Nutrition and Foods Program

Dr. Nunnery is an Assistant Professor and Registered Dietitian in the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management at Appalachian State University. Dr. Nunnery received her Ph.D. in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her early research focused on food insecurity, diet quality and maternal/neonatal outcomes among refugees and underserved communities. Her current research focuses on evaluating nutrition behaviors, beliefs, and educational needs of pregnant women residing in rural communities. The ultimate goal of which is to develop and implement tailored interventions that provide the missing or difficult to access resources for women in the community. She is passionate about educating future dietetic professionals and investigating how access to resources impacts the nutrition and health of pregnant women in rural communities. Outside of scholarship and teaching, her interests include reading/watching science fiction, amateur botany/ecology, and wrangling her great dane.

Education

• Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Nutrition
• M.S., University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Nutrition
• B.S., University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Human Nutrition and Dietetics

Current Courses Being Taught

• NUT 2202 Nutrition and Health
• NUT 3100 Nutrition Assessment
• HCM 5240 Health and Disease
• NUT 5100 Intro to Community and Public Health

Professional Affiliations

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
• NC Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NCAND)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)

Research/Scholarly Interests

• How nutrition knowledge and access to resources translates into behavior in the perinatal period.
• Examining life course theory and how stressors and environment impact nutrition intake and therefore health outcomes for mother and baby.

Selected Presentations & Publications

• Hill AM, Nunnery D, Ammerman A, Dharod J. Nutrient and Food Group Intakes of Low-Income Pregnant Women by Race / Ethnicity. J Health Dispar Res Pract. 2019;12(1):62-79.
• Nunnery DL, Ammerman AS, Dharod JM. (2017). Predictors and outcomes of excess gestational weight gain among low-income pregnant women. Health Care for Women International. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2017.1391263
• Nunnery DL, Labban JD, Dharod JM. (2017). Interrelationship between food security status, home availability of variety of fruits and vegetables and their dietary intake among low-income pregnant women. Public Health Nutrition, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017003032
• Nunnery DL, Dharod JM. (2017). Potential Determinants of Food Security among Refugees in the U.S.: An examination of pre- and post- resettlement factors. Food Security, 9:163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-016-0637-z.
• Nunnery DL, Dharod JM. (2015). Community Health Worker Model: It's implementation and importance in reaching refugee populations in the U.S. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 11(3). doi:10.1108/IJMHSC-04-2014-0014.
• Nunnery DL, Haldeman LA, Morrison SD, Dharod JM. (2015). Food insecurity and Budgeting among Liberians in the U.S.: How are They Related to Socio-demographic and Pre-Resettlement Characteristics. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 17(2), 506-512. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-9993-y