It was during an Advisory Council meeting for Miami’s College of Education, Health, and Society (EHS) when it happened. 

“All of a sudden we realized it,” said Deanne Brandstetter ’78, Miami alumna, registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), and EHS Advisory Council member.

They had been discussing fundraising initiatives when they realized that two fellow council members – both Miami alumni – also shared a third alumni connection through another major organization.

Currently, out of the 18 RDN members that now serve on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, three are graduates of Miami University’s Nutrition and Dietetics program. 

“I can't say it's never happened before,” Brandstetter said. “But it’s quite unusual.” 

Along with Brandstetter, who serves as Past-Treasurer, Miami alumnae Ainsley Malone ’79 and Amanda Goldman ’95 also serve on the board as Speaker of the House and Treasurer-Elect, respectively.

“It really speaks to the leadership skills, the support for people to take on leadership roles, and the focus on giving back to the community and to the profession that was instilled in all of us at Miami. We were inspired to be leaders of the profession by our professor and mentor, Dr. Susan Rudge,” said Brandstetter. “And it continues to this day. Students at Miami are really encouraged to go above and beyond, to tap into their talents and skills, and to do more than just go to work every day.” 

Each of the three came to the Academy Board through very different careers. 

Brandstetter serves as VP of Nutrition and Wellness at Compass Group, where she leads close to 3000 RDNs that work with K-12 schools, universities, corporate dining, hospitals, long-term care and more across the country. She also still speaks to current Miami students involved in Miami University’s Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, where they can gain the experience to become professional leaders themselves one day. 

Malone has 40 years of experience working as a nutrition support dietitian and hospital malnutrition expert. She currently works as the Clinical Practice Specialist with the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 

Goldman has worked in healthcare food and nutrition management and currently is the Healthcare Industry Sales Strategist for Gordon Food Service. In this role, she uses her operations and financial expertise to support the national healthcare sales team.

“Nutrition and Dietetics is a growing field,” Brandstetter said. “Most RDNs work in a clinical or hospital foodservice setting or in academia. But these days the opportunities are endlessly expanding. You’ll find dietitians working for public relations firms that represent food companies, working with commodity boards, doing private nutrition counseling, working in media and communications, working in the food business and working in sustainable food systems and culinary nutrition.”

To help support this growing field as Board members, Brandstetter, along with Malone and Goldman, are all committed to advancing the profession of nutrition and dietetics through education, research and advocacy and promoting the Academy’s mission to accelerate improvements in global health and well-being through food and nutrition. 

And it’s a mission that’s becoming increasingly important, especially at a time when misinformation can run rampant.  

“Nutrition is a science and science evolves,” Brandstetter said. “Twenty years ago, a healthy diet meant being low in fat. We saw an entire food system taking as much fat out of ingredients as they could. And then science evolves and we do an about-face. So the public gets confused because in their mind the experts keep changing their minds. But it's not that. As the body of science continues to grow, and the more research that's done, the more discoveries we have that inform us on the optimal diet for each individual’s health.”

The Academy provides an array of articles and videos for anyone interested in the latest news on healthy eating habits, wellness advice, nutrition and food management strategies, as well as ways to connect with qualified professionals.

Academy members including registered dietitians, nutritionists, and other medical professionals can also find career-related resources, networking opportunities, mentorship programs, and up-to-date information on innovative advancements and research in food and nutrition science. 

For more information, Academy members can visit eatrightpro.org, while the general public can visit eatright.org.