Members In Action
[Duplicate] Recognized Dietitian of the Year Award (RDY)
Amy Lowrie, MS, RDN, LD, CNSC
Amy is an accomplished dietitian who has worked at University Hospitals for 9 years. She enjoys the ever-changing nature of working in the TICU/SICU as well as precepting dietetic interns. She earned her CNSC and recently participated in the standard setting for the Fall 2024 CNSC exam with the NBNSC. She is a dedication GCAND volunteer and has served as COPI President, as well as multiple terms on the nominating committee. She was recognized previously as RYDY in 2017.
[Duplicate] Recognized Dietitian of the Year Award (RDY)
Amy Lowrie, MS, RDN, LD, CNSC
Amy is an accomplished dietitian who has worked at University Hospitals for 9 years. She enjoys the ever-changing nature of working in the TICU/SICU as well as precepting dietetic interns. She earned her CNSC and recently participated in the standard setting for the Fall 2024 CNSC exam with the NBNSC. She is a dedication GCAND volunteer and has served as COPI President, as well as multiple terms on the nominating committee. She was recognized previously as RYDY in 2017.
[Duplicate] Outstanding Contribution by a Non-member
Paul Kudlak
Paul Kudlak has been the OAND lobbyist since 2011. Paul served as a public member on the Ohio Board of Dietetics and knows dietetics very well. He is our “eyes and ears” at the Statehouse. Paul meets with members of the Policy Team as needed and in recent years, mostly virtual meetings. He provides us with the legislator and agency contacts we need to advocate for dietetics. OAND has a strong legislative agenda and we continue to be strong because we have a good dietetic practice act, a dedicated Policy Team and a committed lobbyist. We cannot afford to lose Paul. He goes beyond what is expected.
Research Dietitian
Melissa Pflugh Prescott, PhD, RDN, FAND
Melissa is a behavioral nutrition scientist, and her research examines systems approaches to modify food behaviors to improve nutrition security and planetary health, particularly among populations with socioeconomic disadvantage. She is a registered dietitian and Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Co-Director of the USDA-funded Center for Food Conservation and Waste Reduction. She received her PhD in Public Health from New York University. Her past experiences include managing a school-based obesity prevention program across seven elementary schools and working as a clinical dietitian. Dr. Prescott serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and is a past chair of the Academy’s Council on Future Practice.
Recognized Dietitian of the Year Award (RDY)
Amy Lowrie, MS, RDN, LD, CNSC
Amy is an accomplished dietitian who has worked at University Hospitals for 9 years. She enjoys the ever-changing nature of working in the TICU/SICU as well as precepting dietetic interns. She earned her CNSC and recently participated in the standard setting for the Fall 2024 CNSC exam with the NBNSC. She is a dedication GCAND volunteer and has served as COPI President, as well as multiple terms on the nominating committee. She was recognized previously as RYDY in 2017.
Outstanding Contribution by a Non-member
Feed Our Future
Feed Our Future is a farm to school initiative serving Northeast Ohio, designed to bridge local agriculture with school meal programs and nutrition education through Harvest of the Month programming. For the past 10 years, our mission has been to ensure equitable access to healthy foods in schools while supporting local and regional farmers and food businesses. Critical to Feed Our Futures success has been a multi-faceted, collaborative approach, anchored by a commitment to community engagement. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health has served as the backbone organization for this work, guided by a network of more than 1,000 individuals and organizations, to impact nutrition through Marketing and Awareness, Education and Legislative Impact.
Member Merit
Allison Thirion Blasius, MPH, RDN, LD, FAND
Allison is a visionary leader in nutrition and dietetics whose innovative contributions have elevated the profession. Recipient of the prestigious Mary Abbott Hess Award for creating a groundbreaking Dietetic Internship Rotation Curriculum in School Nutrition, Allison embodies excellence in culinary and food education. Recognized internationally as a Pandemic Hero by restaurant noma, she has demonstrated unmatched dedication to community service. Additional accolades, including the Siggi’s Dietitian Entrepreneur of the Year and GCAND Distinguished Service Award, reflect her dynamic leadership, commitment to public health and transformative approach to school nutrition. As an educator, researcher, and advocate, Allison continues to inspire the next generation of dietetics professionals, making her a deserving honoree of this year’s OAND Member Merit Award.
Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year (RYDY)
Katie Gould, MA, RD, LD, CDCES
Katie has been a registered dietitian for seven years working in an array of settings including acute care, clinical, local health departments, and telehealth. She has spent most of her career and found her passion in the outpatient counseling space. Currently, Katie works as a Registered Dietitian and Program Manager for Med where she works with patients to enhance perioperative outcomes. Katie received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Miami University of Ohio and received her Master of Arts Degree in Multidisciplinary Health Communications and completed her dietetic internship at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO.
Outstanding Dietetic Student
Emma Bulan
Emma is a dietetic intern and Master’s student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She has been able to balance her 1000 hours of supervised experience in combination with receiving her Masters degree, conducting research on female athletes, while also devoting at least 20 hours per week to being a graduate assistant and teaching undergraduate courses. She is always willing to take on responsibilities on behalf of the entire Miami dietetic internship program and has served as a role model for undergraduate dietetics students. Emma is passionate about all things nutrition and dietetics, but is eager to begin her career in a clinical setting as she hopes to become a pediatric inpatient dietitian.
Outstanding Dietetic Student
Claire Roche
Claire is currently a second-year student in the OSU Master of Dietetics and Nutrition program at Ohio State. Claire has a Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University in Health Services Administration and will graduate with her Masters in Dietetics this May. She is President of OSU’s Student Dietetic Association and has held leadership positions the last two years through OSU’s involvement of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Celiac Conference. She has many interests within the field of dietetics and is excited to graduate, take the RD exam, and start practicing. In Claire’s spare time, she enjoys training for marathons and spending time with family and friends.
Outstanding Dietetic Educator
Dema Halasa Esper, MS, RDN, LD
Dema has been a Registered Dietitian for over twenty years, exhibiting a diverse background that began with her work as a clinical dietitian specializing in nutrition support and trauma at several academic and tertiary care hospitals in Michigan and Pittsburgh. She later transitioned to academia, serving as part-time faculty in the Department of Health Professions, Food and Nutrition at Youngstown State University for the past seventeen years. Her interests and research centered on nutrition assessment, particularly the application of physical assessment skills within the Nutrition Care Process. Additionally, she has dedicated her efforts to training dietetic students, preceptors, and registered dietitians in integrating nutrition-focused physical examination skills into dietetic training and clinical practice. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Akron, a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, along with her dietetic internship; a Master of Science from Wayne State University; and is currently a doctoral candidate in Health Sciences at Youngstown State University, where she is researching autism and gastrointestinal health. Dema has published and presented her research on various nutrition topics and has been an invited speaker at both local and national conferences.
Outstanding Dietetic Educator
Becky Gonter-Dray, EdD, RDN, LDN
Becky is an Assistant Clinical Professor for the University of Dayton Dietetics and Nutrition Program where she employs innovative learning strategies and student-centered techniques, while blending experiential learning with real-world applications to foster student growth. While teaching at the undergraduate level, Becky mentors students in three nutrition-related clubs, created a new course in health behavior change, and enjoys partnering with students as they navigate their journey in becoming registered and licensed dietitians. At the graduate level, she mentors dietetic interns that are interested in pursuing pediatric specialty areas, sports nutrition, and with their research. Becky received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics from the University of Cincinnati, her Master of Science Degree in Education in Human Services as well as her Doctor of Education in Leadership for Organization from the University of Dayton. She plays an active role in the Dayton Dietetic Association where she has served as President. Becky was also awarded the Ohio Recognized Dietitian of the Year award in 2019.
President’s Award
Cynthia Blocksom, MEd., RDN, LD, MCHES, FAND
Cynthia earned her BS degree in dietetics from OSU and earned one Masters in Nutrition Education and another in Community Health from the University of Cincinnati. She is a Fellow of AND and a Master Certified Health Education Specialist. She retired from a 30-year career at the Cincinnati Health Department and since 2010 has taught at Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati. Cynthia has served as past President of GCDA, ODA Council on Practice Chair, and the Ohio Board of Dietetics. Additionally, Cynthia has served as Chair of the Academy’s Consumer Protection and Licensure Subcommittee and the OAND PAC Board. Cynthia was a previous recipient of the ADA Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, OAND Member Merit and Recognized Dietitian of the Year. She currently serves as the Licensure Representative on the OAND Policy Panel, as GCDA District Policy Chair and as the OAND SPR. Her passion for policy, licensure and a proponent for the dietitian license compact makes her a deserving recipient of this award.
Outstanding Dietetic Educator
Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND
Tamara is an Instructor in the Department of Nutrition and Director of the MS in Public Health Nutrition Dietetic Internship program at Case Western Reserve University where she teaches classes on public health nutrition and diabetes prevention and management. Tammy has been recognized for her teaching and mentoring, recently being named NDEP’s North Central Outstanding Dietetic Educator in a Dietetic Internship and the recipient of Case Western Reserve University's J. Bruce Jackson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring. Tammy previously held roles in clinical as well as community settings. She was an inpatient diabetes educator for the Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute, Director of Education at the Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland, and an Extension Educator for the Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service. Tammy has served the profession in a number of volunteer leadership roles including President of both the Greater Cleveland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Ohio Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Speaker of the Academy’s House of Delegates, Chair of the Member Services Advisory Committee and CDR’s Exam Panel. Tammy will assume her role of President Elect of the Academy on June 1st
