Program Director

Charlene Compher, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A., C.N.S.D., L.D.N.

Other Faculty

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 Lifecycle Nutrition (Nursing 375).

Audrey Caspar-Clark, M.A., R.D., L.D.N, C.S.O., received her M.A. in Nutrition Education from Immaculata University in 2009 and her B. S. in Nutrition from Immaculata University in 2000.  She has been certified as a specialist in oncology nutrition and works as an out-patient oncology dietitian at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Cancer Center.  She frequently participates in oncology conferences and provides educational sessions for staff and patients. Currently, she teaches Fundamentals of Nutrition (Nursing 65).

Janet Chrzan, PhD, received Ph.D. in Physical/Nutritional Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research explores the connections between social activities, nutritional intakes, and mother and child health outcomes in pregnant teens. She teaches a variety of courses in the Anthropology Department and School of Nursing including Food and Culture, Nutritional Anthropology and topics in Medical Anthropology. She is also the president of the Haverford Township Farmers Market Association and founder of the Oakmont Farmers Market in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania. Dr. Chrzan teaches Nursing 316/516 Political Economy of World Hunger.

Bart De Jonghe, Ph.D., received his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences (2006) and B.S. in Premedicine (2001) from The Pennsylvania State University. He is completed his postdoctoral research in the Department of Animal Biology within the School of Veterinary Medicine. His research focuses on how the interactions of hormones and their receptors within the gastrointestinal tract and the brain lead to obesity.  Dr. De Jonghe is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and teaches Nutrition: Science and Applications (Nursing 112).

Jennifer Dolan, 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) as well as in the Fundemental Nutrition Sequence (NURS 054, 065, and 066).

Kelly Dougherty, M.S., Ph.D., received both her Ph.D. (2008) and M.S. (2004) in Kinesiology, emphasis in Exercise Physiology from The Pennsylvania State University and B.S. (1998) in Physical Education, and emphasis in Corporate Fitness from The College of New Jersey.   She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Her research focuses on physical activity- and nutrition-related issues affecting growth and body composition in healthy and chronically ill children, including those with cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, down syndrome and obesity.  She has presented her research locally, nationally and internationally.  Dr. Dougherty teaches Issues in Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness (Nursing 376).