For many first-generation college students, choosing a major feels like navigating a maze without a map. Without a family playbook or professional network, they move forward one uncertain step at a time.
Missouri State University registered dietitian Dr. Sarah Murray knows that experience firsthand. Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, she built her academic path while growing as a faculty member at the university.
Two decades after joining the nutrition and dietetics program at Missouri State in 2006, Murray has seen her role steadily expand. Today, she serves as an assistant professor and program director of nutrition and dietetics in the School of Health Sciences.
“Seeing my students be successful, especially after spending so many years teaching and mentoring, is very rewarding,” Murray said. “When I go to events in the community, I can look around the room and see that many of the dietitians there were once in my classroom.”
Finding a right path
Sometimes, the future begins with a dream unrelated to the career that eventually unfolds.
As a child, Murray dreamed of becoming a mom. When she began considering a career later on, she enrolled in physical therapy at Ozarks Technical Community College. But the required introductory nutrition course changed her path.
“I’m a first-generation college student,” she said. “Back then, I didn’t really know the right pathway to take. That’s just where I was. But when I took that nutrition class, everything changed.”
She thought it was great and began exploring career options in nutrition where she could thrive. A friend suggested becoming a registered dietitian, which opened up a new direction she had not previously considered.
“I explored and that’s how I became a registered dietitian — all because I took an intro to nutrition class,” she said. “After that, I transferred to Missouri State in August 1999.”
She earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Missouri State in 2003 and a master’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Illinois State University in 2005. She later earned a PhD in Adult Learning and Leadership from Kansas State University in 2022.
Seizing opportunities
Back in 2005, Murray worked as a dietitian for the AIDS Project of the Ozarks, providing clinical care to individuals with HIV and AIDS. The work put her in direct contact with people facing serious health challenges, limited resources and complex nutrition needs.
In 2006, a phone call shifted her professional path again. The then director of Missouri State’s nutrition and dietetics program, familiar with her work, invited her to teach one class as a per course instructor.
“At that point in my career, I said yes to everything because everything is a learning opportunity,” she said. “That one class became two, then a full-time position, followed by serving as program director and, eventually, a tenure-track role.”
For Murray, the experience and career progression reinforced one of the most important lessons of her career.
“Networking is so important because that’s how people learn who you are, the work you do and the kind of person you are. They’ll reach out and give you the opportunities,” she said. “It’s important to be nice to everybody because you never know when you’re going to work with them!”
Teaching with purpose, mentoring with impact
Murray teaches several courses in the nutrition and dietetics program, including community nutrition and senior seminars. She also mentors both undergraduate and graduate students.
Her teaching philosophy and approach centers on nurturing perspectives. She believes students bring knowledge and experience to the classroom, and the best learning happens when those perspectives contribute to the conversation.
“It’s not me providing all of the teaching,” Murray said. “Everyone in the classroom has something to offer. My question for students is: what do you have to teach me? And let me add to it with what I know.”
Education is most powerful when it moves beyond the lecture hall. For Murray, this was the driving force behind a recent Teaching and Learning Grant project with Dr. Hillary Roberts, associate professor in the School of Health Sciences.
In October 2025, they took 11 undergraduate and graduate dietetics students to the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. The project aimed to build a “professional identity” by mentoring students through the overwhelming environment of a national conference.
“By acting as a bridge between the classroom and the profession, I helped students see themselves as future colleagues rather than just observers,” Murray said.
Award-winning advising
In March, Murray learned she had received Missouri State’s 2026 Curtis P. Lawrence Award for Excellence in Advising. The award, partly based on student nominations, recognizes faculty and staff for outstanding commitment to student advisement.
True to her humble nature, she is both surprised and still in shock. She accepted her award on April 6 at the Kathy J. Davis Master Advisor Reception.
“I know many great faculty and staff who are deserving of the award, so I ask myself, how did I get picked?” Murray said. “For a student to take the time to nominate me is so nice. And to think I’ve made that kind of impact, is very humbling.”
In advising, Murray’s approach begins with listening.
“Believe it or not, some of our dietetic students don’t want to be registered dietitians,” she said. “I don’t see that as a problem. I try to learn what they want to do next and how I can help them get there.”
Discovering her voice
One thing that might surprise people about Murray is how shy she once was. She tried to avoid public speaking whenever possible, and before college, she even hoped to find a major that would not require it.
Now, she speaks every day in front of students. Over time, she has learned to give herself grace.
“I don’t have to be perfect and learning can still happen,” she said. “It’s a lesson I now pass on to my students: the message matters more than the performance and connection is more powerful than polish.”
A childhood dream realized
Murray’s dream of being a mom was fulfilled in ways she once only imagined. For her, home has always meant more than a place. It is the life she has built in Springfield.
She has been married for almost 26 years with two children. Her son is a freshman at Missouri State and her daughter is a sophomore in high school. She describes them as “the most fun family” and cherishes time together spent hiking, playing board games, trying new recipes and cooking together.
