Professor and Department Chairperson
Office: Ackerman Hall, Room 101
Office Phone: 724-357-7733
Email Address: stdavis@iup.edu
Degrees/Schools
PhD in Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
MS in Public Health Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University
BS in Management Science, Lock Haven University
BS in Recreation, Fitness Management, Lock Haven University
Areas of Interest
Her areas of interest include:
- Nutrition counseling skills
- Nutrition education
- Wellness and lifestyle behavior modification
- Public health and community nutrition
- Leadership in faculty professional development
Biography/ Professional Experience
Stephanie Taylor-Davis is a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian-nutritionist by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Before joining the faculty at IUP, she was a faculty member at Colorado State University. Prior to her career as an educator and researcher, Taylor-Davis worked as a public health nutritionist for the state of Delaware providing home visits to high-risk pregnant women and infants, serving as a dietitian in a school-based health clinic, and consultant for HeadStart. In addition, she had a private practice providing nutrition services and counseling in weight management, chronic disease prevention and treatment, and nutrition in pregnancy, postpartum, and infant feeding.
As a researcher, she has been successful in obtaining grants from organizations such as the Highmark Challenge for Healthier Schools grant, PA Faculty Health and Welfare Fund, and the State System of Higher Education Faculty Professional Development Council. She was the primary investigator on two federally funded, United States Department of Agriculture grants written collaboratively with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Women Infants and Children program that focused on the development and evaluation of goal setting and behavior change monitoring protocols, nutrition assessment, and technology-based staff training.
She has held various leadership roles at IUP in the department as the dietetic internship coordinator (2002-13), graduate program coordinator (2002-18), and now department chairperson (since 2017). In addition, she has been active in faculty professional development at the university as a Reflective Practice co-director (2002-14) and as director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (2014-21).
Taylor-Davis engages in continuing education by attending and/or presenting at meetings of professional organizations such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, and others that focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning. She has been a reviewer for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior for over 20 years, as well as a member of the journal committee and served on the board of editors for six years. She served as chair, continuing professional education approval for all state activities (continuing education and licensure (2014-18 for the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Taylor-Davis has been recognized with research and teaching awards by the university and professional organizations.
As an avid traveler, Taylor-Davis has led IUP students on faculty-led study abroad trips to Vallalodid, Spain, to study culinary nutrition at the Escuela Internacional de Cocina while living with families and traveling in the region. In She spends her free time with family and friends exploring new places, kayaking, bicycling, hiking, camping, gardening, and watching movies.
Courses Taught
- FDNT 110 Careers in Food and Nutrition
- FDNT 145 Introduction to Nutrition
- FDNT 212 Nutrition
- FDNT 213 Lifecycle Nutrition
- FDNT 255 Nutrition Assessment and Medical Terminology
- FDNT 402 Community Nutrition
- FDNT 465/466 Nutrition Counseling and Education
- FDNT 470 Human Food Consumption Patterns
- FDNT 484 Senior Seminar
- FDNT 564 Nutrition Research Methods
- FDNT 625 Community Nutrition and Policy
- FDNT 630 Linking Nutrition Theory and Research to Practice
- FDNT 635 Nutrition Education, Intervention and Education Strategies
- FDNT 642 Contemporary Issues in Food and Nutrition
- FDNT 645 Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats
- FDNT 661 Designing Effective Food and Nutrition Research Projects
- FDNT 662 Applying Research Methods in Food and Nutrition
- FDNT 771 Lifecycle Nutrition