West Haven, Conn., October 19, 2009— Woodbridge resident Georgia Chavent, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., professor and director of the accredited Nutrition and Dietetics Program at the University of New Haven (UNH), was recently granted board certification as a specialist in sports dietetics by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association. Chavent is the only director of an accredited dietetics program in the Northeast to be granted board certification as a sports dietitian, and is one of only six nationwide. The national credential is awarded to registered dietitians who have obtained a graduate degree, completed at least 750 practice hours in the field of sports nutrition and successfully passed the national sports dietitian exam. There are only 339 board-certified sports dietitians in the United States.
In addition to teaching, Chavent provides nutritional guidance to UNH students and coaches. She says that the field of sports nutrition is one of the fastest growing specialty fields within dietetics. "The demand for cutting-edge sports performance, physical well being and health are proven to relate to food intake,” she says. “Registered dietitians and especially sports dietitians have obtained the knowledge and practice to effectively counsel active individuals at every level of training.” Sports dietitians specialize in cardiovascular, sports and wellness nutrition, elite and recreational athletes, active adults and individuals with eating and weight control issues. Sports dietitians are increasingly sought for corporate wellness programs, fitness clubs, and cardiac rehabilitation centers as well as with physicians specializing in weight management.
Chavent also works with area schools including Amity Regional High School and the Hopkins School in New Haven. She joined the faculty at UNH in 1995 and was appointed director of the program in 2000. Enrollment in the UNH Dietetics Program has tripled under her direction, and she has mentored hundreds of students throughout her professional and academic career.
A leader in experiential education, the University of New Haven is experiencing a historic and nationally recognized surge in enrollment. Founded in 1920, the University provides its students with a unique combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. UNH is a private university with an 80-acre main campus. The University has an enrollment of more than 5,200; approximately 1,700 graduate students and more than 3,500 undergraduates, 70 percent of whom reside in University housing. The University offers more than 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate degrees through its five colleges, in fields such as sports management, nutrition, forensic science, music and sound recording, engineering, computer science and criminal justice. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.
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