Q&A: How Adelphi’s Nutrition Faculty Bring Real-World Practice Into Their Classes

In this spotlight interview, Cheng talks about how she got into the nutrition field and what excites her about her work. She also shares advice for future students on how to make the most of Adelphi’s graduate nutrition program.

Feon Cheng

Feon Cheng, PhD, MPH, RDN, CHTS-CP, is a passionate nutrition researcher and educator. She received her PhD in Nutritional Science at the Pennsylvania State University, her MPH in Community Health Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, and her BS in Nutritional Science at the California State University, Los Angeles. Her research interests include nutritional epidemiology, nutrition education, program planning and evaluation, and research methods. She has worked in research, public health and clinical settings. Dr. Cheng is an active member in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She served as a program reviewer for the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics and as a member of both the Council on Future Practice and the Dietetics Practice Audit Task Force.

Please tell us about your journey to become a nutrition educator. What brought you to the field?
I have always been passionate about food and nutrition! After becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, I worked as a clinical dietitian in a local hospital. While I loved my in-patient experience, I was very interested in preventing patients from getting sick in the first place. With my manager’s support, I was able to work as a nutrition educator and provide out-patient counseling, which I loved!

You have an MPH in addition to a PhD in nutritional science. How has having experience in public health influenced your work in nutrition?
It allowed me to see health and nutrition from a broader perspective. I learned how the health system works as a whole and was able to identify opportunities to prevent the onset of illnesses.

What excites you most about your work?
Improving the health of our population through evidence-based nutrition!

Looking towards the future, what are some of the most important topics in nutrition today? What will people need to learn to face what is to come?
By 2030, an estimated 50% of US adults will have obesity, which is associated with a host of adverse health outcomes. Understanding the importance of this issue, our program dedicated an entire course to this topic. It’s also very important to understand that issues like obesity don’t exist in isolation — they intersect with all kinds of factors, from personal health issues to differences in cultural and community health.

Let’s talk about the Adelphi Master of Science in Nutrition. What courses do you teach at Adelphi?
I teach:

• Nutrition in the Life Cycle, which includes topics such as nutrition requirements and dietary recommendations for each stage of the lifespan.
• Nutrition Education and Community, which includes topics like cultural competency in nutritional education and interpersonal communication; integrating clinical and experimental evidence in nutrition education; and communication for health promotion and disease prevention.
• Nutrition and Obesity, which includes topics such as understanding the prevalence, pathophysiology, and health consequences of overweight or obesity; determining possible etiology and risk factors; and prevention and medical nutrition therapy for those who are overweight or obese.

These courses help students become competent nutritionists who can work in various settings.

Where do your students end up working after they graduate?
We have students working in different nutrition settings, from clinical settings to starting their own businesses.

What would be one thing you’d tell someone who is deciding whether to pursue their master’s degree in nutrition?
Our online MS in Nutrition offers a cutting-edge curriculum that focuses on important competencies and topics so students will be well-prepared for working in the nutrition field after graduation. Our students gain communication skills that will help them approach their work with empathy and understanding, in addition to the core nutrition expertise that employers today need.

Is there anything else you’d like prospective students to know?
We love working with our students and can’t wait to work with you!

About the Adelphi MS in Nutrition

The Adelphi MS in Nutrition is designed to support busy professionals in health or health-related fields. Whether you want to work directly with clients and patients or want to lead change through research or policy development, this fully online graduate program gives you the evidence-based knowledge you need, without overwhelming your schedule.