Faculty Spotlight - Jennifer Fleming

Can you describe your career path in a few sentences?

My career path was definitely not linear. I have worked in a variety of areas in the nutrition field from fitness facilities to insurance companies to clinical settings (inpatient and outpatient dietetics) to research centers.  However, after many twists, turns, and much hard work, I am very fortunate to be doing what I am most passionate about – teaching.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

There is so much to love about my job and the field of nutrition that I couldn't say I have a favorite. Being in a position to educate students about something I truly believe in is extremely rewarding. As is the continued learning and growth I experience from the students in return. Having the opportunity to connect with such a variety of students as I watch them become young professionals is remarkably special to me.

What would you describe as the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge in the field? 

Precision nutrition is an emerging area of research that holds endless opportunities. Being able to develop interventions to prevent or treat chronic disease based on a person's unique characteristics is extremely exciting! Recognizing that the "one-size-fits-all" approach doesn't work for optimal health is a giant leap for our field. I am eager to see where it goes.

One of the biggest issues in the field is that our current food systems need to support the healthy diets necessary for optimal health and well-being. Today's challenge is to improve food environments by producing and delivering nutrition in a way that is mindful of people, the planet, and society. We must continue efforts to work toward making healthy diets readily available, accessible, and affordable, especially for vulnerable populations.

What advice do you have for graduates just starting out? 

Make your own path. Seek out opportunities and be willing to work hard to get where you want to go. There are endless opportunities in this field, so don't be afraid to take risks and connect with those around you. As someone who will admit to being terrified of the term networking, looking back, I realize that it played a huge role in my life. After many unexpected yet fortunate diversions in my career path, I am where I am today, in large part because of the Penn State support I have received along the way.