Utah’s Dr. Nora Nyland was the recipient of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Medallion Award at this year’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in Houston. The Medallion Award is national recognition reserved for those who have demonstrated leadership and service to the Academy and to the dietetics profession.
Nora’s career is replete with service and leadership through local and national associations as well as in her position as an Associate Professor at Brigham Young University. She has been involved in various leadership capacities with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, the Council on Future Practice, the Dietetics Workforce Demand Study Task force, and the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Press releases by BYU and the Academy are comprehensive and highlight many of her professional contributions.
Over 1,000 BYU dietetics students have been educated and mentored by Nora. Reflecting on her career, the majority of her time has been spent working to create a strong dietetics program at BYU and preparing her students to be contributing dietitians and citizens. Her influence as an educator is both profound and personal.
When I reflect on being Nora’s student I can’t help but think about how she somehow managed to tell me I was doing something completely wrong but I still left her office feeling optimistic and capable. I think about how despite her insanely busy schedule (see above), she always had time to meet with me and discuss whatever was on my mind. I remember her telling me that her dad used to always say, “be calm and expectant of good.” I laugh as I recall her leaning against a piano in our classroom and pausing mid-lecture to say, “I feel like a lounge singer,” and without skipping a beat she was back to the foodservice systems model.
But I’m not alone with these memories and lessons learned – I surveyed a few of Nora’s past graduate students for their insights. Ana Mitchell shared that “Nora has a way of making people feel important and needed. This made me want to work hard not to let her down.” Jennie Oler mentioned, “her trust in us as students and later as professionals made all the difference and gave us confidence to reach new and greater goals.” Samantha Rasmussen highlighted Nora’s encouragement for students to volunteer and become professionally involved.
Nora, congratulations and thank you! You make Utah proud and we are grateful for your enormous influence within the Utah dietetics community.
Emily Vaterlaus MS, RD, CD
UAND Public Policy Coordinator & Advocacy Chair