This year at the UAND annual meeting Dr. Pauline Williams was recognized as the recipient for UAND’s Award of Merit.
The Award of Merit recognizes a dietitian who has demonstrated leadership and made significant contribution to the profession of dietetics.
Pauline exhibits sincerity in her “commitment to her profession, her willingness to serve in capacities to benefit other registered dietitians and the public, and her overall passion of the field of dietetics.” Pauline’s many accomplishments cannot be adequately represented in a short biographical introduction. In her time as an assistant teaching professor and the Dietetic Internship Program Director at Brigham Young University she has taught and offered advisement to more than 2000 students in a variety of courses.
Additionally, she has demonstrated great leadership and service in numerous elected and appointed positions with UAND, including President Elect, President, and Past President. Her service extends even to the national level where she is currently the Vice Chair of the Quality Management Committee for AND. Throughout her various professional roles, Pauline has served to strengthen the field of dietetics through many other mediums, including “13 peer-reviewed articles (5 of which are in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics), 2 book chapters, 14 abstracts, posters or conference proceedings, 3 peer-reviewed multi-media materials, and over 300 print, web, and broadcast articles/ appearances.”
For these, and many other accomplishments that signify her status as an “amazing, effective, and versatile leader in the profession,” we are happy to congratulate Dr. Williams for receiving this award and thank her for her contributions to our profession!
Read on to learn more:
Where are you from?
Teasdale, UT – a tiny town in the red rocks of southern Utah and the greatest place on earth!
What is your current position and place of employment?
Dietetic Internship Director and Assistant Teaching Professor at BYU
Are you currently serving in any positions with AND or UAND?
Yes, I am the Chair of the Academy’s Quality Management Committee.
What dietetics related job/volunteer experiences have you enjoyed most?
My favorite job was with USU Extension services. The job gave me a chance to meet many people, create health programs, and have fun while doing that. It is hard to pick just one volunteer experience I’ve enjoyed time with UAND — President, Legislative Network Coordinator, and Newsletter Editor – the dietitians in Utah are great to work with and so willing to volunteer. I’ve also enjoyed my time on national committees which has given me a bigger picture of everything AND is doing for the profession and allowed me to work with great dietitian from all over the nation.
What is your favorite recipe or food-related tradition?
My favorite food recipe to make is my 20-hour bread. The name makes it sound long and tedious, but it actually is very easy to make and oh so yummy.
What made you choose dietetics for a career path?
I enjoyed my “home economics” classes in high school and my nutrition classes in college. I also really enjoyed clinical topics anatomy, physiology, etc. Dietetics seemed a great way to have career that combined the areas I enjoyed studying.
What advice do you have for young dietitians?
Network, network, network! Get to know other dietitians, volunteer, be active in the academy at the local, state, and national levels.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Still at BYU training the next great group of dietitians.
What is your dream job?
I’ve worked clinical, community, management, and education and I’ve enjoyed them all. So my dream job is finding the job that fits my life best at the time.
If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
Flying or teleportation, so I could get anywhere in the world I wanted fast!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with UAND membership?
Dietetics has been a great career choice for me. I’ve been able to meet many people, work in a variety of areas, and have a good work-life balance.