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July 2024
Member Spotlight: Samantha Schaefer
Manager for Healthy IU, Indiana University
I have been a Registered Dietitian in Indiana for 18 years and live in Bloomington, IN. I was born in Wisconsin, raised in New Mexico, went to school in Mississippi and Tennessee – so I am a transplant to Indiana. I first became interested in dietetics through my involvement in sports and realizing how nutrition plays a huge role in performance. I played soccer at Mississippi State University, and only wish I knew what I know now back then!
What area of dietetics do you specialize?
I am currently the Manager for Indiana University’s employee worksite wellness program, Healthy IU, serving over 37,000 employees and other groups across 9 campuses. My focus is to provide educational and environmental resources to foster individual wellbeing and support a culture of wellness in the workplace and beyond. Prior to this job, I worked at IU Health Bloomington, Community Health for 10 years as an Outpatient Dietitian.
What area do you most enjoy?
The part I love the most about being a RD is helping others. My current role helped me dream ‘outside the box’ of potential career paths for RDs.
What are your hobbies outside of being a dietitian or dietetic student?
Our two boys keep our family busy running around the state all year with travel soccer and lacrosse. My husband and I enjoy being able to watch our boys play a sport that was such a big part of our lives. I love a good book and enjoying the outdoors with a walk or hike.
What does being an IAND member mean to you?
The most valuable part of being an IAND member is the people. I have made some of the best professional friendships over the years. I enjoy serving my profession and hopefully making it even better. Through priceless mentorship and encouragement, I was named a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I have served in many IAND roles over the years including President and on the Public Policy team. I am currently serving as the Indiana Delegate to the Academy and in my second year. All of these roles were outside my comfort zone and a growth mindset was important. I would encourage RDs to mentor our future members and to get involved – even when it seems intimidating or you don’t feel the time is right, you will not regret your experience! Lean in!
Hannah Kelley, RDN, LD, Director of Health and Wellness
I moved from southwest Florida to Muncie, Indiana with my family at 14 years old, and never looked back. There’s something about farm fields and small town living that helped me flourish. It’s where I met my husband, chose my career path and eventually graduated from Ball State University (Chirp Chirp) with a degree in Dietetics.
I’ve been a RDN for nearly 20 years and have been fortunate to work in multiple practice areas. Each experience allowed me to grow and bring more to the next. As a young dietitian, I worked two part time jobs, developing skills in both community and clinical nutrition. I’ve been able to work in hospitals and long term care, as well as community health agencies and clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I spent six years supporting my fellow RDs at the Executive Director for IAND, a role I cherish for the connections I made with so many wonderful colleagues. Finally, for the last seven years I’ve been in one of the most fun careers I could imagine, as Director of Health and Wellness for the American Dairy Association Indiana. I get to work everyday on behalf of farmers, sharing not only dairy nutrition information, but bringing people closer to where their food came from. My grandparents were farmers and I can’t think of a better way to connect the dots, coming full circle, farm to table. Educating others is what I enjoy the most about being a dietitian, and grateful we can do that in any role we choose.
The future of dietetics is so wide, so completely unwritten. I hope to play a small role in moving it forward through the next generation of dietitians. I love working with students and consider mentoring and precepting one of the most impactful things I can do. Nutrition science is constantly updating, so there’s always going to be someone who knows more than I do on a topic. But guiding and empowering students to think outside the box, share the science simply and lift someone else up along the way is my favorite.
When I’m not thinking about milk, cheese and yogurt, I love hanging out with my husband, our crazy dog and extended family. We enjoy the outdoors, so evening walks are a staple, as well as travel. I’m working on visiting all of the National Parks! When I can’t be outside, I enjoy a good book.
Being a member of IAND brings endless possibilities. The Association is certainly our advocate, a trusted source for education and career support. But more importantly its networking, skill development, job opportunities. I would not be where I am today without the mentorship of members before me and the friends I’ve acquired along the way.
November 2023
Michaela Hopper, MBA, RDN, LD
Originally from Champaign, IL to college Bowling Green Kentucky, and finally landing in New Albany, Indiana, I have gotten closer each step step of the way intensifying my passion for food… and nutrition. I spent last year finishing my dietetic internship and MBA at Western Kentucky University and the four years prior getting my B.S. there. In late September, I took the final step of passing the impending RD Exam and acquired my first job as a Registered Dietitian! Truthfully, I didn’t know much about the dietetic profession until my upper-level WKU classes. I figured nutrition would be a fun avenue to start a career in, and I enjoyed learning the clinical intricacies of how nutrition sustains and heals. Currently, I am a clinical dietitian for Healthcare Services Group; working in long term care and acute care rehab. I’m planning to start my own private practice and fill the need of dietetic services in the Southern Indiana region!
I haven’t found my specialty quite yet, but rehabilitation in the acute care setting has been most fulfilling in my first three months on the job. I truly feel like I can help people heal and get them closer to going home. I also enjoy creating educations to give to patients that are easy to read, colorful, and specific to their needs.
Outside of helping others through nutrition, I love making (or drinking) a good cup of pour over coffee with my husband. My introverted side loves to complete giant puzzles at home with a candle burning in the background while my weekend extroverted personality thrives on hanging out and playing board games with friends. The holidays are always an exciting time, and I can’t wait for more time with family, friends, and food!
I am part of the public initiative team for IAND and especially enjoy the opportunity to create social media posts. I have been making posts and educations with Canva all through college and my internship, so I feel I can put my skills to use for this team!
October 2023
Stacey Matavuli, Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist, Owner, North Star Counseling, LLC
“It humbles me to think about those who have gone before us, creating a path and having a vision for what our profession is, does and can be!”
Hello! I’m Stacey Matavuli and I grew up in Milan, a small town in Southeast Indiana. If you’ve seen the movie Hoosiers, you might know about Milan (or Hickory as it was called in the movie!). I currently live in Bloomington where I’ve resided for the last 27 years. I attended Indiana University for my Bachelor degree and the University of Cincinnati for my graduate degree in Education. I really got into dietetics by default but when I look back, I think the Good Lord just knew that I needed a little bit more than a nudge! I wasn’t even sure what the career path was but committed to it and genuinely love my nutrition classes. In my first role as a dietitian, I ventured away from home and lived in a small coal mining town in the hills of West Virginia. I was the Director of Food Services and chose this not only because it was a good way for me to obtain administrative, food service, inpatient and outpatient experience but the people there welcomed me with open arms. It truly was a cultural education as well as professional experience. After three years there, I accepted a job at Bloomington Hospital and have been in Bloomington for 27 of my 30-year dietitian career. During that time, I’ve worked in various roles including inpatient, transitional care, outpatient and community nutrition. Earlier this year I was faced with the most challenging professional decision I’ve ever made after IU Health restructured the department in which I worked. I left the professional home I grew up in and branched out on my own into private practice. I opened North Star Nutrition Counseling , LLC in July of this year and am now learning the ins and outs of private practice!
When I came to Bloomington Hospital part of the role I was accepting included being the dietitian for an Eating Disorders IOP. I believed I knew nothing about eating disorders but realized once I got into the field, I’d been exposed to the same messaging that triggers those at risk for eating disorders and had been a disordered eater myself. It was a bit of a “baptism by fire” as I shadowed the dietitian who’d been working this role for 3 weeks of nutrition group for the IOP and then it was all mine. However, this felt like a natural fit for me and I learned from some of the best pioneers in the field. After 3 years of participating in teaching the IOP and working inpatient and transitional care, I progressed to outpatient dietetics and truly found my passion in developing longer term relationships with clients and educating them in behavior change. I’ve often thought that what I “do” is Medical Nutrition Therapy but what I “am” is a health and nutrition education behaviorist. It’s important to me for my clients to understand WHY they need the education I provide but it’s more important that they learn to believe in themselves by taking steps toward health and recovery. I’ve continued to be a generalist/specialist as the bulk of clientele are those working towards recovery from an eating disorder, but I truly enjoy the education components of Medical Nutrition Therapy for chronic disease management. When I’m educating and my clients have that “lightbulb moment” and truly understand what we are working towards, that’s the biggest affirmation that my career path has been an appropriate one for me.
Outside of dietetics, I enjoy spending time with both my immediate and extended family, self-care activities including movement, spa treatments and relaxing by water, attending concerts and travel. I’ve taken the time this summer to attend multiple concerts, most recently enjoying the Steve Miller Band and Eagles in their farewell tour. I also traveled to The Outer Banks, Barcelona, Spain, Florida and Lake Cumberland this summer. It’s been truly enjoyable in spite of a little bit crazy! My two daughters, Alayna (24) and Lillie (21) are the joys of my life. It’s so incredible to see them spread their wings and soar into adulthood. I often watch them and think, “Wow! Those are my girls!”. It’s amazing watching them find their passions, interact with others as grown ups and hearing about the accolades they receive for a job well done. Makes a mama’s heart happy!
Being a member of IAND means I have other professionals who are like-minded and have similar interests. Early in my career I was active in administrative roles with both SEIAND and IAND. I enjoy the opportunities these memberships offer and appreciate the dedication of those who serve as leaders in our profession. It humbles me to think about those who have gone before us, creating a path and having a vision for what our profession is, does and can be!
September 2023
Rachel Dolgner, MS, RDN, LD
“Being an IAND member has been so valuable. I’ve had a chance to serve IAND in various ways on the board with RD’s who I am happy to call friends, and attend wonderful events such as the annual meeting!”
I grew up in Northwest Ohio, about 90 minutes from Fort Wayne, IN. My dad was always passionate about his career as a chiropractor, being able to help many patients over the years. I began to love learning about how our bodies work and how to keep them healthy! I studied dietetics at Bluffton University in Ohio. I was grateful for the opportunity to run collegiate cross country and track & field for 4 years there also!
I have worked as an RD for Indiana University Dining for 14 years, and worked in clinical for 3 years. I enjoy IU because I get to train staff, oversee dietetics interns, and impact students, helping those with a variety of severe food allergies/special diets, guiding them to eat safely on campus.
I enjoy road/trail running for fun, and used to run destination marathons before my husband Andrew and I had a baby boy! His name is Eli Joseph, who turned 1 year in August!
I serve as Treasurer for IAND, which entails keeping our accounts organized through the fiscal year, reconciling financial statements, creating quarterly board reports, and providing checks for reimbursements. Being an IAND member has been so valuable. I’ve had a chance to serve IAND in various ways on the board with RD’s who I am happy to call friends, and attend wonderful events such as the annual meeting! A highlight to me is when we received licensure for our profession.
August 2023
Selena Baker, MS, RD, LD
“Whether I’m working with a client or a student, knowing that they want to learn and are ready for change, and being able to support and facilitate that process is incredibly fulfilling to me.”
A two-time Purdue University graduate (BS and MS), I was raised in the country outside of West Lafayette, Indiana where I developed an interest in and appreciation for food, nutrition, and health which was largely cultivated by my mother. I’ve lived on both coasts and have worked in the inpatient, outpatient, cardiovascular rehabilitation, and employee wellness arenas. An opportunity in clinical nutrition management brought me back to my hometown a few years ago and now I have transitioned into a new, joint academic and wellness position with my alma mater as of the fall semester.
I’m a self-professed Jill of all trades and feel that having worked in a broad array of areas over the last 15+ years has given me a well-rounded view of the role of nutrition in well-being and across the lifecycle – from working with babies in the NICU to seniors in cardiopulmonary rehab. Through these experiences I’ve found that my passion lies in outpatient counseling and education. Whether I’m working with a client or a student, knowing that they want to learn and are ready for change, and being able to support and facilitate that process is incredibly fulfilling to me.
I’m a foodie through and through! In the summer you’ll find my friends and I hosting potlucks and dinner parties and around the holidays one of my college besties and I still try to meet up every year for a baking day to make cookie tins for friends and family. I have three amazing siblings who live in gorgeous places like Moab, Utah and the Pacific Northwest, so when I have vacation time I’m out exploring and hiking with them or travelling to see friends stateside or abroad. I love plants and have gradually been building new flower and vegetable gardens in my yard, enjoying bringing sustainability to my landscape through water conservation and by introducing native plants.
Having lived in Maryland, California and Ohio since graduating with my bachelor of science I am excited to connect more fully with my fellow Hoosier dietitians and serve my peers and our state’s students as a member of the IAND Board.
July 2023
Melissa Greives, MS, RD, RN
“My favorite part about being a dietitian is helping others and making a difference in their lives. Whether it’s helping someone with a chronic disease learn to enjoy food in a healthy way while improving their quality of life or helping someone achieve an ultra-endurance goal with a sound nutrition plan, I feel I am at my best when I am making a difference to someone.”
June 2023
Jeff Ketcham, MBA, RD, LD
“I am the incoming President of the Central Indiana District (CIAND). In my district I have been on the nominating committee and served as treasurer for several terms. In the past I have been very involved at various levels, but never have been a district president, so this will be a new experience.”