Membership Spotlight- Amy Pleimling

Briefly tell us about your day-to-day work: I teach, advise, coordinate and administrate an ACEND accredited dietetic internship at UMN. The UMN CP is an MPH degree blended with the dietetic internship. I teach a 4-part course called Nutrition and Dietetics in Practice which covers all of the clinical and dietetics competencies that the MPH curriculum does not cover. I also coordinate all of their internship places and experiences. Program evaluation and improvement is a big part of the administration responsibility. Mostly, I am responsible for supporting the students throughout the 2 year program so that they learn and grow into entry-level dietitians and public health practitioners.

Tell us about things you do that you find particularly interesting or motivating: I am motivated by the young RDs to Be! I have learned so much from them (in the 3 years I have been in this role), specifically how to teach in a way that resonates with their lived experiences. My non-white students have taught me so much about cultural competency!

What has surprised you about your work? Most of my 25 years in this field have been clinically focused. I was seeking a position where I would be able to use other skills, such as innovation, creativity, but an interest in leadership has developed. There are so many amazing opportunities that come across a DI Director’s email (which is another surprise) and I take part in as many as I can. I took ASPHN’s Courage in Leadership course and learned that leaders are not required to be people who are outgoing and high-energy, but a leader really is someone people want to follow.