Dr. Becky Dunn RD, LD
Dr. Becky Dunn joined the faculty at Keene State in 2001 where she taught Nutritional Biochemistry and Medical Nutrition Therapy for 20 years. She served as department chair for 14 years, and assisted in the development and launching of the Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition. She now teaches Nutritional Biochemistry in her emeritus status role. Her favorite parts of teaching are getting students excited about the "science" of nutrition, and exploring open pedagogy practices.
Prior to her teaching career, Dr. Dunn practiced in clinical dietetics for 7 years – 1 year as a Diet Technician at the Faulkner Hospital in Boston, 2 years at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in NH, and 4 years at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has been a registered dietitian (RD) since 1995 with state licensure in NH, and has been a certified nutrition support clinician (CNSC) since 1998. Dr. Dunn completed a 150-hour Clinical Nutrition Fellowship during a 2020 sabbatical at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a fresh perspective in the “clinical trenches”.
Dr. Dunn completed her B.S. in Home Economics/Dietetics with a minor in Speech Communication from Keene State, a dietetic internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA, a Master’s degree in Nutrition Education from Immaculata University in Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Nutritional Science from the University of New Hampshire.
Dr. Dunn’s research has been in the area of maternal/child health with an emphasis on promoting and supporting breastfeeding families through the lens of the social ecological model. She has examined factors that influence a woman’s decision to initiate and sustain breastfeeding, particularly in low-income women, and practices in the child care setting using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Her research has been published in Breastfeeding Medicine, Maternal Child Health Journal, and Journal of Human Lactation. In addition, she has been the project coordinator for a NH Division of Public Health Services grant-funded project that aims to improve nutrition and physical activity practices and policies in child care programs and public schools. Dr. Dunn serves on the NH Breastfeeding Task Force as co-chair for the child care award subcommittee, and she is also a board member with the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition.
Dr. Dunn enjoys all outdoor activities with her family, especially paddle-boarding, kayaking, swimming with the Harrisville Mermaids, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking. She also enjoys discovering new recipes for how to make the most of her community supported agriculture farm share.