JWU Celebrates First Masters of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Graduates
Story by JWU Media Relations, on Jan 8, 2026 9:00 AM
PRESS RELEASE
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — January 8, 2026 – Johnson & Wales University celebrated the completion of its first Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics cohort in December, presenting pins to six students. The group began the 16-month program in Fall 2024.
“The JWU MSCND program is truly distinctive,” said College of Health & Wellness Dean Maura Daly Iversen, DPT, SD, MPH. “It integrates the rigorous science of nutrition and dietetics with the university's long and renowned history in the culinary arts. Our students gain advanced expertise in medical nutrition therapy, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice, while also developing competencies in culinary nutrition, food science, and the food industry. This powerful combination ensures they are exceptionally well prepared to enter a profession where skilled, credentialed registered dietitians are needed now more than ever here in Rhode Island and across the nation.”
The pinning ceremony featured remarks from Providence Campus President Joseph Greene M.S., CPA, Dean Iversen, Providence Program Director Luciana Soares, DCN, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, and student Maire-Abigail Denis. Students received their pins and recited the clinical nutrition and dietetics oath.
“JWU’s experiential learning was amazing. I really love the variation of the different sites we got to choose from; it wasn’t one-size-fits-all, and our experiences could differ from each other,” said Denis. “I think I made the right decision coming to JWU, and hopefully everything I’ve learned will turn to something I can carry with me the rest of my life.”
About JWU
Founded in 1914, Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students at its campuses in Providence, Rhode Island and Charlotte, North Carolina, and through JWU Online. An innovative educational leader, the university offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts and sciences, business and hospitality, dietetics and nutrition, food innovation and technology, and health and wellness. It also offers undergraduate programs in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. JWU’s unique model provides students with the personalized attention, academic expertise and industry connections that inspire professional success and personal growth. The time students spend at JWU is nothing short of transformative, as demonstrated by career outcomes, expected earnings and economic mobility rankings. The university’s impact is global, with alumni in 130 countries pursuing careers worldwide.
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