Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty and Staff
Amanda C. Sawyer, MS, RD, LDN
Associate Professor, Nutrition
Director, Practice and Continuing Education Division
A native of North Carolina, Amanda graduated from Appalachian State University and completed her dietetic internship and master’s degree at Rush University Medical Center. Amanda is the program director of the Future Education Model – Graduate Program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a clinical assistant professor. Amanda teaches several classes within the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration and co-chairs the MPH Academic Committee. She is also the chair of the PACE Division within the Department of Nutrition, a division focusing on practice, advancement and continuing education. Her areas of interest are dietetic education, aging, dementia care, interprofessional education, clinical nutrition and management. She enjoys being with family (which includes two very spoiled basset hounds), walking, jogging, gardening and trying new restaurants with friends.
Beth Jenks, MS, RD, LDN
Assistant Program Director, Master of Public Health (MPH) in Nutrition
Beth is the Assistant Program Director of the MPH/Nutrition and Dietetics Program at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Clinical Assistant Professor. She completed her Bachelor of Public Health in Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill and her Master of Science in Food and Nutrition and dietetic internship at UNC-Greensboro. She is the coordinator of supervised experiential learning for students’ clinical, public health and advanced nutrition rotations. Her work includes instructing and supporting students in preparation for and during field experiences as well as establishing and maintaining partnerships throughout North Carolina, the USA and globally for student internships. She enjoys family, traveling and gardening.
Kamaria Mason, MS, MPH, RD, LDN
Clinical Assistant Professor, Nutrition
Kamaria is an Assistant Professor. Hailing from Michigan, Kamaria completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan with a pre-health, Women and Gender Studies concentration. She then went to South Florida where she completed her master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Barry University. In 2011, she moved to North Carolina and worked with the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for years before returning to school one final time to complete her master’s of public health degree and dietetics credential at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Kamaria serves as a clinical assistant professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her areas of interest include adolescent nutrition, healthy equity and disease prevention, and family-centered care. She enjoys traveling abroad, hiking, and cooking family brunch on weekends.
Tammy Elliott
Administrative Manager of the Practice and Continuing Education (PACE) Division
Tammy is the Administration Manager of the Practice and Continuing Education (PACE) Division. She oversees the administrative onboarding and compliance of contracts for internship placements and provides assistance for the continuing education component of PACE. Tammy and her husband enjoy jet skiing, kayaking, and fishing on the Neuse River in New Bern, North Carolina. Tizzy, the family’s beloved Boston Terrier, enjoys barking at the rustling marsh grass.
David Gaviria, MPH, RD, LDN
David is a Clinical Instructor and Program Specialist for the PACE Division. He manages the onboarding of dietetics students into their rotations and provides direct student supervision during the rotations. David also oversees all recruitment, orientation, and alumni events for the MPH Nutrition & Dietetics program. David holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Health Science and Psychology from the University of South Florida and an MPH in Nutrition & Dietetics from UNC Chapel Hill. David is now a doctoral candidate in the UNC Department of Nutrition. His areas of interest include quality improvement in graduate-level dietetics curriculums and military nutrition. Outside the office, David enjoys hiking, traveling, eating, and working on cars.
Seema Agrawal, EdD, Dip.SAD, MS, RDN, LDN
Clinical Assistant Professor, Nutrition
Dr. Seema Agrawal is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition. After completing her Bachelor’s in Dietetics and dietetic internship in Edinburgh, Scotland, she moved to the United States for her Master’s of Science in Nutrition at the University of Maryland at College Park. She earned her Doctorate in Education in Special Education and Disability Studies from The George Washington University. Dr Agarwal is committed to teaching excellence in public health and nutrition while her research is focused on the impact of nutrition interventions in vulnerable populations.
Melissa Walter, MPH, RDN, LDN
Program Specialist, PRISM Technical Director
Melissa is the Director of PRISM, a web application that supports dietetics programs with competency tracking and internship management. The app was designed and developed in-house–for dietitians, by dietitians, to support the growth of the dietetics profession; it is now used by dietetics programs around the US. Melissa also oversees competency management for UNC’s nutrition and dietetics Future Education Model program. Melissa enjoys exploring instructional design and the use of technology in nutrition practice; she received a Lenovo Innovation Grant in 2021 for the development of a foodservice simulation utilizing technology to highlight the partnership between education and industry. Melissa holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both design and nutrition, she obtained her MPH at Gillings School of Global Public Health, and she is currently completing her doctorate in educational leadership at UNC Wilmington. Her areas of passion in nutrition include oncology, brain health, aging, and women’s health from perimenopause and beyond (she is a student of Aviva Romm, MD); she enjoys teaching nutrition classes on these topics at the Orange County Department on Aging and for various Parkinson’s Disease groups. In her spare time, you’ll find Melissa gardening, nurturing her bonsai trees, and hanging out with her pups.