Cooking Matters
Nutrition students help teach "Cooking Matters" classes to help fight hunger in Delaware County. The adult classes focus on grocery shopping, food budgeting, and nutrition.
Nutrition
Ohio Wesleyan is one of very few liberal arts colleges offering a major in nutrition, which can prepare you for graduate study in nutrition or dietetics—or work in a variety of nutrition-related careers.
About the major
As a nutrition major, you focus on the multifaceted relationship between food, nutrients, and human health. You explore areas such as nutritional demands and requirements, human physiology and metabolism, socio-cultural aspects of food and nutrition, and policy and food system influences on dietary health.
A key aspect of the program is the opportunity to put theory into practice through tailored internships, including the OWU Cooking Matters program.
The nutrition major prepares you to pursue careers in nutrition, dietetics, community health, health education, food justice and advocacy, food industry work, and related graduate programs.
If your goal is to become a Registered Dietician (dietetics), we offer guidance and access to the natural science courses and tailored nutrition electives that will prepare you for graduate work for this career track.
Nutrition also can be a valuable second major if you’re planning advanced studies in fields like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant.
Related Minors
Think Big
Explore interdisciplinary topics and perform undergraduate research with guidance from a faculty mentor. Under The OWU Connection, Nutrition majors participate in independent projects, internships, and research with OWU professors.
In the 10-week Summer Science Research Program, students work in paid positions, carrying out cutting-edge research alongside faculty mentors.
Go Global
From your first year on campus, you can get off campus—with Travel-Learning Courses. Journey to a distant land and immerse yourself in another culture. Learn how classroom theory truly connects with real-world experience.
Recent Travel-Learning Courses in the department have taken students to Italy for studies of obesity, food philosophies, and traditions.
Get Real
Every nutrition major completes a 120-hour apprenticeship, where they put theory into practice and gain real experience in the field.
Students have interned with the Cooking Matters program, Local Matters in Columbus, the Delaware Public Health District, the YMCA, and other organizations.
Volunteering in the Community
Students can volunteer at local food pantries, like Delaware City Vineyard's FEED Delaware program. Above, the men's baseball team volunteers together as a team bonding community service project.
Award Winner
Chloe Dyer '18 won both a Ping Student Service Award and a Meek Leadership Award for her food recovery work as an undergraduate. She helped bring a chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN) to OWU during her Freshman year.
Cooking Matters
Students in Dr. Fink's Cooking Matters workshops learn how to cook nutritiously for themselves, and how to share their knowledge with the community.
Inspired Teaching
OWU faculty are outstanding scholars and researchers—and passionate teachers. They will push you, challenge you, inspire you, and work with you on your own research and creative projects.
They can even pack a 3-minute lecture with ideas, insight, and imagination. Check out our unique I³ lectures.
Highlights
Fitness Center
OWU's new Simpson Querrey Fitness Center houses the HHK Department and serves as a classroom and lab space for HHK students.
Internships
In the Internship course, junior or senior Health and Human Kinetics majors and minors, under faculty supervision, locate a position in an area of concentration. This applied course must have a department faculty sponsor who is responsible for approving the internship proposal and final report of the student. Students are required to accumulate 120 hours during this experience.
Graduate Outcomes
Cynthia Blocksom '75
Cynthia teaches at the University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University, and she is a Board Member of the Greater Cincinnati Dietetic Association. She served five years on the Ohio Board of Dietetics.
A Look at Nutrition
Small Class Sizes— Students are able to easily engage with and practice what they're learning in an interactive and small classroom setting.
Small Class Sizes
Students are able to easily engage with and practice what they're learning in an interactive and small classroom setting.
Volunteering in the Community— Teams and student organizations often volunteer at FEED Delaware, a food pantry organized by the Delaware City Vineyard church.
Volunteering in the Community
Teams and student organizations often volunteer at FEED Delaware, a food pantry organized by the Delaware City Vineyard church.
One-on-One Learning— Small class sizes make it easy for Nutrition students to work closely with Dr. Chris Fink, the department chair.
One-on-One Learning
Small class sizes make it easy for Nutrition students to work closely with Dr. Chris Fink, the department chair.
Cooking Matters— Students learn how to nutritiously and easily cook for themselves during Cooking Matters workshops.
Cooking Matters
Students learn how to nutritiously and easily cook for themselves during Cooking Matters workshops.
Interactive Learning— Students work together to make a healthy meal at one of Dr. Fink's workshops.
Interactive Learning
Students work together to make a healthy meal at one of Dr. Fink's workshops.
Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center— Health and Human Kinetics classes are taught in the Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center, dedicated in Fall 2015 as the new home of the department.
Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center
Health and Human Kinetics classes are taught in the Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center, dedicated in Fall 2015 as the new home of the department.
Cooking Matters— Dr. Fink instructs a student during a Cooking Matters workshop in the Stuy Hall community kitchen.
Cooking Matters
Dr. Fink instructs a student during a Cooking Matters workshop in the Stuy Hall community kitchen.
Practical Applications— Students in majors housed in the Health and Human Kinetics department have ample opportunities on and off campus to apply their classroom knowledge.
Practical Applications
Students in majors housed in the Health and Human Kinetics department have ample opportunities on and off campus to apply their classroom knowledge.
Interactive Learning— Small class sizes make hands-on learning easy and practical for nutrition students.
Interactive Learning
Small class sizes make hands-on learning easy and practical for nutrition students.
Interdisciplinary Lessons— Jordyn Hollenbeck '18 is a Psychology major, but used on-campus opportunities to participate in Cooking Matters and nutrition workshops.
Interdisciplinary Lessons
Jordyn Hollenbeck '18 is a Psychology major, but used on-campus opportunities to participate in Cooking Matters and nutrition workshops.
Department Contact Info
Location
Edwards Gymnasium
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
P 740-368-3725
F 740-368-3751
F 740-368-3751
Department Contact
Department Chair: Andrew Busch
Assistant Professor of Health and Human Kinetics
Edwards Gymnasium 107-C
614-783-6917
ambusch@owu.edu
Academic Assistant: Wendi Kay
Edwards Gymnasium #107-A
740-368-3982
wwkay@owu.edu
Assistant Professor of Health and Human Kinetics
Edwards Gymnasium 107-C
614-783-6917
ambusch@owu.edu
Academic Assistant: Wendi Kay
Edwards Gymnasium #107-A
740-368-3982
wwkay@owu.edu