Nominate them to be featured in an upcoming ASPEN Member Spotlight!
Check out who was previously featured in Member Spotlight below.
2025 Spotlights
Our August Member Spotlight recognizes Allison Krall, MS, RD, CNSC, for receiving the 2025 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Clinical Excellence Award!
She received this award for her role in developing and leading the RD feeding tube placement team. “I was inspired to become involved in the field of nutrition support over 25 years ago during my internship when I had a rotation with the nutrition support team at St Mary’s Hospital, Mayo Medical Center in Rochester, MN. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work in a variety of settings managing patients on enteral and parenteral nutrition. I always knew when Ohio State was starting their first RD led feeding tube team that I wanted to be involved. I really enjoy the hands on role of this position and leading my team to have such a positive impact on patient care,” said Allison.
Congratulations, Allison! Thank you for advancing the science and practice of clinical nutrition.
Our July Member Spotlight recognizes Stephanie Cuttrell, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, for her assistance with planning the Malnutrition Awareness Week webinars! Thank you for your commitment to bringing attention to this widespread healthcare issue! “Malnutrition Awareness Week has been fighting against malnutrition through educating and empowering the healthcare community on identifying, diagnosing, and treating this medical condition,” said Stephanie.
We also thank the entire Malnutrition Committee and the many other volunteers who help make this event so successful each year.
Congratulations to Jaylin Staunton, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, lead clinical dietitian specialist at Fox Chase Cancer Center, on receiving the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This prestigious award highlights her leadership, innovation, and impact on the field of dietetics.
At Fox Chase, Staunton leads efforts in ethical feeding practices for oncology patients, manages parenteral nutrition care, and serves as Lead Clinical Preceptor. She is actively involved in ethics and nutrition committees and is Chair-Elect of the International Clinical Ethics Section of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
ASPEN President-Elect Dr. Kathleen Gura recently attended the Middle Eastern Alliance for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (MEAPEN) Congress in Dubai.
Dr. Gura presented on the use of alternative intravenous lipid emulsions in the NICU & PICU and Pediatric Intestinal Failure Associated Liver Disease.
Ainsley Malone, MS, RDN, LD, CNSC, FAND, FASPEN, is retiring from her role as Clinical Practice Specialist at ASPEN. A member since 1981, her unwavering commitment to ASPEN is evident from her participation in multiple committees, service as ASPEN’s 37th President, and leadership in numerous clinical practice initiatives.
We celebrate Ainsley’s significant contributions to the field of nutrition support. Her impact on ASPEN’s mission, patient care, and healthcare policy is lasting. Please join ASPEN in wishing her all the best in her retirement.
Patricia Byers, MD, FACS, FASPEN, Bettemarie Bond, and Nancy Edwards, ASPEN Manager, Advocacy and Public Policy represented ASPEN at the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) Public Policy Forum in Washington, DC, March 2 and 3.
They presented the ASPEN 2025 public policy and advocacy overview at the DDNC all-member meeting and educated congressional members and their staff on public policy initiatives important to ASPEN as part of the DDNC Capitol Hill Day. Thank you, Patty, Bettemarie, and Nancy, for sharing this important information!
Please join ASPEN in recognizing the Ohio Chapter and its leadership team for putting together a guide to Columbus for ASPEN25 attendees. Their document highlights key activities, dining options, and the unique charm of Columbus, offering a perfect introduction to the city and ensuring a memorable experience for all. Thank you to OPSEN President Ashley Bronston, MS, RDN, LDN, and the OPSEN ad-hoc committee that worked to develop the guide.
Linda Lord, NP, ACNP-BC, CNSC, FASPEN, and Maisy Cyr, MSW, shared valuable insights on improving nutrition access in the Pharmacy Practice Newsletter and video, building on the Malnutrition Awareness Week webinar, Nutrition Support Access: Breaking Down Barriers. In the video, they explore challenges faced by both patients and clinicians, such as supply shortages, and offer coping strategies to navigate these difficulties. Linda Lord also highlights key organizations that consumers can turn to for additional support. This conversation aims to help improve access to essential nutrition care for those in need.
2024 Spotlights
The ASPEN Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Gil Hardy, PhD, FRSC, FASPEN, has been selected to receive the 2025 ASPEN Champion Award in recognition of his dedication to the association, his commitment to education and mentorship, and his advocacy and contributions to advancing clinical nutrition worldwide. Congratulations to Dr. Hardy on this incredibly well-deserved accomplishment!
Dr. Hardy is an emeritus professor of clinical nutrition at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. He has been with ASPEN since 1977, serving on the Research, Membership, Awards, Publication Review, and FASPEN Awards committees. He founded and was the first chairman of ASPEN’s International Clinical Nutrition Section, served on the Board of Directors, and represented ASPEN on the International Human Rights for Clinical Nutrition working group.
Please join ASPEN in recognizing Diana Mulherin, PharmD, BCNSP, BCCCP, FCCM, FASPEN, as an outstanding volunteer who currently dedicates her time as the chair of the Clinical Practice Committee and the Parenteral Nutrition (PN) Shortage Subcommittee. Diana is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, and has been an ASPEN member for 13 years.
Diana has been an active member and volunteer and achieved a Fellow of ASPEN designation in 2024, the highest honor available to members. Most recently, Diana led the PN Shortage Subcommittee’s efforts to create two new PN shortage recommendations (intravenous dextrose and sterile water for injection) and update the intravenous multivitamin shortage recommendations. These documents support clinicians in managing PN therapy during product shortages and are critically important to our members. Thank you, Diana, for volunteering to lead these important ASPEN efforts!
Please join ASPEN in congratulating Gordon Jensen, MD, PhD, FASPEN on receiving an Honorary Membership at last month’s ESPEN meeting! Dr. Jensen is a Past-President of ASPEN, and has authored more than 220 journal articles, reviews, and book chapters. He was selected as the 2014 Jonathan E. Rhoads Lecturer and is an ASPEN Fellow.
He most recently served as Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Medicine and Nutrition at the Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, where he retired with Emeritus recognition in June 2022.
MWe are so grateful to ASPEN’s members, ambassadors, corporate sponsors, and society and media partners for making this year’s Malnutrition Awareness Week (MAW) an undeniable success! ASPEN member Andie Lee Gonzalez, PhD, MPH, RDN, LD, FAND, is pictured with the proclamation she requested from the state of Texas recognizing MAW.
Ms. Gonzalez stated, “Submitting a proclamation to recognize Malnutrition Week is a vital service to our patients, amplifying our advocacy and voice to support their health and nutrition. It’s a powerful way to stand up for our patients who rely on us for their well-being and ensure they receive the care they deserve and need.”
Thank you to Ms. Gonzalez and everyone else who helped make MAW incredible!
aCongratulations to Ms. Penny Allen on her incredibly well-deserved retirement! She most recently served as the Vice President of Nutrition Support Services for Optum Infusion Pharmacy, where she was an ASPEN 2022 Clinical Nutrition Team of Distinction award recipient. She has authored dozens of publications and abstracts and earned her FASPEN in 2021.
Ms. Allen continues to volunteer for the Public Policy & Advocacy Committee—even while retired! She said of her involvement with ASPEN, “I recall my first ASPEN meeting in 1990…being so impressed and motivated by the top minds in nutrition support and thinking, I want to be involved in that! Years later, I was asked to be on a lipid position paper committee and that springboarded my involvement with ASPEN, eventually fostering a passion for advocacy and for trying to change Medicare coverage policies.”
She also stated, “I am so grateful for the relationships, mentorship and involvement with ASPEN over the years. I never in a million years thought I would have such opportunities, or would be part of such prestigious organization.”
Ms. Wolff currently serves as Senior Principal Medical Liaison at Baxter International, Inc. She also serves as an educator and speaker for conferences and workshops and is featured in publications sharing her knowledge on nutrition-focused physical exams to diagnose malnutrition.
She has been an ASPEN member since 2009 and has been active on ASPEN’s Malnutrition and Public Policy & Advocacy Committees. Thank you, Ms. Wolff, for all the ways you support the clinical nutrition field!
Ms. Morgenstern is a Registered Dietitian with GMBC HealthCare in Baltimore, MD. She has been an ASPEN member since 2018 and the President of the Maryland Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (MSPEN) for several years. ASPEN thanks Diane Herzog, MS, RD-AP, LDN, CNSC, for nominating Ms. Morgenstern.
Ms. Herzog said of Ms. Morgenstern, “In her time as president, she has done a phenomenal job hosting member events, including bringing in expert speakers and most recently, organizing an in-person parenteral nutrition writing workshop. Being an ASPEN member has allowed her to invest in the learning and professional development of those in her local nutrition support community. She is so passionate about staying up to date with research and continuing to learn, and being an ASPEN member has given her resources to stay involved, network, and become an expert in her field.” Thank you, Ms. Morgenstern, for everything you have done for the clinical nutrition community!
Ms. Strickland is the adult clinical dietitian supervisor and surgical/trauma intensive care dietitian at ECU Health, and a member of ASPEN’s Malnutrition Coding and Reimbursement Task Force. She was recently featured in the “Off the Record with Brian Murphy” podcast discussing how to become a dietitian, what nutrition support dietitians do, the dietitian’s role in treating critically ill patients, and coding for malnutrition. You can learn more or listen here. Congratulations on being interviewed, Ms. Strickland!
This month, we’re spotlighting the ASPEN24 attendees who stopped by ASPEN’s Member Central to make cards for hospitalized patients. Your generous gifts of creativity, time, and thoughtfulness resulted in a donation of nearly 100 cards to Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, FL. Thank you! You can view a video of the hospital’s Patient Family Advisory Council describing the impact the cards will make here.
Please join us in offering heartfelt congratulations to our elite group of award-winners! These esteemed awardees, fellows, grant recipients, and abstract winners will be recognized at ASPEN24, and the Harry M. Vars and Promising Investigator awardees will also be selected on Sunday, March 5, at the Rhoads Research Lecture and Awards Ceremony.
ASPEN is so grateful to the generous donors who have made the Patricia Anthony Future Leaders Award possible. Thank you to the contributors for helping to honor Pat and supporting the next generation of clinicians. Your contributions will make a lasting impact on the future of nutrition support.
This new award offers financial support for a deserving student or new practitioner member of ASPEN to attend the ASPEN Nutrition Science & Practice Conference. Congratulations to the first recipient, Amy Copes, who will be joining us at ASPEN24! Ms. Copes is a pharmacy student at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
2023 Spotlights
Congratulations to Ajay Jain, MD, DNB! Dr. Jain currently serves as the President-Elect on ASPEN’s Board of Directors and was recently featured in a Becker’s GI & Endoscopy article highlighting five physicians on the cutting edge of gastroenterology. Thank you for your contributions to parenteral nutrition, Dr. Jain! Learn more about Dr. Jain and his work to mitigate injuries and side effects of pediatric PN patients here.
Four ASPEN members were recently honored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Congratulations to the following individuals who are recipients of the 2023 Academy National Honors and Awards for their contributions to the nutrition and dietetics profession!
- Honorary Membership: Robert G. Martindale, MD, PhD
- Medallion Award: Patricia Becker, MS, RDN, CSP, FAND
- Excellence in Practice Award, Clinical Nutrition: Britta D. Brown, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
- Excellence in Practice Award, Research: Marion F. Winkler, PhD, RD, LDN, CNSC, FASPEN
Congratulations are in order for Dr. Chen, an ASPEN member and Rhoads Research Foundation Grant recipient, for receiving multiple media mentions in the Idaho State Journal; Moscow-Pullman Daily News ; and The Lewiston Tribune related to her successful request for a MAW proclamation from the state of Idaho. Thank you very much for your support of MAW, Dr. Chen!
Congratulations to Dr. Johnson on receiving Troy University’s Wallace D. Malone, Jr. Distinguished Faculty Award! The award recognizes exceptional faculty members who through teaching, meritorious and selfless service, and research, transform vision into reality. Dr. Johnson has also produced several ASPEN videos, for which the Society is very grateful! You can view them below:
Blenderized Tube Feeding for Adult Enteral Nutrition Patients
A hearty congratulations to Ms. Ritchey on her recognition as The Oley Foundation’s 2023 Distinguished Clinician Award recipient! The award recognizes a healthcare professional practicing in the field of home IV nutrition, tube feeding or a related field, who sets an example by promoting innovation in nutrition therapy, or by advocating for someone in their care, and demonstrates a willingness to give of themselves, to educate, empower, and improve the quality of life for home IV nutrition and/or tube feeding consumers.
Congratulations to Ajanta Raman, MSN, AGACNP, CNSC, who received the APRN of the Year award from her hospital, University Health Truman Medical Center! The award recognizes an Advanced Practice Registered nurse who exhibits excellence in nursing professional practice, exemplary collaboration, and achieves quality patient care outcomes.
Thank you, Ms. Raman, for your professional excellence and above-and-beyond patient care! And thank you to Linda Lord, NP, ACNP-BC, CNSC, FASPEN, for nominating Ms. Raman for the spotlight!
Carol Ireton-Jones, PhD, RDN, CNCS, FASPEN, FAND, is a long-time ASPEN member who currently serves on the Clinical Practice Committee, and as a Group Leader on the Abstract Review Committee. She was recently recognized for outstanding achievement by Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Ireton-Jones received the Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Award in recognition of her exceptional career and her contributions to clinical nutrition. Thank you to Dr. Ireton-Jones for her contributions and service to the field!
This May, we’re spotlighting ASPEN23 attendees who stopped by Member Central to make cards for hospitalized pediatric and adult patients. Your generous gifts of creativity, time, and thoughtfulness resulted in a donation of nearly 200 cards to the Sunrise Health System in Las Vegas, NV.
ASPEN member Paul Wischmeyer, MD, FASPEN, FCCM was recently featured in an article by the Duke University School of Medicine that spoke to how his experience with ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease informs the patient care he provides as critical care physician and the physician director of total parenteral nutrition and the nutrition support service at Duke University Hospital.
In the article, he suggests, “Sit down at eye level with the patient, or stand there like you want to be there, not with one foot out the door. Never cross your arms in front of a patient. It looks like you either don’t want to talk to them, or there’s something you’re not telling them. Families and patients are anxious enough.”
He also believes that procedures that providers can see as routine may be scary and painful for patients. “Small amounts of sedatives and anxiolytics and better use of pain meds can change that dramatically,” he adds. Congratulations on this recognition, Dr. Wischmeyer!
The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) recently announced that ASPEN member Penny Allen, RD, CNSC, FASPEN, FNHIA is the recipient of its 2023 Gene Graves Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the highest honor that NHIA gives to a member of the home and alternate site infusion profession who has dedicated significant time, energy, and resources to advocating on behalf of patients and the industry.
The award announcement states, “Allen’s work with NHIA and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) was instrumental in changing Medicare’s coverage policy for home parenteral nutrition (HPN) to reflect current clinical practices, an advocacy effort spanning 20 plus years and multiple reconsideration requests.”
It continues, “The revised Local Coverage Determination (LCD) was the first change to the HPN policy since it was created in 1984 and has resulted in significantly improved access to HPN therapy for beneficiaries. In the wake of Medicare’s decision, Allen leveraged her knowledge to promote the new coverage policies… to ensure that all home infusion providers were informed and able to act on behalf of their patients.”
Congratulations on this recognition, Ms. Allen, and thank you for your leadership and service!
ASPEN member Mark Corkins, MD, CNSC, FASPEN, AGAF, FAAP, was recently featured in an article by The University of Tennessee Health Science Center for his impact and service.
In the article, he says of his service on ASPEN’s task force that constructed a new definition for pediatric malnutrition, “That’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
He added, “There are parameters we need to look at, and when those parameters are met, we make a formal diagnosis that the patient is malnourished, and we must put the resources in and work on their nutrition.”
Please join ASPEN in congratulating Dr. Corkins on having received this recognition! You can also view the ASPEN Physician Engagement Committee’s Spotlight of Dr. Corkins.
The ASPEN Board of Directors is pleased and honored to announce that Kelly A. Tappenden, PhD, RD, FASPEN, has been selected to receive the 2023 ASPEN Champion Award in recognition of her significant and sustained contributions to the association. She will receive the Champion Award at the ASPEN 2023 Nutrition Science & Practice Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, April 20.
As a longtime ASPEN member, Dr. Tappenden has served on more than 20 committees and the board of directors. She took the helm as ASPEN’s 33rd president in 2008. Two years later, she was named editor-in-chief of the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (JPEN), a position she held for an unprecedented 12 years.