Schalinske Receives Distinguished Fellowship from American Society for Nutrition

AMES, Iowa – Kevin Schalinske, Morrill Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, has been named a Distinguished Fellow in the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).

Founded in 1928, the ASN is a premier professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians worldwide, with over 8,000 members from more than 100 countries. Its members– top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders– come together to advance the knowledge and application of nutrition.

A Distinguished Fellow is the highest honor in the ASN, recognizing individuals for their exceptional contributions to the field.

Schalinske studies the way the body uses folate to carry out essential chemical processes that help regulate gene activity and maintain healthy cells. His work explores what happens when these processes are disrupted and how that can contribute to major health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and birth defects. His most recent focus is on evaluating dietary intervention strategies and their ability to attenuate the obese phenotype.  These findings are helping to build a clearer understanding of how nutrition influences disease risk and overall health, and have been supported by a range of national health and research organizations.

In addition to receiving a Morrill Professorship, which recognizes Iowa State faculty who have demonstrated outstanding success in teaching and learning, Schalinske has previously received a Rossmann Manatt Faculty Award, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, the Iowa State University Outstanding Teaching Award, the Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award, and the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. He is also the recipient of a Teaching Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the ASN Excellence in Nutrition Education Award, the ASN ELR Stokstad Award for Outstanding Research, and the Board on Human Sciences Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. Schalinske is currently an Associate Editor for The Journal of Nutrition and previously served as President of the ASN.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be selected as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition and join a very illustrious group of nutritional scientists and leaders,” Schalinske said. “I am a very strong supporter of faculty being engaged in their professional society, something I try to convey to other nutrition faculty across the world, particularly junior faculty. To that end, I am always willing to be an advocate and mentor for other members of the ASN and provide them with opportunities to be active in the society.”