Dawna Torres Mughal, PhD, RDN, LDN
Highlights
- Dawna is Associate Professor Emerita in the Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, Gannon University, Erie, PA.
- She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist whose marbled work experiences include research, acute care, higher education, nutrition education activities and volunteer work in professional organizations and community service.
- She has held various leadership positions in her employment and volunteer work. Committed to lifelong learning, she is currently a part-time graduate student in health communications.
Experience & Education
Dawna is director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation, board member of the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices, clinical director of the Health Promotion discipline of Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. and consultant for certain nutrition projects. She has been involved in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for more than 25 years, working with interdisciplinary national and international groups. She has written book chapters on nutrition and IDD and has delivered numerous presentations nationally and internationally.
A recent 50-year member, Dawna has served in the House of Delegates, Nominating Committee, Diversity Committee, CADE and ACEND review teams, and in one of the Members Interest Groups. As former director of a tri-institutional Consortium Program in Dietetics in Pennsylvania, Dawna has mentored many dietetics students and young dietetics practitioners.
Dawna earned her Ph.D. in Nutrition at Penn State, M.S. in Foods and Nutrition at Southern Illinois University, and B.S.in Chemistry (Magna Cum Laude) at Central Philippine University, Philippines. Recognition of her work includes New Researcher’s Award, Outstanding Dietetics Educator, Service recognition and certification as Fellow of the American Dietetic Association and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by the former American Dietetic Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, respectively, and Keystone Award and Outstanding Dietitian by the former Pennsylvania Dietetic Association. She likes travel, music, nature, good books, great sense of humor, simple things, and dogs.