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 co-founded 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, has published articles in such journals as Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, and presents widely in the areas of MI and non-diet approaches to health and wellness. 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. As a nutrition therapist, Ms. Curtis provides counseling to patients with such conditions as diabetes, heart disease, and disordered eating, as well as those considering bariatric surgery. She has extensive training in MI and also exposes her clients to non-diet principles of intuitive eating and Health at Every Size.
