Professionals working with Indian Health Services and reservation nutrition programs have expressed a strong need for American Indian dietitians and nutritionists who can work within traditional cultures to assist American Indians make effective changes in their diets. Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and obesity are more frequent on many Indian reservations than the national average. Diet plays an essential role in the development, management, and prevention of these diseases. Nutrition professionals who understand the cultural context in which people choose, prepare, and eat food are more effective in improving their health. Yet, such individuals are few. Less than one percent of members of The American Dietetic Association (http://www.eatright.org) and dietetic students nationwide were American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Hawaiian Native in 2005.

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The Multicultural Scholars into Dietetics Program

The purposes of the Multicultural Scholars into Dietetics Program (MSDP) are to:

• recruit highly qualified American Indians who are interested in becoming dietitians and nutritionists;

• assist American Indian students in reaching their professional goals in nutrition and dietetics;

• increase the number of American Indian nutrition professionals.

The MSDP scholars receive up to four years of financial assistance and participate in a comprehensive academic support system. Duration of the assistance depends on the continued eligibility of the scholar and the duration of the funding source. The MSDP is funded through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. Scholars must major in either dietetics or community nutrition at the University of North Dakota.

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Scholarship provision

All MSDP Scholars receive a tuition waiver for the University of North Dakota. In addition, an annual stipend of $4500 is awarded in monthly increments. The scholarship may be used to purchase books and other educational materials, and to pay for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and other expenses necessary to support the Scholar while attending UND.

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Selection of MSDP Scholars

One MSDP Scholar is selected each year. Criteria for selection is based on academic ability and history, articulation of professional goals, leadership experiences, maturity, communication skills, and insight into the need for American Indian dietitians and nutritionists. A completed application, transcripts, letters of reference, and interviews with the selection committee are necessary. Deadline for application is in the early spring each year. Contact the MSDP Program Director at jangoodwin@mail.und.edu for the exact date.

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Retention of MSDP Scholars

The MSDP provides extensive advising and support to assist Scholars in meeting their professional goals.

• All Scholars provide written permission for intensive mentoring which allows for the free exchange of information about the student among faculty of the MSDP. Mentoring begins as soon as the Scholar is selected and does not end until graduation. The program faculty will assist the Scholar in arranging for tutoring or other needed academic assistance through the University's American Indian Student Services and its Science, Engineering and Math Technical Center, as well as other support programs on the campus.

• The MSDP matches each Scholar with an American Indian dietitian or nutritionist who is interested in talking regularly with the Scholar. It is hoped that these professionals will be important role models for the Scholars.

• Scholars have the opportunity to follow or "shadow" dietitians and nutritionists as they work in a variety of settings. This gives students a personal opportunity to see what nutrition professionals actually do.

• The MSDP provides membership in nutrition/dietetics professional associations to all scholars.

• Scholars must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.7 (4.0 basis), have grades of "C" or better in all food, nutrition and science courses and maintain the scholarship.

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Financial aid

The faculty strongly urge that every prospective student apply for all available financial aid including: federal grants, BIA, IHS and tribal scholarships. Students should begin applying in the late fall the year before planning to come to UND. Most grants and scholarships have application deadlines in March and April. MSDP faculty work closely with Scholars to apply for financial assistance beyond the MSDP scholarship. Finally, through the generous support of alumni, the department offers several thousand dollars of scholarships annually.

UND has tuition waivers for freshmen and transfer American Indian students. See the UND Financial Aid web site at http://www.und.edu/dept/finaid/ for more information about UND’s Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver. The application deadline is in March. This is a competitive process so students are urged to begin the application early.

The mission of the MSDP is to increase the number of American Indian dietitians and nutritionists. Thus, mentoring services, advising, and shadowing experiences are available to all American Indian students majoring in dietetics or community nutrition regardless of their funding sources.

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