Carlos Wear Lecture to feature GNC leader’s journey in nutritional supplement industry

14 Mar 2024     By Kelcey Buck

Rachel Jones, senior vice president and chief product innovation science officer for GNC, will give a presentation about her experiences in the sports nutrition industry at 1:30 p.m. on April 3, in room 227 of Carolyn Pope Edwards Hall. 

Jones, a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian/nutritionist, will share, “The Journey of a Nutritional Supplement Industry Executive: Successes, Challenges, and Things I’ve Learned Along the Way.” The event is open to the public, and is funded through a gift to the Carlos Wear Lectureship Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation. 

“It has been my pleasure to work with Rachel and GNC for nearly 20 years,” said Terry Housh, professor of nutrition and health sciences and director of the Human Performance and Body Composition labs. “She is exceptionally creative and insightful, and has been very generous in supporting the educational experiences of NHS and CEHS students.” 

As a member of GNC’s executive leadership team, Jones oversees a cross-functional group of 40 associates at the forefront of GNC’s commitment to helping consumers Live Well. Responsible for continued innovation across GNC-owned brands, she leads the design and product development strategy of high-quality, trusted and cutting-edge solutions that produce results for consumers. 

The April 3 conversation will detail her experience as an RDN, the development of more than 2,000 GNC brand products, and how her work has positively impacted the sports nutrition industry. 

This and other lectures by distinguished experts in exercise physiology, kinesiology, sports psychology, sports medicine and other scientific aspects of physical education are funded through the Carlos Wear Lectureship Fund. Wear served as professor and chair of the Men’s Physical Education Department at the University of Nebraska starting in 1950. As an early advocate of the fitness movement, he was a Fellow of the American School Health Association, Charter Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, National President of Phi Epsilon Kappa, and recipient of the Honor Award from the American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.