Nutritional sciences graduate alumna uses passion and degree to leverage career in nutrition education

During her time as a nutritional sciences graduate student, Olivia Lawler ‘23 had the opportunity to translate and disseminate her research for public use and leverage her experience working with her mentors to start a career in nutrition education and continue her passion for research.

Under her mentors Penny Kris-Etherton, Emeritus Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences, and Travis Masterson, Broadhurst Career Development Professor for the Study of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention of Nutritional Sciences and director of the Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Laboratory, Lawler used her research to help develop an online educational video series that is available for educators and health professionals to teach individuals tips to improve their diet. 

The study was originally published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and investigated the effectiveness of online nutrition educational materials to improve individuals’ diet quality of by incorporating herbs and spices into their cooking.

Lawler and her team partnered with Penn State Extension for a two-part project to first create an educational webinar featuring how to use herbs and spices to replace sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in home cooking. Using participant feedback, the team worked with WPSU Penn State and the McCormick Science Institute to develop short instructional videos teaching how to use herbs and spices to make tasty recipes that support diet quality.

“Working with our collaborators was a great experience to see how research can be translated to inform and benefit the public,” Lawler said. “I gained not only an understanding of how much effort goes into research through working in the lab, but also how collaborations across departments, institutions, and disciplines can allow us to translate our research into materials that make a lasting impact.”

Lawler graduated from Penn State with her master's in nutritional sciences in May 2023 and went on to work as an extension educator with the University of Massachusetts Nutrition Education program. She recently returned to Penn State as the study coordinator for Masterson’s Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Lab and has enjoyed working in research again. 

“It’s been great to see the projects Dr. Masterson has going on, working with his graduate students and seeing what they’ve accomplished so far and where their projects are heading,” Lawler said.

In addition to working in the department, Lawler is planning to apply to Nutritional Sciences doctoral programs, including Penn State’s, to further her experience in research and make a bigger impact in the industry. 

“During my master’s program, I had so many opportunities presented to me through my mentors and the program itself that I don’t think many other programs offer,” Lawler said. “The Department of Nutritional Sciences works hard to support its students in pursuing their interests, like I did with my internships with Penn State Extension and presenting to the McCormick Science Institute. I feel that continuing my education in nutritional sciences will allow me to improve my research experience and open new pathways in my career.”

Originally published in October 2024