Impact Articles
Coming Full Circle
The Department of Nutrition, Hospitality & Human Services welcomes Krissie (Kristina) May, Clinical Instructor of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to teaching, May serves as Director of LU’s Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND), replacing Dr. Connie Ruiz, who held the position for over three decades. Ruiz, who will continue teaching as an Associate Professor of Nutrition at the graduate and undergraduate levels is excited to “turn over the reins” to May, who Ruiz describes as “an excellent fit for the position”.
While new to the position, May is no stranger to Lamar University or to the department. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from LU, studying nutrition and dietetics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. May also completed the Lamar University Dietetic Internship and has vast experience as a Registered Dietitian in clinical nutrition settings. May has served at Lamar as a Nutrition Adjunct Instructor for several years teaching courses in introductory nutrition, nutrition and fitness, food science and medical nutrition therapy.
In addition, over the past 18 years, May has worked in renal nutrition, medical nutrition sales, long-term care, HIV/AIDS counseling, and with children with disabilities. In her role as a clinical dietitian, May took great joy in helping patients/clients make lifestyle changes. “Seeing a patient get off medications…feel better… live longer…was so rewarding,” said May.
May looks forward to the opportunity to redesign delivery of courses in the nutrition curriculum, making more online choices available to students. Her experience in the field brings “real life dietetics” to her teaching. May is enthused about her new challenge as DPND Director and Clinical Instructor. Early in her undergraduate career, she considered teaching as a career, but instead decided upon majoring in nutrition and dietetics. “Now, to find that I can combine nutrition and university teaching, I find myself in the best of both worlds,” stated May.
Written by Dr. Amy Shows
Building Healthier Bodies
In 2018, Raes (Raymond) Burnett became a Certified Athletic Trainer and also received his B.S. in Athletic Training, graduating with highest honors from the University of Southern Mississippi. He then pursued a graduate assistantship at Lamar University where we worked as one of the athletic trainers for in-season football and was the primary trainer for in-season baseball. Concurrently, Burnett was a student in the LU M.S. in Nutrition program. According to Burnett, “I studied nutrition as a way to increase my knowledge and skills in order to expand the services that I can provide. It was there that I realized the joy I had for helping people recognize where they were, and, make a plan to reach where they wanted to go. From there, I began a journey that has led to the clinical setting where I provide athletic training services. Clients who are ready to change their lifestyles often have questions about overall health and nutrition. I now have the background to confidently answer their nutrition questions and refer them to a registered dietitian when needed.”
Burnett received his M.S. in Nutrition degree May 2020. Currently employed as a Clinical Athletic Trainer at Barbour Orthopaedics and Spine in Atlanta, Burnett presents pertinent clinical information to medical providers, assists providers in ordering diagnostic testing and specialist referrals, and instructs patients on home exercise plans and restrictions.
Burnett credits Lamar University in providing him marketable skills he currently uses in his current place of employment. "During my time as a graduate assistant Athletic Trainer at Lamar University, I enrolled in Lamar's online M.S. in Nutrition program,” said Burnett. “I was able to study nutrition in pregnancy, infancy and aging, as well as focus on cultural differences and specific populations. Classes ranged from sports nutrition to nutrition research and even cultural nutrition. With the help of the program director, Dr. Amy Shows, and the excellent faculty, I was able to focus on nutrition in the collegiate athlete to prevent injury as well as to optimize recovery during rehabilitation. The critical thinking skills I developed continue to help me in my current role as I seek to provide adaptive and empathetic evidence-based care to my patients." Burnett enjoys spending his free time with his wife, extended family and church family.
Written by Dr. Amy Shows