Alumni Spotlight - Stephanie Nyberg

What is your current occupation?
I am currently the Director of Food Services and Clinical Nutrition for Neuropsychiatric Hospitals. This group has hospitals in Texas, Indiana, and Arizona. They are continuing to expand to other states. This hospital group focuses on treating patients who have psychiatric as well as medical issues. 

What brought you to USI?
I attended USI because I lived in Newburgh, Indiana when I graduated high school, so it was convenient. I returned to USI for my nutrition degree because I had such a wonderful experience the first time I attended. I was blessed both times with very caring professors who went above and beyond to teach me as well as help me get through some tough personal struggles including the death of my husband while I was enrolled. I also enjoyed small class sizes where I could ask questions and get help. 

Please tell us how the College of Nursing and Health Professions prepared you for your career.
I took a variety of classes that I use information from every day.  I was also very blessed to have hands on experiences such as volunteering at the dental clinic and a local free clinic in the community that USI provides. I had class projects that included students from other professions such as nursing, respiratory therapy, and occupational therapy that allowed me to see how dietitians play a part of an interprofessional team. Our class was also connected with USI’s sports teams to work with them. 

Were you in any clubs, organizations, athletics?
I was in the Food and Nutrition Student Organization, Southwestern Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

What has been your favorite memory of your time at USI?
I have so many great memories of my time at USI. I think one of my favorite memories was the opportunity to present a group research project at two different conferences. The project was on the Ketogenic diet for epilepsy prevention which is very important to my own family, so I enjoyed the research as well as getting to present the information to others. Dr. McCullough allowed students to choose a topic that mattered to us. She was very encouraging and helpful in completing the research. She also helped in getting our project submitted for the presentations. This experience taught me so much that I have used in my profession. 

What would you tell someone who is thinking of coming to USI?
The faculty at USI is very genuine. I am still friends with some of my professors today. I know that I can still reach out with professional questions to any of my professors. The classes are great sizes to hear several perspectives but also get personal attention for your questions. The programs I was involved with allowed me to not only be prepared for my career but gave me an advantage over others to obtain an internship. I was given ample opportunities to volunteer in many different settings. The opportunity to work with the athletes gave me an additional connection to USI where I was encouraged to go see my athletes play, and this got me involved even more with other students. There is also a tutoring lab that provides excellent help in addition to professors' office hours.