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Graduate Programs

Faculty

The Department has twelve graduate faculty members (see faculty homepages for more details) including:

  • Professors - Richard Clark, Ann Ferris, Maria Luz Fernandez, Hedley Freake, Sung Koo, and Rafael Pérez-Escamilla.
  • Associate Professors - Mary McGrane, and Nancy Rodriguez
  • Assistant Professor - Richard Bruno

In addition, there are jointly appointed faculty whose primary appointments are in Allied Health Sciences, Animal Science, Kinesiology and Pharmacology, or the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.

Admission

Admission to degree programs is determined by evaluation of undergraduate academic standing and preparation, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and a personal interview, when feasible. Priority is given to applicants with an undergraduate background in Nutritional Sciences or a related area. Where inadequate undergraduate preparation is apparent, students must take the necessary preparatory course work prior to graduate study. Application forms can be obtained from:

Office of Graduate Admissions,
U-6A, The University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT 06269.
860-486-3617

Additional program information including the latest Graduate School Bulletin, is available from the Graduate Program Coordinator, Department of Nutritional Sciences, U-17, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, or you can contact Dr. Fernandez via electronic mail (maria-luz.fernandez@uconn.edu). Upon request, copies of abridged versions of the departmental Annual Report are available to provide information on recent departmental and programmatic activities. Program information is also available on our Web Page.

Master of Science

At present, approximately one-third of the Nutritional Sciences graduate students are enrolled in programs leading to the M.S. degree. Most M.S. candidates are enrolled in the Plan A program which requires a minimum of 15 credits, a written general examination, and a research thesis. The course work is designed to develop an advanced level of knowledge in nutrition and related sciences, and prepare the student for developing specific research competencies. The thesis topic is selected by the student and the Major Advisor. Near the end of the course work phase, all M.S. students must successfully complete a comprehensive written General Nutrition Knowledge examination prepared by the Graduate Committee and the Advisory Committee. The non-thesis M.S. program (Plan B) is available for a small group of students who already have practical experience in the field of Nutritional Sciences. This program requires that each student complete a miniumum of 24 credits, pass the comprehensive written examination, and prepare a review paper that is to be presented orally to the Department.

Masters degree research projects span a wide range of interests. The following recent (1998-03) thesis titles illustrate this diversity:

  • Validation of a “Chicken & Salad” Household HACCP Analysis Protocol in a Puerto Rican Community.
  • Maternal Anemia, Prenatal Health, and Birth Outcome in a Low-Income Population.
  • Acculturation and Household Food Insecurity Among Low-Income Latinos in Hartford, Connecticut.
  • Determinants of Infant Feeding Behaviors Among a Predominantly Latino Population in Hartford, CT.
  • Mechanisms By Which Chelation Of Zinc Enhance T3 Stimulated Gene Expression In GH3 Cells.
  • Measuring household food inventory with a UPC scanner is a feasible method of studying food usage patterns in low income families.
  • Retinol and Alpha-tocopherol content in prey fish consumed by steller sea lions in the wild.
  • Effects of Increased Dietary Protein Intake on Fluid Balance and Hydration Indices in Endurance Runners.
  • Investigation of factors that influence solubility of canthaxanthin and other lipophylic compounds into bile salt micelles.
  • Influence of the SALUD! Campaign on nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.
  • Sleep/wake patterns in infants of women with versus without gestational diabetes mellitus.
  • Effects of increased dietary protein on whole body protein turnover in endurance runners.
  • Effects of dietary protein intake on glucose utilization in endurance athletes.
  • Unintended pregnancies and the likelihood of breast-feeding: A global analysis.
  • The influence of stress during labor and delivery on the onset of lactation.
  • Carotenoid solubilization into bile salt micelles.
  • The effects of zinc on gene expression in primary rat hepatocytes.
  • Comparison of distance education and traditional education in the area of food safety and sanitation.
  • Effects of protein intake on leucine kinetics and substrate oxidation in runners.
  • Potentials to use edible coatings and films as carriers of nutraceuticals - feasibility and functionality.
  • A study on the thermal properties of vegetable sprout seeds and computer simulation of heating performance of seeds during capacitive radio frequency (RF) dielectric heating.
  • Soluble fiber and soybean protein reduce atherosclerotic lesions in guinea pigs. Gender and hormonal status determine lesion extension.
  • The effects of a comprehensive weight reduction intervention in obese post-menopausal women on plasma lipids and leptin metabolism.
  • Trans fatty acids in pregnancy: Relationships to essential fatty acid status and infant outcome.
  • The effects of resistance training on protein utilization in healthy children.
  • Food stamps, dietary intakes, and anemia in low-income preschoolers.
  • Energy balance in endurance athletes.
  • Protein utilization differences between healthy obese and non-obese children.
  • Retinoid regulation of the PEPCK gene during fetal development.
  • Chasing anemia: Paradigms for prevention and treatment of iron-deficiency among clinicians serving low-income toddlers in an urban ambulatory care environment.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. program consists of three parts:

  1. 25-30 credits of advanced course work, beyond the M.S. degree, selected with Advisory Committee approval. A Plan of Study outlining the courses to be taken must be submitted to the Graduate School for approval. Students are required to have a competent reading knowledge of at least one foreign language or at least six credits of advanced course work in a related or supporting area.
  2. The General Preliminary Examination involves two stages. Each student is required to take a written examination at or near the end of the course work program. After successful completion of the written exam, a student is required to write a detailed proposal describing their research, the Dissertation Prospectus, which is defended orally to the Department. When a student has passed both the written and oral component of the General Examination, they are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D.
  3. Upon completion of the research described in the Prospectus, the candidate presents and defends his/her dissertation research before their Advisory Committee, Graduate Faculty and peers.

Dissertation topics vary widely, as illustrated by the following list of recent titles (1996-03):

  • Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover in Runners and Endurance Trained Adults Consuming the RDA for Protein.
  • Gender and hormonal status modulate the effects of psyllium on the mechanisms determining plasma lipids and lipoprotein metabolism.
  • Regulation of hepatic cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism by corn fiber oil and sitostanol in guinea pigs.
  • Food label intervention among Hispanics.
  • Gender and hormonal status modulate the hypolipidemic mechanisms of dietary soluble fiber in the guinea pig.
  • The influence of zinc on the function of the thyroid hormone receptor.
  • Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy and lacation: Infant outcome.
  • Development and impact of a food label education intervention on food label knowledge, self-efficacy and stage of change among Latinos: A randomized community trial.
  • The impact of breast pumping on the onset of lactogenesis stage II following Cesarean delivery: A randomized clinical trial.
  • Retinoid regulation of PEPCK gene expression.
  • Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated with gestational diabetes mellitus.
  • HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors: Atorvastin and simvastatin. Hypocholesterolemic mechanisms of action in the guinea pig.
  • Mechanisms by which pectin and psyllium reverse the hyperlipidemia induced by high fat and high sucrose diets in guinea pigs.
  • The influence of functional status and social support on dietary quality in elderly women.
  • The effect of zinc on thyroid hormone induced growth hormone messenger RNA levels in rat pituitary tumor cells.

Acceptance Procedures

Applicants for admission should consult the Departmental Web Page and the Graduate School for detailed information. After all forms, including GRE scores and three letters of recommendation, have been received, the departmental Graduate Committee will review all credentials relative to requirements for admission. Applicant files are then circulated to all Graduate Faculty members to match an applicant with a prospective advisor for acceptance into the graduate program. The Graduate Faculty evaluate applicants on the basis of their transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores (TOEFL scores when applicable), and research interests. Those students meeting entrance requirements, whose goals are consistent with Departmental programs, who have an identified advisor, and have their financial needs met, will be admitted to the Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences. Financial assistance is available in the form of Research Assistantships, named Fellowships, and University Scholarships. Financial aid forms must be completed before aid can be considered (see the Graduate Bulletin and application materials)

There are a number of common reasons why applicants are not accepted:

Students interested in meeting American Dietetic Association (ADA) requirements, in addition to pursuing a graduate degree, should meet with the Dietetics Director prior to beginning graduate course work. The department is able to provide the student with the academic course work required by ADA. However, the student should recognize that the ADA credit requirements are in addition to the graduate program requirements and, therefore, will likely increase the length of the graduate study.

Facilities

The Department of Nutritional Sciences has excellent facilities for the training of graduate students. Since 1991, several renovation projects have been completed to update our research laboratories including the lipid laboratory and animal care facilities. Our laboratories contain a full range of equipment for molecular and metabolic research, as well as facilities for tissue culture and human metabolic studies. The University Biotechnology Center offers a wide range of support services for the synthesis and characterization of macromolecules. Through collaborative arrangements, clinical and field research sites are available for specific research and training projects on campus, within the region, and also abroad. Research collaborations are currently active at clinical centers in Hartford, the Human Performance Laboratory in Athletics, the Hispanic Health Council, and other community agencies in the state.

The main campus library, Homer Babbidge Library, and the Medical School library in Farmington house current journals and an extensive collection of reference materials. Computerized search services are available at the University libraries and also within the Department via the Internet. A computer room is available with high capacity, state-of-the-art computer hardware and software needed for analysis and reporting of health and nutrition surveys as well as for graphic design for publications and production of posters for scientific presentations. The Department also has access to high quality desktop publishing software and printers. Numerous computing facilities are available throughout campus. UConn's Information Technology Department runs mainframe services available to graduate students.

Employment Opportunities

The following are selected examples of positions held by recent advanced degree graduates of our department:

  • Academia: Postdoctoral Research Fellows, Research and Teaching Faculty, Technical Assistant, Educational Assistant, Cooperative Extension Specialist.
  • Health Care Industries: Director of Nutritional Services, Dietitian - Private Practice, Hospital or other Health Care Facility, Nutrition Education, Food Service, Outpatient Nutrition Services, Research, Administration.
  • Government: Nutritionist - State Department of Health, Nutrition Educator - State Department of Education, WIC Director, School Nutritionist, Nutrition Education and Training, Nutrition Policy and Planning, Research, Administration.
  • Food Industry: Product Development, Quality Control, Marketing and Sales, Scientist/Research Specialist, Administration, Production Management, Production/Owner and Operator.
  • Allied Industries: Research, Sales or Administrative Positions in: Chemical Industries, Analytical Services Laboratories, Medical, Dental and Pharamaceutical Companies.
News and Updates

February 5, 2008 - "What's Happening"
The Spring-Fall 2007 edition of the Department of Nutritional Sciences newsletter, "What's Happening," is available as a pdf here.

 

Positions Open

Pre-Doctoral Fellowships Available
The Department of Nutritional Sciences is offering 3 pre-doctoral fellowships for outstanding students for 3 years.

Assistant Professor
The University of Connecticut invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. This is a nine-month, tenure track, research and teaching position.