DATE: 2/27/06

CONTACT: Dr. Katherine Cason, (864) 656-0539

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741

Clemson professor wins national nutrition award

CLEMSON - Clemson University Professor Katherine Cason recently won the Joanne Heppes Excellence in Nutrition Education Memorial Award given by the American Dietetic Association.

Cason was cited for her leadership in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, the USDA Food and Nutrition Services Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program and Clemson Extension’s nutrition and food safety programs.

She has worked in nutrition education for more than 16 years. She develops and implements programs which teach adults and children with limited resources to adopt better eating habits and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to health and well-being. She is able to extend research-based knowledge and technology from the university to the community.

She developed a “Nutrition Mission” CD-ROM designed to teach fourth through sixth grade students about making healthy choices. It includes lessons on the food guide pyramid, food labels, nutrient density, fast foods, snacking, physical activity and food science.

Cason also developed the “Crib to Kindergarten” curriculum for parents of young children. Each lesson is designed to be interactive and includes activity sheets, handouts and video.

She can be seen, with her daughter, on South Carolina Educational Television in “Kids in the Kitchen” segments she developed for “At Home, Southern Style TV,” a program produced by Clemson University Video Production Services. The segments include cooking tips and recipe preparation. She also co-produced a special 30-minute nutrition education program for the show.

Cason’s teaching efforts consist of training and support for Extension professionals and paraprofessionals, as well as other health professions. Her teaching extends to undergraduate and graduate students and dietetic interns.

She has authored or co-authored 35 published abstracts; 29 refereed journal publications; 82 articles for in-house publications; and more than 45 Extension publications or curricula.

She has been a member of the American Dietetic Association since 1985 and a member of the Society for Nutrition Education since 1984.

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