Margaret Downs-West
Name: Margaret Downs
Department: Health Sciences
Program: Nutrition and Dietetics
Rank: Assistant Professor
Title: Nutrition & Dietetics Foods Lab Coordinator
Work Phone: 828-227-2351
Work Email: mfdownswest@wcu.edu
Office address: HHSB 108
Education:
MS, Appalachian State University, Exercise Science
BS, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Nutrition and Dietetics
Licenses & Specialty Credentialing: MS, RDN, LDN, CSSD, ACSM EP-C
Area of Expertise: Sports Nutrition, Food Systems Management, Eating Disorders, Weight Management, Mentoring and Counseling
Primary Teaching Responsibilities:
ND 334 Nutrition Assessment
ND 432/435 Institutional Foodservice Management I/II
ND 436 Nutrition Education and Counseling
ND 333 Quantity Foods
ND 342 Nutrition in Athletics
ND 239 Introduction to Dietetics
Scholarly Interests: Outcomes Based Research, Leadership
Service Interest: Serving student athletes through education, mentoring, and counseling to reach performance goals. Leading and mentoring the Student Association of Nutrition and Dietetics in service leadership, fundraising, networking, and membership growth. Participating in menu planning, production, review of nutritional composition, and quality evaluations. Providing leadership training to individuals and groups to develop impactful health and wellness behaviors and services.
Personal: Margaret is a native to the mountains of Western North Carolina from a family of six talented sisters, 13 nieces and nephews, and mother to one miracle child, Jacqueline Rose. She loves to cook, garden, eat, exercise, travel, and spend as much time outdoors as possible. Margaret appreciates diversity and loves mentoring others to reach their guided potential.
Bio: Margaret is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist with diverse training from experience in practice, education, and research. Her background is in clinical nutrition (MNT), foodservice operations, distribution management, leadership, and therapeutic counseling/coaching to assisting others in promoting and maintaining lifestyle changes. She has worked through every life-stage in practice and brings deep experiential learning into the classroom.
She has practiced in the region’s leading trauma care center, Mission Hospital (1998-2000), worked in and managed premier Exercise Physiology Labs at Appalachian State University and the North Carolina Research Campus (2004-2006; 2008-2009), as well as developed counseling, coaching, and sports performance nutritional plans for a BCBS NC provider, Total Nutrition Technology out of Charlotte (2009-present). Margaret has accumulated expertise in Eating Disorders interdisciplinary treatment as a nutrition therapist in collegiate settings. She also acquired extensive business, management, and leadership skills as a National Sales Executive for US Foods, one of two broadline national food distributors, managing operational business in healthcare operations of Western North Carolina.
Margaret is a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and a Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C) specializing in performance nutrition and health and disease management with persons of all ages. She is also a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Speaker, Trainer, and Coach.
Favorite Links: http://www.sportsrd.org/; https://foodandnutrition.org/