliver the Distinguished Lecture Award, formerly known as the Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecture Award, is an experienced speaker with the ability to communicate expert knowledge to a broad audience, as well as a dedicated Academy member whose unique experiences and contributions to the profession make them a role model in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

View Nomination Tips and Guidance (PDF).

Qualifications

1. A member of the Academy.
2. Be a recognized speaker:
   • Ability to relate area of expertise to a broad audience.
   • Spoken to diverse professional groups within the last three (3) to five (5) years.
   • Reputation as a speaker of note .
3. Has professional recognition and conduct:
   1. Contribution to the profession through service at the national, state, dietetic practice or member interest (DPG/MIG) groups or district/local levels.
   2. Unique experiences which are of unusual interest to the profession.
   3. Source of inspiration and outstanding role model.
4. Topic to be selected by the speaker should be of widespread interest to Academy members and one normally associated with the speaker's work.

Scoring

Criteria

1. A recognized speaker: (75 points)
   1. Expresses the ability to relate area of expertise to a broad audience.
   2. Spoken to diverse professional groups:
      1. Must include titles, topics, dates, organization and size of audience of five (5) major presentations with summary of attendee evaluations.
   3. Reputation as a speaker of note:
      1. Must include a list of five (5) diverse professional groups spoken to with dates, names of organizations, size of audience and topics within the last five years; these should be different from any already provided.
2. Professional recognition and conduct: (25 points)
   1. Describes contributions to the profession through service at the national, state, dietetic practice and member interest (DPG/MIG) groups or district/local levels.
   2. Provides unique experiences which are of unusual interest to the profession.
   3. Describes sources of inspiration and outstanding role model.

Award Presentation

The Distinguished Lecture Award is selected one year prior to the presentation. The recipient of this year's award will present at next year's Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.^™

Past Recipients

2021 Award not given
2020 Mary Lee Chin
2019 Brenda E. Richardson
2018 Ann Louise Albright
2017 Dayle M. Hayes
2016 Kathleen M. Zelman
2015 Amy G. Myrdal Miller
2014 Jane Andrews
2013 Ellie Krieger
2012 Deborah D. Canter
2011 David L. Katz
2010 Carolyn O’Neil
2009 Marion F. Winkler
2008 Sylvia Escott-Stump
2007 Mary Kimbrough
2006 Marion Taylor Bear
2005 Jenny Taylor Bond
2004 Nancy S. Wellman
2003 Wolf J. Rinke
2002 Marion J. Franz
2001 Sara C. Parks
2000 Polly Fitz
1999 Doris Derelian
1998 Judith L. Dodd
1997 Catherine E. Woteki
1996 Susan Finn
1995 Darlene Dougherty
1994 Ronni Chernoff
1993 Sarah Short
1992 Mary Lou South
1991 Elaine Ranker Monsen
1990 Burness Wenberg
1989 Anita L. Owen
1988 Johanna Dwyer
1987 James Rose
1986 Grace Ostenso
1985 Jean Hankin
1984 Laura Jane Harper
1983 Doris A. Calloway
1982 Eleanor A. Young
1981 Loyal Horton
1980 Ruth L. Huenemann
1979 Annie L. Galbraith
1978 Beatrice Donaldson David
1977 Dorothy Rowe
1976 Isabelle A. Hallahan
1975 Corinne H. Robinson
1974 Katharine E. Manchester
1973 Miriam E. Lowenberg
1972 Grace A. Goldsmith
1971 Charlotte M. Young
1970 Helen A. Hunscher
1969 Award not given
1968 Cora Kusner
1967 Anna Boller Beach
1966 Mary de Garmo Bryan
1965 Henderika J. Rynbergen
1964 E. Neige Todhunter
1963 Helen S. Mitchell
1962 Mary I. Barber