Graduate Student Bios
Current Graduate Students
Katherine N. Balantekin, MS, RD, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Leann Birch
Research interests:
The development of maladaptive eating behaviors, parental influence on eating behaviors, childhood obesity prevention
Education:
BA (Biology, dietetics)- Cornell University
MS/RD (Clinical Nutrition)- University at Buffalo
Awards/honors/scholarships:
Graham Fellowship (2011-2012), 3rd place Graduate Exhibition, USDA Childhood Obesity Prevention Transdisciplinary Training Program Fellow" to my awards/fellowships category
Recent Publications:
KN Balantekin, JN Roemmich. Children's coping after psychological stress. Choices among food, physical activity, and television. Appetite, Oct 2012.
S. Nicole Fearnbach, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Kathleen L. Keller
Research interests:
Differences in neural response to food cues between lean and obese children, impact of physical activity on energy intake and response to environmental food cues, childhood obesity prevention
Education:
BS (Exercise Science) – Florida State University
Awards/Honors/Fellowships:
USDA Childhood Obesity Prevention Transdisciplinary Training Program Fellow, Graham Fellowship (2012-2013)
Mike Flock, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton
Research interests:
- Exploring the role of fatty acids and their metabolites in modulating the immune response.
- Lipid metabolism, nutritional immunology, inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids.
Awards/honors/scholarships:
AOCS Smouse Memorial Fellowship (2012-2013); Wrigley Science Institute Predoctoral Fellowship (2012); Penn State Graduate Research Exhibition – 2nd place (2012); Graham Fellowship (2010-2011)
Courses Taught:
NUTR 445, 452
Recent Publications:
Flock MR, Kris-Etherton PM. Diverse physiological effects of long-chain saturated fatty acids: Implications for Cardiovascular Disease. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2012 Oct; 15.
Lei Hao, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Catharine A. Ross
Research Interests:
Effects of Intralipid and retinoids on the prevention of parenteral nutrition induced fatty liver disease
Education:
Peking University Master of Medical Sciences (M. MS) in Pediatrics
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
Woot-Tsuen Scholarship in Nutrition (2012)
Courses Taught:
Teaching assistant Nutr 445 and 452
Kristina Harris, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton
Research Interests:
- The effects of whole grains on visceral adiposity, vasular function, and glucose metabilism/insulin rsistance.
- Effects and mechanics of omega-3 fatty acids on inflammatory markers and manifestaions in humans.
Education: BA - Augustana College
Stephen Hennigar, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Shannon Kelleher
Research Interests:
Zinc and mammary gland involution
Education:
University of New Hampshire, Nutritional Sciences - B.S. '08, M.S. '10
Courses Taught:
NUTR 251, TA for NUTR 446
Recent Publication:
Hennigar SR and Kelleher SL. Zinc networks: the cell-specific compartmentalization of zinc for specialized functions. Biol Chem. 393(7):565-78, 2012.
Samantha M.R. Kling, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Rolls
Research Interests:
Childhood obesity prevention with emphasis on portion size and family interactions
Awards/Fellowships/Grants:
USDA Childhood Obesity Transdisciplinary Training Program Fellow
Courses Taught:
Teaching Assistant for NUTR 451: Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle for Fall 2012
Jacinda Li, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Rolls
Research Interests:
Childhood obesity prevention, influence of behavioral and market economics on ingestive behavior with emphasis on portion size and energy density
Education:
B.S. in Economics with Concentrations in Marketing and Communication - The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
USDA Childhood Obesity Transdisciplinary Training Program Fellow, University Graduate Fellow
Jessica Lindgren, PhD Student
Advisor: Dr. Terryl J. Hartman, PhD, MPH, RD
Research Interests:
Nutritional epidemiology; specifically the relationship between diet quality and breast density, a strong breast cancer risk factor, in a cohort of young women.
Awards: ASN Travel Award to attend The Dietary Supplement Practicum at the National Institutes of Health
Nick McCormick, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Shannon Kelleher
Research interests:
Mammary gland zinc metabolism and lactation
Awards/honors:
- 2012-2013 Kligman Fellow
- 2011 Recipient of Professional Devolopment Endowment Award from the College of Health and Human Development.
- 2012 Recipient of the International Society for Zinc Biology (ISZB) Travel Grant for travel to the 2012 ISZB meeting in Melbourne, Australia
Recent publications:
McCormick NH, Kelleher SL. ZnT4 provides zinc to zinc-dependent proteins in the trans-Golgi network critical for cell function and Zn export in mammary epithelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, May 23, 2012 [Epub ahead of print]
Catherine Metzgar, RD, LDN, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Shelly Nickols-Richardson
Research Interests:
Weight management, weight loss, role of calcium in obesity/weight status
Awards/honors/scholarships:
Grace M. Henderson Graduate Scholarship
Education:
BS – Kansas State University; Dietetic Internship – Penn State University
Courses Taught:
Teaching Assistant for NUTR 386: Managing Quality in Food and Nutrition Services, Fall 2012
Sarah A. Nelson, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Shelly-Nichols-Richardson
Research Interests:
Using behavior change theories and food choice models to reduce the risk of obesity in adolescence.
Education:
B.S. in Decision Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
Awards:
Graham Endowed Fellowship, Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society
Fawn S. Patchell, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Terry Hartman
Research Interests:
Dietary patterns as they relate to cancer and also fertility
Education:
BS (Nutritional Scieneces) - The Pennsylvania State University
Chelsea Rose, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Lenann Birch
Research Interests:
The mother's effects on her child's weight/nutritional status in pregnancy and breastfeeding, how pregnancy effects the mother's own weight/nutritional status, and childhood obesity prevention.
Awards:
Certificate of Appreciation in Recognition of Best Research Poster from the Penn State Hershey Diabetes & Obesity Institute Fall Research Poster Forum - November 9th, 2011
Wendy Stein, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Kathleen L. Keller
Research Interests:
Exploring the impact of food marketing strategies on child eating behavior, food choices, and intake
Education:
B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and Psychology from Michigan State University
Awards/Fellowships/Grants:
USDA Childhood Obesity Prevention Training Program Fellow
Libo Tan, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Catharine Ross
Research Interests:
Study the metabolism and kinetics of vitamin A in neonates applying mathematical modeling
Education:
BS - Shandong University
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
Woot-Tsuen Scholarship in Nutrition (2011-2012)
Courses Taught:
TA for Nutr445 (Spring 2012)
Recent Publication:
Tan, L., Wray, AE., & Ross, AC. Oral vitamin A and retinoic acid supplementation stimulate antibody production and splenic Stra6 expression in tetanus toxoid-immunized mice. The Journal of Nutrition. August, 2012.
Joanna Kalina Urbanek, M.S., Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. A. Catharine Ross
Research interests:
Vitamin A metabolism and kinetics; mathematical modeling
Education:
BS (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) - University of Pennsylvania; MS (Food Politics and Applied Nutrition) - Tufts University
Courses Taught:
TA for NUTR 445 and NUTR453
Dara J. Wheeler, RD, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Terry Hartman and Dr. Gordon Jensen
Research Interests:
I am researching the association between diet quality and mortality in older adults.
Awards/Fellowships/Grants:
ASN Travel Award to Dietary Supplement Research Practicum Graham Fellowship from the College of Health and Human Development
Courses Taught:
Teaching Assistant for Nutrition 453 under Dr. Corwin; Currently instructing summer session II Nutrition 100
Recent publications:
Jensen, GL, Hsiao, PY, Wheeler, D . “Nutrition screening and assessment.” In the ASPEN Adult Nutrition Support Core Curriculum: 3 rd edition. Mueller C, ed. American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. In Press. 2012.
Rachel Williams, Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Rolls
Research Interests:
The effects of energy density and portion size on the regulation of energy intake in adults.
Education:
BS (Nutrition) - La Salle University; RD - St. Louis Veteran's Affairs Dietetic Internship
