Lacie Peterson Nominated for 2019 Teacher of the Year

Utah State University Salt Lake Center faculty member Lacie Peterson was nominated for the 2019 Teacher of the Year from the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. This nomination comes on the heels of Peterson, clinical assistant professor and Dietetic Internship director, receiving the 2019 Teacher of the Year award from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences.

“Lacie has a great understanding of the subjects she teaches and a desire to help individual students master the material,” said Chuck Carpenter, professor and head of the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. “It’s inspiring to see her passion and drive to improve her own abilities. Her main goal is the success of her students, and that translates into her impressive work ethic.”

Peterson works with three other faculty members running one of the largest dietetic internships in the west. When she isn’t busy working on her doctorate, she co-teaches four classes and personally mentors twenty students working through 1,200 hours of practicum experience to prepare for the Registration Examination for Dietitians. 

“I love what I do and it makes a lot of my job easy,” said Peterson. “I have wonderful, motivated students who help me to continue to feel excited about nutrition and dietetics. I always try to put my students needs first and that keeps me moving forward in my own career.”

USU’s Dietetic Internship helps students throughout the nation earn practicum experience. According to Peterson, much of the internship’s success is because of the USU’s ability to deliver distance education. “The university’s high-caliber delivery systems make it easy for professors to connect to their students no matter their location. USU’s Dietetic Internship has grown an exemplary reputation because of its resources.”

Aside from her role in the university, Peterson maintains important working relationships and influence in dietetic and nutrition organizations. She is an active member of both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Association of Diabetes Educators and holds multiple volunteer roles in both institutions at the local and national level. She is a registered dietitian, board certified in advanced diabetes management, a certified diabetes educator and fellow of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.