Kamaria Mason, MS, MPH, RDN, LDN

About

Kamaria Mason, MS, MPH, RDN, LDN is an educator based in North Carolina who contributes to the nationwide discourse on public health nutrition. Her commitment to excellence in education extends beyond the classroom. Her insights gained from roles in academia, clinical nutrition, local government, research, and community engagement uniquely position her to shape the next generation of public health nutrition leaders.
 
As a co-founder of The Culture of Wellness, she works with organizations to empower individuals, communities, and food systems to make changes from the inside out to create a food culture where healthy choices are inclusive, balanced, and accessible. In her role at UNC Gillings School of Public Health, she focuses on bridging the gap between clinical and community nutrition, emphasizing person-centered care. Through her involvement in local initiatives, Kamaria brings a nuanced understanding of the public health challenges faced by marginalized populations to the classroom while uplifting diverse perspectives.
 
Kamaria believes that much of our identity centers around the dining table. Food culture extends beyond our food choices; it shapes how we engage with others in familial, communal, and professional relationships. Through food, we engage in shared experiences that influence how we connect with individuals and communities. 

Teaching Interests

Representative Courses

NUTR 701 - Nutrition Practicum Preparation

NUTR 712- Nutrition Communication, Counseling and Culture

PUBH 781- Community Engagement and Leadership in Health

Research Activities

Interests in maternal, child, and adolescent health. Worked on a variety of projects.

UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (2011- 2015)- Project Coordinator
Shaping Health by Influencing Food Trends (SHIFT), New Connections Project, Shape NC- Shape it Up for Spring, Keys to Healthy Family Childcare Homes (H3), Physical Activity and Nutrition Assessment (PANDA), and Nutrition and Physical Activity Self- Assessment for Childcare Centers (NAPSACC).

Perinatology Research Branch, Hutzel Women’s Hospital- Detroit, MI (2010 - 2011)
Biological Markers, Cervix Microbiome, Progesterone Study

Henry Ford Health System-Detroit, MI (2007 - 2008)
Puff City Asthma Management Program, Michigan Bariatric Collaborative Study and the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database

University of Michigan Hospital- Ann Arbor, MI (2004-2005)
Maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors among adolescent females with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Service Activities

Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Fall 2023-Present)
- Presents strategies for increasing food access in rural and economically marginalized communities.
Subject-level expert in Listening Sessions on the role of school health as wellness and food access hubs.

Office of Health Equity| NCDHHS (Summer 2022-Present)
- Presents strategies for mobilizing and disseminating resources in marginalized communities.
Serves as subject-level expert and historian for the North Carolina Diabetes Prevention Program (NC MDPP).

Durham County COVID-19 Food Security Taskforce (2020-2021)
- Collaborated with internal and external partners to mobilize resources and identify gaps and barriers to food access amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Developed resource packets including COVID-19 safety protocols for school cafeterias and food pantries, as well as instructional guides for accessing pandemic relief resources.

Practice Activities

Wholistics Health (Fall 2022- Present)
- Presents strategies that promote for culturally inclusive person-centered engagement with virtual health platforms.
- Develops and evaluates materials for a mobile chatbot supporting individuals experiencing prediabetes and diabetes.
Serves as subject matter expert for the Tennessee Statewide Diabetes Coalition.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Summer 2021- Present)
- Conducts sensitivity reviews addressing the challenges nutrition professionals face to adopt culturally inclusive practices.
- Created a framework for the ‘Examining Existing Models of Nutrition Care Practices’ that uplifts culturally inclusive practices for Registered Dietitians and other Healthcare Professionals.

American Diabetes Association (Fall 2019)
- Provided conscious language guidance to developing inclusive workshops and remodeled the presentations to include strategies for promoting health equity among diverse populations.
- Served as a panelist for a live webinar series on health equity and patient access in Diabetes Prevention Programs.

North Carolina Diabetes Advisory Council (Spring 2017- Winter 2019)
- Provided insight on community-identified barriers to Diabetes Prevention Program in North Carolina.
- Established action plans to address to mobilize resources within marginalized communities to address access barriers.

Key Publications

Culture, Foodways, and Counseling: A Guide to Culturally Sensitive Nutrition Care in the United States. K. Briggs (Eds.), R. Duff (Eds.), K.Mason (Eds.), S.Robinson (Eds.) (2024).

Cultural Inclusion: Challenges and Actions for Nutrition Professionals. . Mason, K., Robinson, S., In K. Briggs (Eds.), R. Duff (Eds.), K.Mason (Eds.), S.Robinson (Eds.) (2024). Culture, Foodways, and Counseling: A Guide to Culturally Sensitive Nutrition Care in the United States..

Diabetes prevention through a multicultural, community-centered approach: The North Carolina Minority Diabetes Prevention Program (NC MDPP). Mason, K.L., Grimes, S., Wright, C.P., Hodges, L., Blackwell, C., King-Edwards, R. (2019).

Scaling up the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in rural North Carolina (NC): Region 7 experience. Samuel-Hodge, C., Constantino, M., Isom, S., Blackwell, C., Wright, C., Mason, K., Reese, A., Harrison, L., Grimes, S., Hodges, L. (2018).

Evaluating the presence of formal nutrition and physical activity policies in childcare centers in North Carolina. Temitope, E.O., Mason, K.L., Morris, E., Schwartz, M.B., Ward, DS. (2014).

Education