A professor in the Anderson University College of Health Professions has completed a rigorous course of study and training to become a registered dietician.
Professor Nate Hammon completed a 1,000-hour internship and passed the extensive certification examination on his first attempt–something many seeking an RD certification don’t accomplish.
Balancing his full-time duties in the College of Health Professions with a full course load already was challenging for Hammon, then things took another turn about a year ago.
“I started my internship right before COVID-19 happened, then in the summer I took more classes. I tried to get as many hours as I could virtually,” Professor Hammon said, adding that the pandemic limited available internship opportunities. He was fortunate to get internship hours at AnMed while completing additional homework that counted towards some of his internship hours.
Becoming an RD means that Professor Hammon, who serves as director of the College of Health Professions’ Human Performance lab and teaches courses in physiology, kinesiology and nutrition, is now qualified to give medical nutrition advice in a health care setting.
Dr. Vanessa Rettinger, department chair for the Anderson University School of Human Performance and associate professor of kinesiology, said Hammons is an asset to the program and admires his tenacity in completing his RD while balancing his full-time job with his coursework.
“Nate has been teaching more than his contractual obligations to simply meet the needs of the department for the last few years,” Rettinger said. “He’s done this all while working on his RD, specifically the last two years. When he’s not teaching or meeting with students, he’s been interning, accruing hours for his internship and taking classes online. He’s been exhausted at times, but has never complained. He wants to advance his career and credentials while remaining at AU.”
Hammon also has a B.S. in dietetics from the University of Wisconsin and an M.S. in exercise and nutrition science from the University of Tampa. He also completed an 18-hour graduate level internship through Bowling Green University.