By Alissa Smethers, MS, RD, LCN and PAND Media Team Member
I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather! The school year is winding down, and summer is on the horizon. This Research Corner Spotlight comes from one of our dietetic students, Sina D’Amico from The Pennsylvania State University. Let’s hear more from Sina and her nutrition journey.
Where do you live currently? Is there anything you love about where you’re located?
I currently live in State College, PA. I love this little community and how welcoming it can be. It is also a great environment on Saturday’s during the fall when there is a home football game. Being in Beaver Stadium and surrounded that by many fans is an experience all in its own.
Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA so it was a much different environment from what State College is.
I noticed you are currently a junior at Penn State, what are you currently working on/researching?
I work in the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. Since I started working in the lab, I have had the opportunity to work on 3 different studies that have been really interesting to me. Being able to have this work experience and getting involved with research has sparked a new interest that I never really considered before.
Where did you go to school? College, internship, etc.
I am currently an undergraduate student at Penn State majoring in Nutrition and minoring in Kinesiology. I took an introduction to Kinesiology course my freshman year and thought it was very interesting. I figured Kinesiology would pair well with Nutrition, since connecting a person’s diet and exercise regime is important for a healthy lifestyle.
What do you want to do after your studies are completed?
After graduating from Penn State, I hope to complete my Dietetic Internship and become a Registered Dietitian. I also want to get my Masters degree at some point, but I’m not sure yet if incorporating that into my Dietetic Internship would be the right move for me. Also, since I’ve found this newfound interest in research, I have thought about the possibility of getting a PhD. So we will see what the future holds!
Have you published anything professionally?
I currently haven’t published anything professionally, but I hope that someday my work will allow me to get there.
Why did you decide to focus on nutrition as a major?
I think I was always into eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle, but I think it was my uncle who really gave me the idea of using this interest as a major. I’ve learned so many things that are so applicable to not only my life, but things that everyone should be getting an overview on in their life.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Most of the time I’ll be spending time with my friends and family, reading or running. I’m currently training for the Pittsburgh Marathon so that’s been taking up a lot of my time – it’s kind of challenging but also relaxing, not many people say that about running 26 miles.
