Haeberly worked at the facility in the ���ϲ����� area as part of her “supervised experiential learning” (SEL) requirement needed to receive her master’s degree from the . Haeberly emerged from her long-term care experience recognizing that the lessons she learned there will translate to any work environment she chooses.

Isabelle Haeberly

“This rotation emphasized learning agility—the ability to take knowledge from one setting and apply it to another,” Haeberly says. “While long-term care may not be my ideal work environment, the critical thinking, attention to detail, individualization of interventions and interdisciplinary collaboration I developed will translate into any area of dietetics.”

In SEL settings, students work under the supervision of a preceptor, who is generally a registered dietitian. In a reflection that Haeberly wrote following her long-term care facility SEL, it was clear how deeply Haeberly was impacted by her preceptor and other healthcare professionals at the facility.

“The language of passion is universal regardless of profession with the commonality of wanting to get better at your craft,” Haeberly wrote.

We asked Haeberly, who received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Falk College in 2023, to reflect on her experience this winter.

“During my seven-week rotation at the long-term care facility, I gained valuable insight into the complexities of geriatric nutrition. This experience greatly deepened my appreciation for life in a way I don’t think any other experience could have. It brought to light the fact that health can decline rapidly. In this setting in particular, it highlighted how social isolation plays a major role in the health of residents and how family support makes a huge difference. I also observed firsthand how chronic pain contributes to behavioral changes, often mistaken for personality traits such as the stereotypical ‘old people are cranky.’ Overall, this rotation added a new perspective to how I view the world, and it made me realize just how short life is.

“Working with my preceptor, I strengthened my nutrition assessment skills and competence in reading medical records and learned to apply my medical nutrition therapy coursework in a clinical setting. I also witnessed how dietitians function as detectives, collaborating with speech-language pathologists, nurses and social workers to piece together accurate information and develop appropriate individualized interventions.

Working closely with her preceptor, Isabelle Haeberly says she strengthened her nutrition assessment skills and competence in reading medical records.

“One exceptional nurse manager’s attention to detail and passion for her profession set a high standard for patient care–one which everyone should strive for regardless of which healthcare profession they are in. This was one of my main takeaways. The qualities this nurse manager demonstrated showed me how much you can learn from professions other than your own.

“This experience provided me with valuable skills that will benefit me in my future as a dietitian, regardless of the setting I choose. It helped me gain confidence in my ability to learn quickly through hands-on experience and in my ability to adapt and even excel when thrown into a situation or position. It also greatly improved my confidence in my skills writing nutrition assessments and I got to see how my attention to detail helped me do well with the responsibilities in this type of dietetic role. This is a skill that will serve me in any area of dietetics.”

This academic year, Haeberly, Greta Smith and Cassidy Mosher were recipients of the Ann Selkowitz Litt Memorial Scholarship from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. The annual was held April 1 in Falk College.

The Path to RD/RDN

As of January 2024, dietitians are required to hold a master’s degree, so Falk College’s modified its program into a two-year graduate level program where students complete the requirements for their degree in nutrition science and all of the SEL requirements in a comprehensive program.

The program’s accreditation standards require that students gain experience with patients/clients who require certain medical nutrition therapy, range across the lifespan and are from diverse backgrounds. The program provides students with four rotations in different settings: acute care, long-term care, community education and counseling and food service management.

, director of the master of arts in nutrition science program, served as a preceptor for the program for 13 years and says the support the program receives from preceptors–many of whom are ���ϲ����� and Falk College alumni–is integral to its success. April is , and in Falk’s program, Beckwith says preceptors provide 8,000 hours of mentorship during an academic year for a fully enrolled class of 12 students.

“The importance of preceptors who are willing to welcome students into their workspace to provide mentorship is critical to our profession,” Beckwith says. “We seek to build strong relationships with our preceptors and support them through training opportunities, frequent communication, and appreciation gestures. Without preceptors, we have no programs and no profession.”

Once master’s students meet their SEL requirements, they are eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian/registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN). They must pass the exam to become an RD/RDN, which can be used interchangeably. Visit the to learn more about academic programs and career opportunities.

Learning didn’t stop during spring break for dozens of Falk College students who took part in immersive travel opportunities. The college offers a wide array of travel programs for students, with and being pillars of the experience.

Three immersion travel programs this spring provided Falk students with unique opportunities for hands-on learning from leading industry professionals, while also discovering and embracing different cultures.

Ireland

Students enrolled in the Sport Culture in Ireland class spent nine days in Ireland over spring break. The group of 13 students, comprised of and majors, traveled to iconic Irish spots such as the Cliffs of Moher, Temple Bar and Kilmainham Gaol to experience the culture of Ireland.

The students visited the Na Fienna Gaelic Athletic Association club, where they participated in Gaelic football, hurling and handball games with classmates while learning about the sports’ history and impact in Ireland. At University College Dublin’s Institute for Sport and Health, experts in the fields of sports medicine and exercise science gave insightful presentations about injury and rehabilitation research. At a visit to the Leinster Rugby Club, students learned from team officials about the role of technology in athlete development and what it takes to manage a winning sport organization.

Visit the to learn more about the students’ experiences in Ireland.

Italy

Falk College students enjoy a cooking lesson in Italy.

In each of the last two springs, students in the Italian Football: Impact and Outcomes class have visited Italy to meet with representatives from Serie A soccer clubs and learn about Italian culture surrounding soccer, or calcio.

The students on this year’s trip met with representatives from Soccerment, an Italy-based artificial intelligence platform seeking to accelerate the adoption of data analytics into soccer; networked with front office officials from Bologna FC; and toured Viola Park, home of ACF Fiorentina. Students experienced exciting Serie A matchups at Stadio G. Sinigaglia, home of the Como 1907 football club, and Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, home of Inter Milan. Aside from soccer, students toured historic locations such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Milan Cathedral. On the final day of the trip, students learned how to make authentic Italian pasta from scratch.

Los Angeles

Falk College students visit SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Students have enjoyed the Falk in Los Angeles Career Exploration trip for more than a decade. Open to all Falk students, the trip offers students the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, explore career paths and visit leading organizations in one of the country’s largest sport markets.

This year’s trip included stops at the NFL Network, FOX Sports, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, the Rose Bowl and more. Students met and networked with Falk’s extensive based in southern California to set themselves up for successful careers in the industry.

Wilson is an associate professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University, where he directs the and conducts research. Wilson has published 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles related to nutrition, exercise performance and health.

In 2020, Wilson published “,” a book that garnered national and international attention. The Athlete’s Gut offers athletes and practitioners a window into gut functioning and provides tips to help them prevent and manage gastrointestinal problems, ultimately allowing athletes to feel and perform at their best.

Patrick Wilson

“We are excited to have Dr. Wilson share his expertise in gut health and athlete performance, which is a novel topic for the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series,” says , chair of the in Falk College. “His background in both nutrition and exercise science highlights the important connections between these two disciplines.”

Wilson’s work has focused on the causes of gut troubles in athletes, as well as interventions aimed at alleviating such problems. In addition, his research has explored the utility of common hydration biomarkers used in sport and the impact that various factors can have on their validity.

A national thought leader in sport nutrition, Wilson has served as a featured interviewee for numerous news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Runner’s World, and The Globe and Mail (Canada).

Outside of his work, Wilson is a committed distance runner. He enjoys the process of applying what he’s learned over the years to optimize his own performance.

Wilson earned a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2014, where he also took substantial coursework and received training in the areas of public health and epidemiology. Prior to earning his doctorate, he spent a year at the Mayo Clinic gaining expertise in the realms of clinical and community nutrition. He has a Bachelor’s degree in dietetics and is credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Wilson’s lecture in person or virtually. For more information about the Ann Litt Lecture, accommodations and parking requests, please contact Amy Edmond-Drapas at aledmond@syr.edu or 315.443.8989.

About the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series

Ann Selkowitz Litt ’75 (1953-2007) was a nationally known nutritionist who helped children and adolescents with eating disorders and assisted developing athletes in reaching their full potential. The nutrition consultant to CosmoGirl magazine, Litt was the author of “The College Students’ Guide to Eating Well on Campus,” “Fuel for Young Athletes,” and the “American Dietetic Association Guide to Private Practice.” She was the nutritionist for the NFL’s Washington Commanders and served as spokesperson for several media campaigns during her career, including the “Got Milk” campaign. After her death, the Ann S. Litt Foundation, Inc., was created to support nutrition education. Through a generous gift from this foundation to Falk College, the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series was created at ���ϲ����� in 2015.