02/03/2019

Mary-Jon Ludy

Why should OAND members vote for you. Not only include your past but also include what you can bring to the position.

Together we move OAND forward. I bring diverse connections as a professor, practitioner, preceptor, public policy advocate, and published researcher who serves our profession domestically and globally.

I am greatly enjoying my role as Council on Professional Issues Chair and eager to continue my involvement with OAND when this term ends. Through participation in conferences, committees, and workshops, my OAND colleagues have become a tremendous network of collaborators, mentors, and friends.

As OAND President, I want all of our members to experience this deep sense of connectivity! Technological innovations, personalized approaches, mentorship opportunities, and student-centered activities all have potential for increasing our reach, engagement, and perceived value. Please join me in helping to shape OAND’s second century!

Something personal about yourself that you would like to share.

I’m a fifth generation Ohioan and travel enthusiast.

My roots are in Brown County where I grew-up heavily engaged in 4-H. Ten years of foods projects whet my appetite for nutrition, public speaking opportunities grew my communication skills, and leadership roles provided the chance to discover the world outside my hometown.

This background inspired me to declare a nutrition major and explore the globe while doing so. As an undergraduate student, I studied abroad at Keele University in England. As a graduate student and dietetic intern, I conducted research with HIV and body composition in Thailand and interned with a Vitamin A program in Nepal. After finishing my masters, I spent a summer working with a community development program in Costa Rica. I returned to Boston and worked as an outpatient dietitian for 3 years before undertaking a PhD in clinical nutrition at Purdue University.

Life has come full-circle. My family now resides in Bowling Green, where I’ve been fortunate to return to my alma mater as a nutrition professor. Our family foursome all shares the travel bug. We visited Mexico last summer and look forward to retracing my husband’s Italian roots in the not-so-distant future.