Melissa Gutschall
Education:
PhD, Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 2006;
MS, Nutrition, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2002;
Registered Dietitian (RD), 2001, Commission on Dietetic Registration;
BS, Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, 1999.
Dr. Gutschall is an Associate Professor in Nutrition and Foods and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at Appalachian State University. She has taught nutrition for 11 years at the undergraduate and graduate levels, published a companion textbook for use with the introductory nutrition course, and serves as the Faculty Internship Coordinator for senior dietetics students. Dr. Gutschall received the 2012 Inaugural College of Health Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, and the 2016 Beaver College of Health Sciences Research Award. She was selected as the Outstanding Dietetics Educator for 2014 by the North Carolina Dietetics Association, and for the Chancellor’s Inaugural Class of the Academic Leadership Development Program in 2015. Dr. Gutschall has been a registered dietitian for 16 years, and she continues to practice clinically on an interdisciplinary team providing care for children with special needs in the Appalachian Region. She has served with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Library and Simulation Task Force. Dr. Gutschall's research experience includes nutrition education for behavior change and maintenance with rural-dwelling patients; she serves as a mentor for 6 graduate student research projects each year. She has authored and coauthored several publications and presentations in this area, including recent national, regional and state-level presentations. Her current research agenda is aimed at using her experience to improve the curriculum for future nutrition professionals and to bridge the gap between food insecurity and chronic illness in the rural population of Watauga County.