Program Director: Therese Liffrig, MPH, RDN, LD
In August 2019, Therese became the Director of the U of M Dietetic Internship. This program has a long history of high quality programming and interns and has been consistently recognized and commended for its exceptional RD exam pass rate. Other positions within the department she has held include FScN Program Coordinator and Academic Advisor. She has coordinated projects such as the FScN Faculty Mentoring program, the Strategic Plan, Plant Protein Innovation Center, the Better Process Control School’s Acidified Foods program, and has served for several years as a facilitator for the Academic Health Center’s interprofessional education (IPE) course called the Foundations of Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration (FIPCC). She is also the department adviser for the student group Student Ambassadors for Food, Health, and Culture.
Therese is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a background in clinical nutrition. She attended The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul (now called St. Catherine University), completed her Dietetic Internship at The Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, Mass.), then worked at the Mayo Medical Center (Rochester, MN) for 10 years. She specialized in Nutrition Support, Pediatric Diabetes, and Weight Loss. While in Rochester, Therese completed a Masters in Public Health Nutrition through the U of M School of Public Health, Twin Cities Campus.
Associate Director: Doreen Davis, RDN, LD
Doreen has been involved in a varied and extensive capacity with the U of M Dietetic Internship since the fall of 2006. She continues to work with program planning, execution, and maintenance while fostering positive relationships, supporting program goals, and evaluating processes to meet accreditation standards. A stated highlight is working collaboratively with the leadership team’s shared vision to support interns, practice sites and preceptors for a successful internship.
Doreen is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with previous background experience as a clinical dietitian and private practice entrepreneur. She obtained her DPD from the Department of FSCN at the University of Minnesota, and completed her dietetic internship at the then called Fairview-University Medical Center. She states how fulfilling it is to come full-circle both working at the department and working with the health system in which she started her dietetics career path as a returning student over twenty years ago.
ED-TEP DI Coordinator: Kirsten Nielsen, RDN, LDN
Kirsten Nielsen is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Licensed Dietitian in the state of Minnesota. She has worked in the field of eating disorders since 2000 and currently serves as the Coordinator for the eating disorder concentration with the University of Minnesota Dietetic Internship and Recovery Support Services Director for The Emily Program. In these roles, she coordinates educational rotations and experiences for dietetics interns across The Emily Program and works to build services within The Emily Program to support clients and families as they move through treatment and recovery.
Kirsten received her bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and graduated from the Mayo Clinic Dietetic Internship in Rochester, Minnesota. She has extensive experience in working with clients of all ages and eating disorder diagnoses as well as team management. She has particular interest in partnering with her clients as they navigate their relationship with food and recovery and the role of yoga and embodiment as a part of the recovery journey.
MNT DI Coordinator: Kristen Priore, MS, RDN, LD
Kristen is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Licensed Dietitian in the state of Minnesota. She has worked as an inpatient dietitian for 20+ years, mostly focusing on nutrition support. She currently works as an inpatient dietitian with M Health Fairview where she also serves as a clinical preceptor. She specializes in nutrition support and solid organ transplant.
Kristen attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for undergraduate and completed her master’s degree and dietetic internship at Stephen F. Austin State University. Her focus within the internship program is to support interns throughout their MNT clinical rotations.