Congratulations to the 2021-2022 CV-Well Award Recipients!
CV-Well is excited to acknowledge the outstanding practice and significant contributions these members have made, and continue to make, toward the promotion of CV-Well's work as a DPG, and in the areas of cardiovascular health and wellness.
Distinguished Scholar Award
This award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to research or the practice of dietetics as a result of continued commitment to scholarship.
Catherine M. Champagne, PhD, RDN, LDN, FADA, FAND, FTOS, FAHA
Catherine M. Champagne is Professor/Chief, Nutritional Epidemiology/Dietary Assessment and Nutrition Counseling, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
She received her BS in Home Economics Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and her MS and PhD degrees from Mississippi State University in Nutrition. She is a Registered Dietitian and a long-standing member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Diabetes Association, American Society for Nutrition, The Obesity Society, and the American Heart Association. Dr. Champagne is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Obesity Society, and American Heart Association. She is involved in studies which include dietary counseling and dietary intake assessment. One of her significant achievements was the final design of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and DASH-Sodium diets. She has been involved in many NIH-funded trials and coordinates the Women’s Nutrition Research Program at Pennington, a research, education, and outreach program.
Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, FACSM
Dr. Enette Larson-Meyer recently joined the faculty at Virginia Tech, in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, where she directs the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Program and the Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (NEM) Lab.
Her research focuses on how nutrition influences the health and performance of active individuals at all stages of the lifecycle and at all levels of performance--from the casual exerciser to the elite athlete. Recent research interests include healthy weight gain in athletes and military personnel, and the importance of iodine and vitamin D status in exercise performance, disease prevention and general wellness. Enette has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters, is the author of “Plant-Based Sports Nutrition. Expert Fueling Strategies for Training, Recovery, and Performance” (Human Kinetics, 2020) and has served on several International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus panels. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and serves as an Associate Editor for Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and the Science and Medicine of Football (soccer). Dr Larson-Meyer completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming, her dietetic training and masters at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and her doctoral and postdoctoral studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Earlier in her career, Enette completed an internship at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (Colorado Springs) and served as the sports dietitian for the UAB Blazers.
Her personal interests include trail running, flat water kayaking, Irish Step dancing, strength training, gardening, yoga, cooking and wine tasting. She is the proud mother of three college students, two of whom play/played D2 soccer.
Congratulations to the following CV-Well members who received a 2022 Academy Medallion Award!
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Medallion Awards, given each year since 1976, honor Academy members who have shown dedication to the high standards of the nutrition and dietetics profession through active participation, leadership, and devotion to serving others in nutrition and dietetics, as well as allied health fields. Several awards are given each year to those members whose dedication to the Academy and service to the profession serve as an example to all. See the full list of 2022 winners here.
Bethany Thayer, MS, RDN, FAND
Bethany Thayer MS, RDN, FAND is Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Henry Ford Health (HFH) in Detroit, MI. She oversees a team of health professionals who provide wellness services to the 33,000 employees of HFH, patients, work sites and community groups including nutrition, tobacco treatment, health coaching, sleep management, exercise, wellness screenings and flu vaccinations. She is a weekly contributor to the Healthy Table column in the Detroit Free Press and a frequent contributor to the Henry Ford LiveWell blog. She has developed hundreds of recipes that were compiled into the Heart Smart II Cookbook (Detroit Free Press 1996) the Heart Smart Kids Cookbook (Detroit Free Press 2000) and the Heart Smart III Cookbook (Detroit Free Press 2011).
Thayer was a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for nine years and has been quoted in many national publications including Ladies Home Journal, Shape, Self, Redbook, Family Circle, USA Today and Cooking Light and is a frequent guest on local Detroit television and radio stations. She also served 3 years as a national leader for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a past president of the Michigan Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (MiAND). She was named the MiAND 1993 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, Received the MiAND Media Award in 2004 and 2006 and was recognized in 2012 as the Michigan Outstanding Dietitian of the Year. She currently chairs the Licensure Task Force for MiAND in hopes of licensing the practice of medical nutrition therapy in Michigan.
Thayer graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, completed her dietetic internship at Henry Ford Hospital and earned a master’s degree in Exercise Science from Oakland University. She enjoys swimming and biking and learned to embrace open-water swimming when COVID closed pools, completing a couple 5K open water swims.
Catherine Christie, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND
Dr. Catherine Christie is Associate Dean and Professor in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida. She is a Past President of the Florida Dietetic Association and co-author of four books including The Latino Food Lover’s Glossary, Fat is Not Your Fate, Eat to Stay Young and I’d Kill for a Cookie. Dr. Christie is also Editor of the Manual of Medical Nutrition Therapy which is updated and published by the Florida Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics each year.
A Registered Dietitian, Fellow of the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association, and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dr. Christie earned her Ph.D. from Florida State University and served for six years as the Chairman of the Dietetics and Nutrition Council which regulates the nutrition profession in the state of Florida.
Dr. Christie is the recipient of several awards and/or certifications including Florida’s Distinguished Dietitian, Florida Dietetic Association Outstanding Service Award, Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management, Certificate of Training in Child and Adolescent Weight Management, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award, the Excellence in Practice Award for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2017, she was elected by the faculty of UNF as Distinguished Professor. She served as Chair of the First Coast AHA Health Equity Committee in Jacksonville and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, FACSM
Dr. Enette Larson-Meyer recently joined the faculty at Virginia Tech, in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, where she directs the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Program and the Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (NEM) Lab.
Her research focuses on how nutrition influences the health and performance of active individuals at all stages of the lifecycle and at all levels of performance--from the casual exerciser to the elite athlete. Recent research interests include healthy weight gain in athletes and military personnel, and the importance of iodine and vitamin D status in exercise performance, disease prevention and general wellness. Enette has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters, is the author of “Plant-Based Sports Nutrition. Expert Fueling Strategies for Training, Recovery, and Performance” (Human Kinetics, 2020) and has served on several International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus panels. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and serves as an Associate Editor for Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and the Science and Medicine of Football (soccer). Dr Larson-Meyer completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming, her dietetic training and masters at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and her doctoral and postdoctoral studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Earlier in her career, Enette completed an internship at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (Colorado Springs) and served as the sports dietitian for the UAB Blazers.
Her personal interests include trail running, flat water kayaking, Irish Step dancing, strength training, gardening, yoga, cooking and wine tasting. She is the proud mother of three college students, two of whom play/played D2 soccer.
Julie Schwartz MS, RDN, CSOWM, LD, NBC-HWC, ACSM-EP
Julie Schwartz MS, RDN, CSOWM, LD, NBC-HWC, ACSM-EP has over 25 years of experience guiding people to a healthy lifestyle. She currently works at Intellihealth Inc. as an Obesity Medicine Registered Dietitian Case Manager providing virtual interventions and program development as part of a collaborative medical team. Julie also maintains a private practice, Balanced Nutrition Coach™ based in Safety Harbor, FL.
Julie holds a Master of Science in Sports Nutrition from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science Health Education/ Health Promotion from the University of Florida. She has served in numerous professional leadership roles in the WM DPG and the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and also the membership services task force for the CV-Well DPG. Julie co- authored the Physical Activity Toolkit for Registered Dietitians: Utilizing the Resources of Exercise is Medicine®. She is the primary author of 3 of 4 modules of Certificate of Training: Health & Wellness Coaching for the Nutrition Professional. She is a key contributor in the development of the interdisciplinary Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management credential and serves on the interdisciplinary committee that continues to advance the credential.
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD
Nancy Clark is an internationally respected and trusted sports nutritionist. She is a registered dietitian (RD) who is a board certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD). Her private practice is in the Boston-area (Newton, MA). Nancy counsels active people of all ages and athletic abilities from high school athletes to Olympians, helping them use food to enhance their performance and health, as well as optimize their weight. Her clients have included not only the Boston Red Sox, but also the Bruins, Celtics, and athletes from many colleges in the area including Boston College, Tufts and Brandeis. Many of her clients struggle with disordered eating and eating disorders; she helps them transform their food fears into peaceful fueling.
Nancy enjoys writing as a way to teach people how to eat to win. Her best-selling Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook has sold over 750,000 copies and is now available in its 6th edition. Nancy also writes a monthly nutrition column called The Athlete's Kitchen, which appears regularly in over 100 sports publications and websites. Her nutrition advice and photo have even graced the back of the Wheaties’ box! In addition to inspiring active people to fuel wisely for top performance, Nancy has also inspired many RDs to become sports dietitians. Both nationally and internationally, she has presented workshops on how to become a sports RD and has helped establish sports dietetics as a viable career path. She has also educated trainers, coaches and other health professionals about the value of partnering with sports dietitians.
Nancy completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition from Simmons College in Boston. Her dietetic internship was at Massachusetts General Hospital. She received her master’s degree in nutrition with a focus on exercise physiology from Boston University. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine. She has been a member of ACSM’s Board of Trustees. She has received many awards for her work. Health and fitness are personal values for Nancy. She is a regular bicycle commuter, runner and gardener. She has completed several marathons, bicycled across America, and hiked in the Himalayas. She and her husband have two children (now adults) and live in the Boston-area.