Natalie Allen is a clinical associate professor in the School of Health Sciences and the team dietitian for Missouri State Athletics. Last spring, she was named a recipient of the 2025 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

We recently chatted with Allen about how she uses her professional dietetics experience in the classroom, why it’s important for dietitians to speak up about nutrition and her secret for maintaining balance.

Q&A

On Preparing Students for the Profession

Academic Expressions: How does your professional life inform your teaching?
Natalie Allen: So many ways! Every day, I can bring real-life examples to class. If I’ve been working with athletes that morning, I might share what one of the athletes has eaten and ask the class to estimate how many calories they consumed. That’s a hard skill, and it’s one you need if you want to work in the field. Another thing I tell students is that, in my professional life, I’m often the only dietitian in the room. When they’re in class, they’re with like-minded students, but it will be different when they go into a clinic or a hospital or advise a sports team. We talk about how to collaborate, ethically and productively, with the rest of the health care team.

AE: That’s an interesting experience — being the voice that’s dedicated to a patient’s nutritional needs. How do you prepare students for it?
NA: In McQueary College [of Health and Human Services], we conduct virtual case studies. Our students might work with students in occupational therapy, nursing, social work and other health care fields. They learn how to work together and also advocate for their role as dietitian. We examine barriers that might prevent their hypothetical patient from getting better. For example, if they determine the patient is malnourished, she might need SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits. She might need Medicaid. Or, a speech pathologist might need to assess how she swallows. We talk about scope of practice and how to work with the whole team to serve the patient.

On Engaging Hot Topics in Health

AE: Nutrition is a very hot topic. You often provide expert insight for news stories that investigate food trends. Is this part of ethical leadership for a dietitian?
NA: All my classes include a “hot topic of the day.” Students bring in things they’ve encountered on social media, or I’ll share something I’ve discussed in the media. We analyze how the claim is presented. We then look at science and research — sources like The Journal of the American Medical Association or The New England Journal of Medicine. If there’s a scientific study attached to the nutrition claim, we look at the study critically. Is it on five people? That’s not as solid as a study with 800 people. Who funded the study? Is there any conflict of interest? This is how, as dietitians, we avoid getting caught up in trends. We only recommend things we can prove with data.

AE: That really connects to the public affairs mission.
NA: Absolutely. We encourage students to share the information they’re learning with their peers. It helps them develop good communication skills — and dispel some nutrition myths in the process. For most people, eating shouldn’t be complicated. It shouldn’t be hard. You should be able to eat foods you enjoy, and they shouldn’t be ridiculously expensive. In all cases, we have to look at data and research. If a nutrition claim isn’t backed by data and research, we need to pause and look for different methods to accomplish the same goal.

“Eating shouldn’t be complicated. It shouldn’t be hard… If a nutrition claim isn’t backed by data and research, we need to pause and look for different methods to accomplish the same goal.”

—Natalie Allen

On Teaching Ethical Leadership

AE: How do you talk to students about the tough moments in your profession?
NA: The Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics has a code of ethics. Those are our guiding principles. We also draw on our public affairs mission — asking “What does ethical leadership look like in our field?” We challenge students with the kinds of ethical scenarios they might encounter. A good example is end-of-life care. As dietitians, we’re in discussions about artificial hydration or tube feeding. It can be very hard, but ultimately, our job is to advocate for the patient. We talk about how you move away from thinking about what you would do so that you can follow the patient’s wishes — if those are documented — or the wishes of the family.

On Keeping an Open Heart

AE: You’ve got to be one of the busiest people on campus. And yet, you can be counted on to make time for others. Do you have tips for maintaining this balance within a packed schedule?
NA: My favorite saying is “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” I try to model this for my students. I’ve found that if I suggest we all meet up at a ball game or the Public Affairs Conference or the Homecoming parade, 99% of the time, they want to do it. They just need someone to reach out, so I try to be someone who does that. When my students graduate, I make sure they know how proud I am of them, that I’m confident they’re going to be successful. I always ask myself, “How would I want someone to treat my own kids?” That makes it easy.