UIC Department of Kinesiology & Nutrition

06/05/2026

Thank you, Chicago Botanic Garden/Veggie Rx and Pilsen Food Pantry, for being wonderful Supervised Practice sites and preceptors for our Master's Coordinated Program Dietetic Interns!

Nataliya Gogol and Demitria Jett are completing their community rotation at Veggie Rx, where they help provide nutrition education and produce boxes to hundreds of participants each week.

Ivan Cancino was the first to use the Pilsen Food Pantry's brand-new kitchen space and provided recipe samples to participants. He has also been working with the staff to create and distribute nutrition education and recipe cards in English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

Keep up the great work, everyone!

06/03/2026

The best nutrition education happens when knowledge meets experience.
UIC’s Coordinated Master's in Nutrition combines graduate coursework with supervised practice experience across hospitals, clinics, community organizations, research settings, and Chicago-area businesses.

Students gain hands-on experience as they prepare to sit for the RDN credentialing exam.

Building future nutrition professionals starts with meaningful practice.

Learn more about where a Master’s degree can take you:

UIC’s Master of Science in Nutrition focuses on advanced studies that lead to a better understanding of the relationships between nutrients and human health.

05/28/2026

Read the latest publication by Assistant Professor Vanessa Oddo:

"Unequal returns: how race, gender, and precarious employment shape the relationship between educational attainment and depressive symptoms in older American adults."

HS education is related to lower levels of depressive symptoms, but these benefits vary by race, gender, and level of PE.

05/27/2026

Congratulations to AHS Achievement Award student recipients from the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition:

Karl Marcel Ramirez Manlapid - BS in Kinesiology program
Leslie Hernandez - BS in Nutrition program
Alyssa Squeo - MS Nutrition, Coordinated Program -

The graduating class also selects one faculty member from each academic department as the recipient of the Excalibur Award for Teaching Excellence. The Excalibur Award is presented to teachers who are role models in their profession, who provide encouragement for learning in the classroom or clinical setting, who help guide students in the achievement of their goals, and who are supportive of the students’ individual efforts.

Congratulations:
Karrie Hamstra-Wright - Kinesiology
"Sherry" Qian Wang - Nutrition

Click the link below for a full list of additional AHS recipients:

Congratulations to AHS Dean’s Award, Achievement Award and Excalibur Award recipients! Eileen Doran | Posted on May 15, 2026 Introduction At the conclusion of each academic year, three awards are presented at the AHS Awards Nights and AHS Commencement Ceremony: 1) Dean's Award 2) Achievement Award...

05/01/2026

"Manuscript by Kate Cares and Kelsey Gabel titled "Diet and Exercise Interventions in Pediatric Cancer Survivors and Effects on Cardiometabolic Disease Risk and Inflammaging Biomarkers: A Systematic Review" is the cover story of Advances in Nutrition."

https://advances.nutrition.org/current

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04/30/2026

Congraulations, Dr. Bustamante!

"Eduardo Bustamante is the recipient of the 2025-26 UIC Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Latinos (CCSL) Faculty Recognition Award. The awards and scholarships are presented to dedicated UIC faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students who serve the Latino community."

Eduardo Bustamante receives 2025-26 UIC CCSL Faculty Award Viviana Kabbabe-Thompson | Posted on April 30, 2026 Photo: Viviana Kabbabe-Thompson Eduardo Bustamante at the CCSL Recognition Awards Ceremony, April 28. Introduction Eduardo Bustamante is the recipient of the 2025-26 UIC Chancellor’s Comm...

04/29/2026

Amazing work! Congratulations to both!

04/25/2026

Congratulations to our own Dr.Robert Motl and Dr.Timothy Koh on being one of UIC’s Researchers of the Year!

04/24/2026

Congratulations to Clinical Assistant Professor, Sofia Cienfuegos! She has been selected by members of the UIC senior class to receive a 2026 Silver Circle Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Silver Circle Awards have been given each year since 1966 to honor UIC faculty members chosen by the senior class for their excellence in teaching undergraduate courses. Each year, eleven faculty members are presented with this prestigious award.

Sofia Cienfuegos Clinical Assistant Professor Kinesiology and Nutrition Contact Office Phone: 312.355.1300 Email: [email protected] About Dr. Sofia Cienfuegos is a researcher studying the effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss and cardiometabolic health. She completed her Ph.D. in Human Nutrit...

04/22/2026

Super proud of you, Toi! Keep up the great work!

Congratulations to MS in Nutrition student Toi Johnson on receiving a Health & Medicine Policy Research Group Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship for the 2026-2027 year. Each year, the Schweitzer Program provides 26 exceptional students with opportunities to design and implement projects to improve the health and well-being of underserved Chicago communities. https://ahs.uic.edu/news-stories/first-year-grad-student-wins-schweitzer-fellowship-to-teach-nutrition-and-culinary-skills-to-chicago-kids/