Alyssa Southern
Dietetic Intern
Email: amsouthern@uncg.edu
Alyssa received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Foods – Dietetics at Appalachian State University. She currently works for the Surry County Health & Nutrition Center WIC Program as a Nutritionist. After completion of UNCG’s MS/DI program, Alyssa hopes to become a Registered Dietitian and specialize in an area of dietetics that she is highly interested in, such as community, oncology, or pediatric nutrition.
Victoria “Tori” Tepe
Graduate Assistant
Email: vatepe@uncg.edu
Tori is currently a Ph.D. student in the department of nutrition. She received her B.S. in nutrition at Texas A&M University in 2019, where she began her work in the Allred Lab. Her current research is in cancer biology, where she explores the relationship between factors in our diet and environment that impact cell regulation and disease prevention. Prior to beginning her graduate program at UNCG, Tori worked with high-risk pregnancy women in rural Texas. Upon finishing her Ph.D., Tori wants to remain in research and explore biological factors for cancer disparities across geographic populations.
Damon Thomas
Email: dhthomas@uncg.edu
Damon completed his B.S. in Family and Consumer Science and the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at North Carolina Central University. He currently works as a Nutritionist with the Guilford County Department of Public Health WIC program. Prior to beginning the Dietetic Internship at UNCG he worked as an Environmental Health Specialist for the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. Damon is interested in renal care and diabetes education. He also wants to investigate social determinants of health and their impact on nutrition related health status in BIPOC communities.
Savanna Bowen Thompson
Dietetic Intern
Email:smbowen2@uncg.edu
Savanna earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Human Dietetics from UNCG. She is continuing her studies at UNCG in the MS/DI program, to become a registered dietitian. Her specific dietetic interests include GI, pediatric, and sports nutrition. She is excited to work in a variety of settings during her internship.
Mia Trexler
Graduate Assistant
Email: adtrexle@uncg.edu
Mia received her Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. During her time in undergraduate school, she found her love for Sports Nutrition. She focused on working with Madeleine Meinhold in the fueling station and learning how to fuel the body for recovery.
Selena Villa
Dietetic Intern
Email: l_villarobl@uncg.edu
Selena received her Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. She is enrolled in the M.S./DI program at UNCG and is expected to graduate in May 2026. Under the supervision of Dr. Dharod, she has been investigating the relationship between low-income mothers and breastfeeding patterns throughout the first six weeks of pregnancy. Her areas of interest include sports nutrition and clinical dietetics.
Miguel Villasenor, M.S.
Tamika Watts
Email: tswatts@uncg.edu
Tamika received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Johnson C. Smith University. She is a student in the M.S. Nutrition program and has been working with Dr. Lenka Shriver on the iGrow Study since August 2020 as the primary coder for 2-month infant feeding videos. Tamika’s main areas of interest are infant and maternal health. Her current thesis work focuses on predictors of predominant breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding from a diverse sample of mother-infant dyads in the iGrow study. In addition to the M.S. program, she is a current dietetic intern and apart of the DI class of 2023. She is planning to become a Registered Dietitian and continue pursuing her passion in improving infant and maternal health and nutrition.
Sarah White, M.S.
Sarah holds two Bachelor of Science degrees – one in Biology and one in Nutrition. She has since complete a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and finished the UNCG Dietetic Internship program. In her independent studies, she has given anti-Black, racial, implicit bias presentations and serves as a student ambassador on the Nutrition department’s Justice, Equity and Inclusion committee and as a student representative on one of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ professional interest groups Diversity and Inclusion committee. After becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, Sarah will own and operate a nutrition counseling service, work as a Community Nutrition Educator and continue as a presenter in academic and healthcare settings.
Sharniquia White
Graduate Assistant
Email: slwhite7@uncg.edu
Sharniquia is a Chef turned Dietitian, having completed her AAS in Culinary Arts from Lenoir Community College in 2014. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with a minor in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she also completed the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and Dietetic Internship (DI). Sharniquia is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nutrition. As a Registered Dietitian her practice interests include Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and Culinary Medicine.
Zakkiyya Yasin
Dietetic Intern
Email: zqyasin@uncg.edu
Zakkiyya completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is attending the Masters and Dietetic Internship program to become a Registered Dietitian. Her interests include but are not limited to culinary medicine and clinical dietetics. She looks forward to collaborating with her peers and contributing to the nutrition department.
