About Us

The Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences' mission is to discover and apply scientific information related to food, nutrition, physical activity, and health behavior to optimize public well-being.

To better serve students in the pursuit of their career goals, the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences was formed by merging two departments with long and distinguished histories at the University of Nebraska: Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics and Health and Human Performance.

Located within three buildings on University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus (Ruth Leverton Hall, the Gwnedolyn A. Newkirk Human Sciences Building, and Filley Hall) as well as on City Campus in Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall, the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences provides a comprehensive approach to the health and wellness of individuals and communities. We do this by combining expertise in the areas of nutrition and health education, dietetics, community nutrition and health promotion, exercise physiology, athletic training, sports nutrition, biochemical and molecular nutrition, culinary sciences, and food service administration.

1891

The Department of Health and Human Performance was established when the Board of Regents voted to require physical training for female students as a partial equivalent to the military drill required of male students. Professional preparation of teachers of physical education began later in the 1890s.

1898

The University established the "School of Domestic Science" with Chemistry Professor Rosa Bouton named as its director. Domestic Chemistry courses covered subjects such as food analysis, sanitation, and contaminants in food. Housed in Mechanic Arts Hall on city campus, Dr. Bouton served as the school's sole instructor with eleven newly enrolled students.

The two-year program was described by the University bulletin this way: "To train the mind and develop character in the kitchen as well as in the laboratory. Special attention is given to the principles of cooking, economical methods of cooking, as well as methods to render food nutritious, palatable, and attractive."

1905

The Board of Regents elected to construct a new building on the Farm Campus to house laboratories and classrooms needed for the newly named Department of Home Economics.  Called "The Women's Building" during planning and construction, it provided dormitory rooms for 40 women and included laboratories and classrooms for Home Economics instruction. By 1906, the program had been lengthened to four years, leading to a bachelor of arts degree.

1908

Construction of the new Home Economics Building was completed with classes beginning in the summer.

1909

Home Economics became a department in the College of Agriculture. New courses included clothing construction and design, dietetics, home decoration, household administration, and teacher training with practice teaching.

1925

Construction of the Coliseum was completed with construction cost of $435,000. The facility originally housed several offices including the Men's Athletic Department and Men's Physical Education Department.

1941

Ruth Leverton was tasked with initiating human nutrition research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and given a small laboratory in the meat science building. At that time, not many researchers had both the competencies and the resources to conduct valid nutrition research using human subjects. Knowing the potential, Dr. Leverton lobbied the university to construct a building to specifically house nutrition laboratories and accommodate nutrition research. Funding was approved by the Board of Regents and construction of a new Food and Nutrition building began in November.

1943

Construction of the new Food and Nutrition Building was completed. Designed to house more than just food and nutrition laboratories, the building included a cafeteria, dining rooms, a kitchen, offices, classrooms, and research facilities.

This window, set over the main entrance and still in place today, features the Betty Lamp, a symbol representing the field of Home Economics:

With the nation in the midst of World War II, the Food and Nutrition Building was initially used as dormitory and classrooms for Specialized Training, Assignment, and Reclassification (STAR) members, a U.S. Government program which channeled new military recruits to appropriate education situations. The University of Nebraska was one of only three colleges in the United States designated to assess and assign recruits on to any of 220 higher education sites.

Over the course of the next two years, more than 13,000 men from the United States, as well as other countries of the world, lived here before being reassigned to study engineering, foreign languages, personnel psychology, dentistry, and medicine in the U.S. Army's Specialized Training Program (ASTP).

1946

The Men's Physical Education Building was constructed on the SW corner of 14th and W Streets.

1957

Cafeteria remodeling and reorganization took place at the Food and Nutrition building in order to provide meals for students living in the new residence halls on East Campus.

1968

Construction was completed on the Women's Physical Education Building at 14th and Vine and the building was dedicated that November. It featured two gyms, a swimming pool, dance studio, and locker rooms. 

1974

Major remodeling began at the Food and Nutrition building which included specialized laboratories for teaching, research, and extension. Facilities were added for live-in subjects, dormitory space, and a kitchen/dining area.

1977

The Women's Physical Education Building at 14th and Vine was renovated to add classrooms, computer labs, and office for instructors. In honor of UNL's physical education pioneer Mabel Lee, the building was also renamed in her honor on May 7, 1977.

The opening of the new East Campus Union provided new space within the Food and Nutrition building to offer students laboratory experiences in institution management and quantity food preparation.

1978

In honor of Ruth Leverton, the Food and Nutrition building was renamed Ruth Leverton Hall.

2010

Leverton Hall was renovated to include updated air handling systems, redesigned building space, and completion of the new Biomedical Research Core (BORC) lab.

2020

Mabel Lee Hall was demolished in the spring to make way for Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall which will be home to the College of Education and Human Sciences. The project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2022 and will feature new classrooms, meeting spaces, offices, labs, and a 400-seat auditorium.

2022

By early September, the Exercise Physiology Lab is relocated from Neihardt Hall to the newly constructed Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall.

2023

Hospitality, Restaurant, Tourism Management (HRTM) is slated to relocate to the Scarlet Hotel on Innovation Campus. This new location will include new academic spaces, office suites, as well as a commercial teaching kitchen.

1919

The curriculum was changed to place more emphasis on professional training such as dietetics, institutional management, and teaching. Also included for the first time were courses intended primarily for graduate students.

1921

The Division of Food and Nutrition was established.

1962

The Department of Food and Nutrition received approval from the American Dietetic Association for a dietetics program.

1967

Master's degree program approved.

1969

Dietetics internship program initiated.

1975

After years of pursing independent existences, the men's and women's physical education departments merge to form a single "Department of Physical Education and Recreation".

1977

The Nebraska Center for Health Education, previously affiliated with the University Health Center, was added to the department to form a new "School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation".

1991

Department renamed "Nutritional Science and Dietetics".

1993

The "School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation" renamed "Department of Health and Human Performance".

1997

Community Nutrition and Health Promotion established as a graduate specialization.

2003

The "Department of Nutritional Science and Dietetics" and "Department of Health and Human Performance" are merged and renamed "Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences".

2004

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Training Program received initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). (In 2006, accreditation was transferred to the newly formed Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education [CAATE]).

2005

Nutrition and Exercise approved as an undergraduate program.

2006

Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management established as an undergraduate program. 

2017

Community Health and Wellness approved as an undergraduate program.

2019

Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition established as a graduate specialization.

2020

Hospitality Management established as a graduate specialization.

2021

Professional Studies in Dietetics (PSD) established as a graduate specialization.

2009

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) designated the Terry J. Housh Young Investigator Award in his honor.

2014

Establishment of the Nebraska Center for Prevention of Obesity Diseases through Dietary Molecules (NPOD).

2016

Fayrene Hamouz recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nebraska Restaurant Association.

2019

American Society for Nutrition (ASN) awarded Janos Zempleni the Osborne and Mendel Award for seminal discoveries in extracellular vesicles.

2020

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) granted the Boyd Epley Award for Lifetime Achievement to Terry Housh.