Iowa State alums recognized with awards from Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (IAND) recently announced the 2019 IAND Award winners. The awards serve to recognize dietitians for their contributions to the organization.

A number of Iowa State alums received awards:

• Amber Kastler (’09 dietetics) was named the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year from the North Central District Dietetic Association. This award recognizes the competence and activities of younger dietitians and encourages their continued participation in the dietetic profession. Kastler is the registered dietitian at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion. Her many roles include providing nutrition care to inpatients and outpatients, and serving on the Diabetes Education Board and hospital Wellness Committee. Highlights of her community involvement related to the dietetics field include organizing a community half marathon and 5K walk/run event in Fort Dodge to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and implementing the Kids Fit, Food and Fun after school program for Fort Dodge school system kids.
• Kate Kokemiller (‘19 dietetics) was named the Recognized Outstanding Dietetic Student Award Winner, which serves to recognize students in ACEND-accredited dietetics education programs for their leadership and achievement. While a student at Iowa State, Kokemiller held many leadership roles, including serving as vice president of the Student Dietetic Association and working as a nutrition coordinator for the Boys & Girls Club of Story County. Following graduation from Iowa State, Kokemiller enrolled in the Masters of Clinical Nutrition Program at the University of Iowa.
• Beth Olsen (’12 dietetics, ’13 MS nutritional sciences) was named the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year from the Southwest Iowa District Dietetic Association. Olsen is the director of public health at Cass County Health System in Atlantic. In this role, she has implemented a number of initiatives, including a “Walk Cass County” grant that identifies walking maps in the county’s communities, and developed a grant to supply sun safety education and sunscreen to daycare centers during the summer. In addition, she is the director of the Healthy Cass County Coalition, a collaboration of individuals in the county to be a community-focused network to promote the health and well-being of the county’s residents.
• Brian Smith (’89 international studies in home economics with emphasis in food science) was named the Recognized Outstanding Dietitian of the Year. Smith currently serves as the clinical nutrition operations manager at UnityPoint Health – Des Moines, where he manages diet clerks of the Room Service Call Center for UnityPoint-Des Moines’ four hospitals. Over the course of his career, Smith has worked with other health professionals to teach them how nutrition impacts their field of practice. He is known for his leadership within IAND and support of the dietetics profession.
• Kathryn Squires (’13 dietetics) was named the Emerging Dietetic Leader. The award honors one dietitian, regardless of age, who has made a distinctive contribution early in their dietetics career to IAND. Squires has served as a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee for six years, during which she has secured a grant to build gardens at the store to teach children and adults gardening skills and encourage them to try new fruits and vegetables. She also serves as the marketing chair for IAND.
• Alison St. Germain (’95 dietetics, ’99 MS nutrition), clinician in Iowa State’s Dietetic Internship Program, was named the Medallion Award Winner. The award recognizes IAND members who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and have made outstanding contributions to the dietetic profession. St. Germain created and teaches the Dysfunctional Eating Behaviors course for Iowa State’s Master’s in Professional Practice in Dietetics program. She also serves as the advisor for Iowa State’s Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness student organization. In addition, she has held several leadership positions within IAND and helped create a new task force within the Iowa Academy: Establishing Relationships with Healthcare Professionals.

These and the other 2019 IAND award winners will be recognized during the IAND annual meeting in November. To learn more about the awards and the other award winners, visit the IAND awards website.

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