For Olivia Stevenson, a graduating senior majoring in nutrition and dietetics, the key to a healthy diet is being accurately informed about what the general public puts on their plate, rather than what gets taken away.
Stevenson was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Indiana Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (IAND). Stevenson was formally recognized during the IAND Annual Meeting held in Fishers, IN this month.
“I came to college originally as a political science major, and I have always been very interested in public health,” says Stevenson. “After talking with family and friends I decided that narrowing down to a more specific public health major where I could interact with people one-on-one and still do advocacy and policy as part of the career lead me to nutrition and dietetics. And I’ve loved it!”
One of the major challenges facing professionals in this field is the amount of misinformation surrounding the topic of nutrition, according to Stevenson. To combat this, Stevenson has started her own Substack called “Liv Well Fed” that gives short, digestible advice for better living through food. Some recurring themes are making vegetables the “main character” of your meal and seeking sound professional guidance when it comes to adding nutritional supplements to a personal diet.
“The success of super-fixated diets that have become popular in recent years, such as keto or carnivore, is very individualized—not every person is going to respond to a given restrictive diet in the same way,” says Stevenson. “Current [nutrition] science and research enforce a balanced diet of all the food groups, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats.”
Stevenson says the recommended approach is to eat a little bit of everything but balance out the quantity and intake appropriately based on your individual metabolism, rather than moralizing food choices as “good” or “bad.” Debunking misinformation about the topic of nutrition has been a gratifying aspect of Stevenson’s career choice thus far.
“Olivia’s selection for an IAND student scholarship highlights her academic excellence and commitment to the dietetics profession,” shares Jingyi Wang, director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics in the Department of Applied Health Science. “It also reflects the program’s success in fostering engaged and capable scholars.”
Wang says that Stevenson’s award also strengthens the Didactic Program’s reputation for nurturing exceptional scholars. Stevenson says the dietetics community is “very special” and appreciates the support of Dr. Wang, registered dietitians Erin Collicott, Lauren Bartholomew, Rachel Dolgner, former program director and professor Victoria Getty and all of the professors in the Didactic Program for their support and mentorship of her career goals.
After graduating in May, Stevenson will begin her master’s degree program at Ball State University and the 1200 hours of internship required to sit for her Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) exam. Stevenson is also looking forward to her marriage in June and is energized about the professional path laid out before her.
“I still love policy and public health,” says Stevenson. “I am so grateful I made the switch, because now having an in-depth knowledge of nutrition, I can make an impact in a specific field of public health, rather than more of a generalized view.”
Read more of how SPH-B students are making a mark both locally and nationwide at go.iu.edu/48bx.