Event Agenda
Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
9:00 am - 9:30 am
President’s Welcome: Dana Zurchin MS, RDN, LN
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9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Jennifer Weissman, MS, MPH, RD
Amy Cochran, RDN
Carrie Richerson, MS
“Trauma-Informed Strategies for Registered Dietitians and Other Nutrition Professionals”
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11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Lunch Break
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Montana Dietetic Internship (MDI) Sessions
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
Austin Hua, BS & Paige Smith, BS
“Preceptor Perspectives on Bolus Feeding Education: How Internship Experiences Shaped Current Teaching Practices”
Ashlyn Taber, BS & Chloe Chavers, BS
“Science and Social Impacts: The Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy Treatment and Impacts of the Social Determinants of Health on Implementation”
Rachel Topf, MS & Shelby Lenox, BS
“The Impact of Nutrition Education by Sports Dietitians on Rates of Low Energy Availability in Collegiate Athletes”​
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1:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Movement Break
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Montana Dietetic Internship (MDI) Sessions
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2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Taylor Anderson, BS & Jordyn Berglund, BS
“Shifting Paradigms: Exploring Weight-Inclusive Practices and Beliefs Among Montana State University Nutrition Alumn”
Claire Knutson, BS
“Bridging the Gap: Dietetic Internship Preceptors’ Knowledge and Adoption of Weight-Inclusive Care”
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2:30 PM - 2:35 PM
Closing Comments
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Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
9:00 AM- 9:15 am
President’s Welcome: Dana Zurchin MS, RDN, LN
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9:15 AM- 10:15 AM
Neal D. Fortin, JD
“We Are What We Eat: Food Additive Regulation”
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10:15 AM- 10:30 AM
Movement Break
10:30 AM- 11:30 AM
Allison Yoder, MA, RDN, LD
“Empowering RDNs: Unlocking the Potential of Food as Medicine”
11:30 AM- 11:45 AM
Movement Break
11:45 AM- 1:00 PM
Lunch, Membership Meeting, and Awards Ceremony: Dana Zurchin MS, RDN, LN
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1:00 PM- 2:00 PM
Colleen Dawkins, FNP-C, RDN, CSOWM
“Incretin-Based Medications and Nutrition Counseling”
2:00 PM- 2:15 PM
Movement Break
2:15 PM- 3:15 PM
Joyce Faraj-Ardura, PhD, MS, RDN, LDN
“UNSTUCK: How to Help Clients Break Through Behavior Change Barriers”
3:15 PM- 3:20 PM
Movement Break
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Montana Dietetic Internship (MDI) Sessions
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3:30 PM- 4:15 PM
Room A
Kaylah Kilby, BS
“Integrating Passamaquoddy Foodways into Nutrition Practice: A Model for RDNs”
Lauren Black, MS
“The Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Insights from Committee Members & Public Perceptions”
Shelby Duncan, BS
“Culinary Medicine: Bridging the Gap Between Doctors and Dietitians”
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Room B
Grace Garzini, BS & Cassidy Crawford, BS, CHI
“Tailoring Diabetes Education for Montana’s Vulnerable Communities”
Nikki Paulus, BS & Cara Eaton, MS
“Harvesting Connections: A Case Review of How the "Get Your Kicks at Six" Festival in a Rural Community Bridges Farmers and Community through Local Food”
Conrad Wong, BS & Allison Varineau, BS
“The Offal Truth”
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4:15 PM- 4:30 PM
Closing Comments
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