Cory Akers
Dietetic Intern
Email:cwakers@uncg.edu
Cory received his Bachelor of Science from UNC Greensboro and his Master of Science from Meredith College. He is a personal trainer and served as a Combat Engineer in the United States Marine Corps. In his free time, you’ll likely catch him riding his motorcycle and enjoying the open roads in the mountains of NC. Cory and his better half, Sarah, have three dogs named Bear, Blue, and Wyatt.
Kendall Allen
Dietetic Intern
Email: keallen2@uncg.edu
Kendall received her Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University where she studied Nutrition Science and Spanish. During her time at NC State, she worked closely with the sports dietitian to fuel and educate student athletes. Her research interests include implementing sound nutrition education in a concise manner to improve dietary habits across all communities.
Taylor Beck
Email: tmbeck3@uncg.edu
Taylor Beck received her B.S. from Appalachian State University and is currently a dietetic intern at UNC Greensboro. She has conducted research in sports nutrition and in primate anatomy. Taylor enjoys working with community gardens and hopes to gain more clinical nutrition experience.
Molly Blondin
Dietetic Intern
Email: meblondin@uncg.edu
Molly received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Iowa State University. In her time at Iowa State, she worked as a sports nutrition intern for the Olympic sports for three years. Molly’s graduate project was a qualitative study with the intent to gain insight from health care partners involved in the Iowa Produce Prescription Program. The Iowa Produce Prescription Program was a project that Molly also helped pilot which provided low-income patients who had diabetes with a “prescription” and monetary allotment to purchase fruits and vegetables. Her career goal is to become a sports RD at a university working with Olympic athletes.
Mackenzie Brenner, M.S.
Email: mabrenne@uncg.edu
Mackenzie attended UNCG for her undergraduate degree in Nutrition, completing it in 2020. She is completing her masters in nutrition non-thesis, and has participated in some research with Dr. Erikson.
She enjoys crafts such as bracelet making, knitting, sand art, and painting. She also enjoys scuba diving, snow boarding, and creating food art. She’s worked at Moses H. Cone hospital as a Nutrition Services Ambassador for a year and a half, and aspires to become a dietitian!
Megan Byrd
Email: mlbyrd2@uncg.edu
Megan received her Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she received the Provost Excellence Award in Nutrition and graduated with Magna Cum Laude. She has volunteered with the Med Center for Women food pantry and has worked in the dining hall at UNCG as a Nutrition Assistant. With a heart for juvenile diabetes, she plans to work in a clinical setting and aid in the management of this specific disease. She plans to work in this field for a few years to further her skills and knowledge to aid her in becoming an effective and compassionate diabetes educator.
Amanda Cadarette
Dietetic Intern
Email: amcadarette@uncg.edu
Amanda received her Bachelor of Science from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She received her Masters of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Food Security from Meredith College. She is a Registered Dietetic Technician and Certified Lactation Counselor. She worked at the Granville-Vance County WIC office for six years before leaving to complete her DI internship.
Christina Chapman
Graduate Assistant
Email: cmfrazi2@uncg.edu
While in the Master of Nutrition program at UNCG, Christina has been working with Dr. Dharod on the FeeN Infant Feeding and Nutrition Study since Fall of 2019, and as graduate study coordinator since Spring of 2020. This longitudinal study is exploring the relationship between maternal food insecurity and the effects on infant feeding choices from infant’s two months of age to twelve months of age. Christina enjoys being a part of research, and the community aspect of the research she is involved in. plans to continue to be a part of research efforts in her future as a Registered Dietitian!
Prior to coming back to school at UNCG, Christina worked for three years in a hospital setting as a certified nursing assistant after getting her undergraduate degree in Human Biology at NC State University. She wants to work as an RD in a clinical setting and continue to be a part of research efforts in her future as a Registered Dietitian. Christina is excited to be one step close to this goal by being a part of the Dietetic Intern class of 2023!
Domi Chen, M.S.
With the guidance of Dr. Jigna Dharod, Fangshu has been working on her thesis which examines the relationship between water access and maternal and child health in Gambia.
She enjoys doing research and learning the direct effect of nutrition on human health. Before coming to UNCG, she worked as an Advanced Nutrition Aide at the University of Minnesota-Medical Center for a year.
Her future career goal is to have her own holistic healing clinic which allows her to apply both Chinese traditional medicine and Western nutrition/medical technology to enhance human health. She wants to help patients heal physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Dylan Christopher
Email: dschrist@uncg.edu
Dylan received his Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He plans on becoming a registered dietitian after graduate school.
Jessica Cooper
Graduate Research Assistant
Email: j_coope2@uncg.edu
Jessica received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Jessica’s research interests are “maternal diets impact on breast milk composition” and “breast milk bacterial composition and it’s impacts on infant gut health.” She is currently assisting Dr. Perrin with an investigation into the amount of fat, lactose, and lactoferrin found in human breast milk.
Autumn Davis
Graduate Research Assistant
Email: ardavis7@uncg.edu
Kristina El-Khouri, M.S.
Graduate Assistant
Email: k_elkhou@uncg.edu
Kristina is a dietetic intern who completed her Masters in Nutrition at the UNCG, and is currently working through the Post-Baccalaureate Dietetic Internship Program. Throughout her Masters she worked as a Teaching Assistant for Food Science and completed a thesis focusing on inflammation and brain trace metal biology. She also completed her Bachelor’s degree at UNCG, with a major in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Her hopes for the future are to complete the Dietetic Internship and to work as a Registered Dietitian.
Heather Emmons
Graduate Assistant
Email: haemmons@uncg.edu
