Rate My Professor Jade McNamara

Jade McNamara serves as Associate Professor of Human Nutrition in the School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine, Orono. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Joining the faculty around 2018 as an assistant professor, she was promoted to associate professor with tenure effective September 1, 2024. McNamara balances her time between teaching and research, delivering courses such as Community Nutrition (FSN 401) and Advanced Graduate Seminar (FSN 671). Her teaching employs evidence-based instructional practices to promote critical thinking in health studies and higher education.

McNamara's research explores nutrition behavior change through theory-driven methods, focusing on the relationship between nutrition and food literacy and dietary behaviors in youth and young adults. She develops curricula, interventions, and surveys to assess health perceptions and encourage healthy choices. Key projects include leading the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded Maine Farm to School Institute, supported by a $225,000 grant in 2021, which trains rural middle and high schools in local food procurement, nutrition education, and student-led programming to combat food insecurity. She directs Hatch projects ME032215 (Understanding and Promoting Health and Nutrition in Communities of Emerging Adults) and ME022104 (Increasing Health-Related Quality of Life and Diet Quality in Young Adults), both supported by the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. As co-investigator, she contributes to the $1.5 million WellNurse project aimed at enhancing resilience and reducing burnout among nursing students, faculty, and staff. Her scholarly output includes peer-reviewed articles such as "College Students' Views on Functional, Interactive and Critical Nutrition Literacy: A Qualitative Study" (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021), "Using Interactive Nutrition Modules to Increase Critical Thinking and Nutrition Knowledge of University Students" (Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2019), "Partnering with College Students to Develop a Tailored Nutrition Education Program: The Pathfinders" (Nutrients, 2022), "Development of Master Chef: A Curriculum to Promote Culinary Skills, Nutrition Literacy, and Healthy Eating Among College Students" (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2024), and "The Influence of Diet Quality on Health-Related Quality of Life in College Students" (Journal of American College Health, 2025). With over 270 citations, an h-index of 9, and an i10-index of 8, her work advances nutrition education and public health initiatives in Maine.