Course Faculty
Program Director
Charlene Compher, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A., C.N.S.D., L.D.N.
David S. Barnes, Ph.D.
Other Faculty
Stella Volpe, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.N., F.A.C.S.M.
Marianne Aloupis, M.S., R.D., C.N.S.D., L.D.N. received her M.S. in Health Education from St. Joseph’s University in 2005 and her B.S. in Applied Nutrition from The Pennsylvania State University in 1996. She has been certified in nutrition support since 2000. Her clinical practice focuses on nutrition management of trauma, liver failure and liver transplantation patients. She is involved in local and national nutrition organizations. She has lectured on both a local and national level on various topics related to nutrition support in liver failure and critical illness. She currently teaches Principles of Human Nutrition (Nursing 54).
Carol Bergen, M.S., R.D, C.S.R., received her M.S. in Nutrition and Food Science from Drexel University in 1986 and her B.S. in Foods and Nutrition from Florida State University. She is Board Certified as a Specialist in Renal Nutrition since 1995, and has many publications and presentations on various aspects of renal nutrition. Carol has more than 20 years experience as a Renal Dietitian, and has provided professional leadership to her peers on a local to national level. Carol also has conducted research in various aspects of renal nutrition, and has numerous publications. Currently Carol teaches Principles of Human Nutrition (Nursing 54).
Irene Berman-Levine, Ph.D., R.D., holds a doctorate in Community Nutrition from the University of Maryland and practices as a nutrition consultant at Nutrition Program Planning, Inc., in Harrisburg, PA. Her consulting ranges from grant projects to the development of a nutrition life skills curriculum for homeless shelters in Philadelphia, to counseling individual clients. Each semester she joins the faculty of the School of Nursing to teach one course. Dr. Berman-Levine writes a free weekly email newsletter (www.healthandage.com/DrIrene) and has coauthored "Personal Health Record" (www.healthprogramplanning.com). Currently Dr. Berman-Levine teaches two courses within the minor: Case Analysis in Clinical Nutrition Therapy (Nursing 365) and Current Topics in Nutrition (Nursing 521).
Bart DeJonghe, Ph.D., received his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences (2006) and B.S. in Premedicine (2001) from the Pennsylvania State Univeristy. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Animal Biology within the School of Veterinary Medicine. His research focuses on how the interactions of hormones and their associated receptors, within the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, excite specific neuronal pathways and intracellular signals leading to the development of diabetes and obesity. His general research interests include the etiology and treatment of obesity, the formation of food preferences, satiation for food, central food reward circuitry, and body weight regulation. He has published several papers on his research and regularly presents data at scientific meetings in both the U.S. and Europe. Currently, he teaches Nutrition: Science and Application (Nursing 112).
Matthew R. Hayes, Ph.D., received a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University in 2006, investigating serotonin type-3 receptor mediation of serotonin and cholecystokinin interactions in control of food intake. He is currently in his third year as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. Matthew’s current research focuses on understanding the neural contribution of dorsal hindbrain to energy balance control. During his academic career, Matthew has published 16 manuscripts (11 as first author) and has been fortunate enough to receive two NIH grants, as well as a New Investigator Research Award from The Obesity Society. Matthew is currently an instructor of Nursing 112.
Jennifer Williams, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., C.N.S.D., received her M.S. in Nutrition from Drexel University in 2001 and her B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Delaware in 1990. She currently works as the Senior Clinical Dietitian Specialist on the Nutrition Support Service at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She has more that 10 years experience in clinical nutrition and has conducted research in pulmonary and lung transplantation nutrition. She has presented locally and nationally on a variety of clinical nutrition topics. She has provided profession leadership on a local and national level. Currently she teaches Case Studies in Clinical Nutrition (Nursing 365).