Dawn Clifford, PhD, RD, is Associate Professor and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at California State University, Chico. In addition, she cofounded and is currently Director of FitU, a peer mentoring nutrition and exercise counseling program on campus. She received the Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award from Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors, a practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Clifford conducts research and is an accomplished speaker in the areas of MI and non-diet approaches to health and wellness. She has published several research articles in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviorand written curricula for Today's Dietitianand Nutrition Dimensions. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). Laura Curtis, MS, RD, is Director of Nutritional Services at Glenn Medical Center in Willows, California, where she provides clinical nutrition services to patients in acute care and is a nutrition therapist for the outpatient clinic. In addition, she serves as a preceptor to undergraduate dietetic students and a part-time lecturer at California State University, Chico. Ms. Curtis has extensive training in MI at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a nutrition therapist, she provides counseling to patients with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and disordered eating, and to those considering bariatric surgery. In her counseling, she pairs MI with the non-diet principles of intuitive eating and Health at Every Size.
