Awards and Honors

How can engineering help advance precision nutrition?

Carolyn Slupsky, Ph.D., professor in the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, brought her expertise in nutrition and precision nutrition to this question as a member of the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) Thematic Task Force.

The Department of Nutrition is proud to celebrate Dr. Lauren Au, who has been selected to receive the 2026 Mary P. Huddleson Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation.

The UC Davis Department of Nutrition had a strong presence at Nutrition 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Throughout the conference, UC Davis faculty, researchers, and students presented findings across the nutrition science spectrum, including  maternal and child nutrition, global nutrition, cancer, nutrition education, healthy aging, micronutrients, and emerging technologies.

Benjamin Hurrell, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Immunology in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis, is the recipient of the 2026 UC Davis Early Career Faculty Award for Creativity and Innovation.

Dr. Amy R. Nichols of the Department of Nutrition on receiving the Outstanding Early Career I Professional Award from the American Society for Nutrition!

Amy brings extensive expertise in nutrition and women’s health, with a focus on how nutrition during key stages of women’s lives—from puberty through perimenopause—can help lay the foundation for lifelong heart and metabolic health.

Congratulations, Amy, on this well-deserved recognition!

Three faculty members with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition are being recognized as 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows by American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Associate Professors Lauren Au and Reina Engle-Stone and Department Chair Gerardo Mackenzie are being honored for their contributions to nutrition research, education and practice.

Congratulations to Dr. Reina Engle-Stone for being named a 2025-2026 Chancellor's Fellow! This recognition is given each year to early career academics doing exemplary work. We celebrate her leadership and lasting contributions to global nutrition and public health!

Reina Engle-Stone, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Associate Nutritionist in the Agricultural Experiment Station in the Department of Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

From the classroom to the broader community, Debbie Fetter, Ph.D., makes nutrition science approachable, inclusive and practical. In recognition of this impact earned, the UC Davis associate professor of teaching has been awarded a "Let’s Eat Healthy Leadership Award" from Dairy Council of California.

ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Fruit and Vegetable Foundation announced a $10 million gift to the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Health. This gift establishes the Dr. Douglas S. L. Howard Endowed Chair in Nutrition for Transformative Healthcare and supports the development of the corresponding program.

Four researchers with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition are being recognized for their contributions to advancing nutrition science and health.