Name: Emily Ackerberg

Hometown: Montague, Michigan

Education: B.S. in dietetics from Central Michigan University

Job title: Registered Dietitian for CofC Dining Services

How long have you worked at the College? 1.5 years

What are your job responsibilities? Nutrition consultations and counseling, developing on-campus meal guides, spreading nutrition education and awareness through tabling/cooking demonstrations and presentations, developing recipes and content for CofC Dining Services Marketing, nutrition analysis of menus and more!

What do you like most about your job? I love exposing people to new foods and recipes. Anytime I get to showcase something unique and delicious that gets good feedback from those who try, I’m happy!

What question do you get asked most in your job and what’s your typical answer? “What do you think about the (insert: keto, blood type, paleo, etc.) diet?” My answer is to eat in such a way that makes you feel your best. There is no one right way to eat for everyone. But always, always remember your fruits and vegetables!

What’s your favorite location on campus and why? Anywhere along College Way. It feels like you’ve taken a step back in time and reminds me what makes Charleston so special.

What are your hobbies? Cooking, going to any of the beaches around Charleston, trying out new restaurants, reading, listening to podcasts and trying to get better at my food photography skills – Instagram handle is @_eatswithemily if you’re intrigued!

What personal and/or professional accomplishment are you most proud of? Passing the registration exam (on the first try) to become a dietitian. I took a very roundabout way to get to that point, and the process was long, but I did it. Fun fact: My first college adviser told me “being a dietitian is probably not the profession for you.” I showed her!

Name a creative work (book, movie, performance, etc.) you enjoyed recently and why? The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd. It’s historically and culturally linked to Charleston, and an important read.

What was your favorite TV show growing up? I was a pretty solid fan of Nickelodeon as a ’90s kid; I loved Salute Your Shorts!

What’s next on your bucket list? There are so many things I’d like to do, but here in CHS it would be to take a surf lesson.

What is something your campus colleagues would be surprised to know about you? Before completing my dietetic internship and passing the exam to become a registered dietitian, I worked for two years as a stewardess on private and chartered yachts.

What was your first job? A bakery in my hometown called Beth I’s Pies.

What’s your favorite Lowcountry restaurant? This is almost impossible to answer, since there are still so many I want to try! If I had to choose a current one, I would have to say Barsa. Unique and consistently delicious!

Describe your perfect day: Sleeping in, breakfast at Daps (including but not limited to the chorizo gravy folded egg sandwich), beach for the afternoon, a delicious pasta dish for dinner and a rooftop cocktail at sunset! 


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