Strong nutrition professionals need more than clinical and scientific expertise. They also need to know how to guide teams, work across disciplines, plan strategically and help develop the people around them.
A new initiative at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work is giving dietetics students an opportunity to begin building those skills before they graduate.
DIETLEAD, the FIU Dietetics Leadership Program, is a structured, one-year leadership initiative for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Dietetics & Nutrition. The program is designed to help students develop their leadership identity while gaining practical experience in project execution, delegation and succession planning.
“Leadership is something students can develop intentionally, just like any other professional skill,” said Tania Rivera, associate clinical professor of dietetics and nutrition and DIETLEAD program director. “Through DIETLEAD, we want students to better understand the kind of leaders they want to become and give them concrete opportunities to practice those skills throughout their academic experience.”
Over two semesters, participants complete activities across eight leadership competencies: communication, civic responsibility, group dynamics, strategic planning, self-awareness and development, interpersonal interaction, learning and reasoning, and personal behavior.
Students begin with a Leadership 101 workshop and participate in additional workshops offered through FIU’s Center for Leadership and Service. They also complete competency-based activities and reflect on their progress through mid-year and final leadership reflections focused on their development, experiences leading others and future professional goals.
The program culminates in the Capstone Leadership Summit in Dietetics, an annual event where students showcase their work and achievements from throughout the year. Students who complete the program also earn a micro-credential and medallion recognizing their leadership development.
For Cristina Palacios, professor and chair of the Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, the program adds another dimension to the department’s focus on preparing students for successful careers in a rapidly evolving field.
“Our students will enter careers where they may be managing teams, developing programs, collaborating across disciplines with other health professionals, or helping shape nutrition policy and practice,” Palacios said. “Giving them opportunities to develop leadership skills now prepares them not only to succeed in multidisciplinary health care environments, but also to become professionals who can help advance the field of dietetics and nutrition.”
Students may complete DIETLEAD over two semesters and can continue developing their leadership experience if they enroll in an advanced degree program within the department.