Leadership

2024 – 2025 Board of Directors

 

Sarah L. Booth, PhD

President
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University

 

Kevin Schalinske, PhD

Past President
Iowa State University

 

Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa, PhD, FTOS, FAHA

Vice President
Texas Tech University

 

Keith West, DrPh, MPH

Vice President Elect
Johns Hopkins University

 

April Stull, PhD, RD, FAND

Treasurer
Baylor University

 

Laura Murray-Kolb, PhD

Secretary
Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University

 

Robert Bertolo, PhD

Treasurer-Elect
University of Newfoundland

 

Alison Brown, PhD, RDN

Director-At-Large, Food & Nutrition Policy
National Institutes of Health

 

Christine P. Stewart, PhD, MPH

Director-at-Large, Global Nutrition
University of California, Davis

 

Virginia A. Stallings, MD, MS

Director-At-Large, Medical Clinical Nutrition
University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

 

Heather Eicher-Miller, PhD

Director-At-Large, Nutrition Population Science
Purdue University

 

Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD

Director-At-Large, Nutrition Science Mechanisms
University of Alabama at Birmingham

 

Angela Odoms-Young, PhD

Director-At-Large, Nutrition Science Translation
Cornell University

 

 

 

 

Ex Officio Members

 

Mary Ann Johnson, PhD

Association of Nutrition Departments and Programs (ANDP)
Retired

 

Liliana Aguayo, PhD, MPH

Early Career Nutrition Representative
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University

Anupama “Anu” Chawla, MD, DCH, NBPNS

 

NBPNS Representative
Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University

 

Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD

Sustaining Partner Roundtable, Chair
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

 

John E. Courtney, PhD

ASN Chief Executive

 

ASN Foundation

 

Paul Coates, PhD

ASNF Chair
Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington

 

 

Chief Executive Officer

John E. Courtney, PhD

AACN’s Executive Officer partners with the elected Officers of the Society in order to manage the programmatic and business affairs of the Society. During his tenure as the Chief Executive, Courtney has developed innovative programs in education & professional development, launched new nutrition publications and expanded activities and services to 72 countries around the world. During this unprecedented level of growth for the society, AACN revenue has more than tripled, membership has increased by more than 250%, and AACN has become a central resource where policymakers, government funders and thought leaders interact to advance nutrition research and practice. AACN publishes the number one and number two ranked journals in the field, holds the largest nutrition science annual meeting in world, and is a leader in nutrition public policy and advocacy.

Dr. Courtney has more than twenty years of executive level experience in leading organizations. Dr. Courtney also serves on the Board of Directors as Treasurer of US Pharmacopeia, the world’s largest pharmaceutical standards setting organization that seeks to improve the health of people around the world through public standards and related programs that help to ensure the quality, safety and benefit of medicines and food with a $350m annual operating budget.

Prior to his current position at AACN, Dr. Courtney was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Clinical Research Forum and the Clinical Research Foundation. The Clinical Research Forum was formed in 1996 to discuss the unique and complex challenges to clinical research in academic health centers. The primary activities of the forum were to convene the top leaders in the clinical research community that together invested over $100 billion annually to fund medical research in the areas of prevention, treatment, and the cures for disease. Through its activities, the Forum enabled the sharing of best practices in clinical research and played an important national advocacy role in support of the broader interests and needs of clinical research community. During Dr. Courtney’s tenure, revenue increased by 168% and membership in the Forum increased 130%. The Forum’s members received over 65% of the total 2004 NIH extramural awards to medical centers and include 31 of the top 33 NIH university grantee institutions and the top 8 independent domestic hospitals.

Dr. Courtney previously held the position of Chief Financial and Administrative Officer with the American Diabetes Association and related affiliates The American Diabetes Association Research Foundation, The American Diabetes Advocacy Association, and the American Diabetes Association Property Title Holding Company. The American Diabetes Association is a leading organization with $215 million in revenue annually to fund research, education, and public awareness to cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Dr. Courtney played a leading role at ADA whereby revenues increased over 79% from $120m to over $215m by focusing on new advocacy, information, and research programs, by upgrading member and volunteer recruitment, and focusing on high net margin fundraising activities. Dr. Courtney was a strong advocate for expanding programs to those who suffer or are at risk of developing diabetes. Advocacy funding increased by more than 300% and research for a cure grew by more than 100% during his leadership tenure. ADA held the largest annual diabetes meeting in the world with over 18,000 attendees that generated over $8 million in net income.

Prior to joining ADA, Dr. Courtney was the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of a start-up international grant-making organization that grew to $45 million annually under his leadership which funded science and technological ventures in the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and in Europe.

Dr. Courtney also has exceptional leadership experience in the university arena where he was a leader at The American University and where he also completed his PhD program. Dr. Courtney has also served on the faculty of The University of Maryland, University College teaching business classes, mentoring new faculty, and developed the curriculum for one of the first web based courses offered in the United States.

Dr. Courtney holds a PhD in Educational Administration from The American University where his academic study included strategy development and implementation and continuous quality improvement. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Hood College. He is a frequent presenter at conferences and trade meetings and has led seminars on Non-Profit Governance and Strategic Planning.

Past Presidents

Our Society’s success in advancing excellence in nutrition research and practice is due in large part to the commitment of our volunteer leaders. AACN expresses its appreciation to the following, who have served as President.

American Institute for Nutrition (AIN) | American Society for Nutritional Sciences (ASNS)

The American Society for Nutrition was founded in 1928 as the American Institute for Nutrition (AIN). The first annual meeting of AIN was held in 1934. In 1996, the American Institute for Nutrition changed its name to the American Society for Nutritional Sciences (ASNS).

American Society for Clinical Nutrition (ASCN)

ASCN’s founding date was May 1, 1960 and the Society affiliated as a division of AIN at that time. The first ASCN annual meeting was held in spring of 1961.

Society for International Nutrition Research (SINR)

The Society for International Nutrition Research (SINR) was founded in 1990. In 1993, SINR affiliated as a second division of AIN.

American Society for Nutrition

In 2005, ASNS, ASCN and SINR merged to form the American Society for Nutrition.