Penn State College of Health and Human Development
Nutritional Sciences
Nutritional Sciences
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Sara Kennedy pictured with a young cow

Connecting nutrition and agriculture through hands-on experience

Nutritional Sciences and Animal Science dual major Sara Kennedy applied her interdisciplinary education during an internship with the National Pork Board, gaining experience in nutrition communications and exploring her goal of becoming a registered dietitian working with a commodity board.

Travis Masterson and Daisuke Hayashi

How common is "food noise?"

Nearly 1 in 5 people in the US think about food even when they are not hungry, according to a new study by Travis Masterson and Daisuke Hayashi. Learn what this means and who is more likely to experience "food noise."

Callie Millward

Graduate student helps to build community and leadership skills

As president of the Nutrition Graduate Student Association, doctoral student Callie Millward creates opportunities for graduate students to connect while developing leadership and collaboration skills that will support her future career.

Kristina Petersen pictured with a background of processed foods

Navigating ultra-processed foods

How can you tell whether a food is ultra-processed? What is the difference between "processed food" and "ultra-processed food?" Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences, explains in a recent Q&A.

Nutritional Sciences at Penn State examines how humans gain energy from food and how nutrition choices affect our health over time.
Solidly rooted in chemistry, biology, physiology, psychology, neuroscience, behavior, and development, our body of work covers the effects of nutrition at all levels, from the molecule to the organism, to the population at large. Our programs aim to nurture a new generation of leaders in bench and behavioral sciences who will push the limits of our understanding of nutrition as it relates to human health.
Faculty and students in a test kitchen at Penn State

Start your undergraduate journey

Start your undergraduate journey

Explore this undergraduate degree for students interested in how the human body transforms food into usable energy that fuels our daily lives.

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Student organizing plant starts at the Penn State student farm.

Learn about graduate training

Learn about graduate training

Discover how research and graduate training provides students with the knowledge needed to contribute to the field of nutritional sciences.

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Student seated at a science bench

Explore research areas

Explore research areas

Understand the variety of research areas and current projects that push the boundaries of knowledge in the field.

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Woman working at a phone bank

The Diet Assessment Center

The Diet Assessment Center

Explore how the department collects and analyzes dietary data to help researchers understand what, how, and when people are eating.

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Travis Masterson
Faculty Spotlight
Travis Masterson Receives Inaugural Provost Award for Academic Excellence

Faculty member Travis Masterson received a 2026 Provost Award for Pedagogical Innovation and Excellence in recognition of his innovative use of immersive technologies to enhance student learning.

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a collection of low quality foods including donuts, french fries, pizza, soda, carmel corn, cookies, and potato chips
Ask an Expert: What are ultra-processed foods?
Barbara Rolls is pictured sitting at a desk at the front of a classroom, we can see the back of a student who is seated facing the front of the room.
Barbara Rolls reflects on career that transformed nutritional sciences
Muzi Na with a background of the Pennsylvania State University sign
Nutritional sciences faculty member named American Society for Nutrition fellow