Allison Acquisto
Associate Professor + Supervised Experiential Learning Coordinator
JWU Faculty Since 1998
A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University and A.T. Still University, Allison Acquisto DHSc, MAT, RDN, LDN has been a registered dietitian nutritionist since 1992, working in dietetics practice areas such as inpatient healthcare, long term care, and community nutrition. Allison was an intervention dietitian for The Women's Health Initiative Study from 1994-1998. She was the owner of Cooking UP Good Nutrition from 2000-2010 providing health and wellness programs throughout the state of Rhode Island.
Since joining Johnson & Wales as an instructor in 1998, Acquisto has taught laboratory and academic courses in the College of Culinary Arts, College of Food Innovation & Technology and the College of Health & Wellness. She infuses student-centered learning with interprofessional experiences inside and outside of the classroom.
Acquisto has been the Supervised Experiential Learning Coordinator for the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics program since 2022.
Education
- D.H.Sc., A.T. Still University, College of Graduate Health Studies
- M.A.T., Food Service Education, Johnson & Wales University
- B.S., Nutrition/Dietetics, Univeristy of Rhode Island
- A.A.S., Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales University
Teaching Interests
Community Nutrition
Functional and Integrative Health
Public Health and Disease Prevention
Culinary Medicine
Scholarly Interests
Interprofessional education
Gender-affirming nutrition care
Courses
- DIET5300: Nutrition for Health and Wellness
- DIET5020: Foundations of Nutrition II
- DIET3080: Community Nutrition
- SCI1050: Nutrition
Extra Curricular Roles
JWU College of Health & Wellness Curriculum Committee
JWU College of Health & Wellness Experiential Learning Coordinator Committee
JWU Nutrition & Dietetics Advisory Board
JWU Nutrition Society Club Advisor
Peer Reviewer, Topics in Clinical Nutrition
South Providence Health Equity Zone
Professional Affiliations
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
Rhode Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (RIAND)
Nutrition and Dietetics Educators and Preceptors (NDEP)
Publications
- Acquisto, A. (2023, April). Health and Wellness Curriculum Strategies to Incorporate Gender-Affirming Screening Tools. (Poster). JWU University Scholarship & Best Practices Expo. Providence, RI
- Acquisto, A. (2023, March). The Use of Gender-Affirming Screening Tools Among Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. (Presentation). 2023 Nutrition and Dietetics Educators and Preceptors (NDEP) Conference, Omaha, NE.
- Acquisto, A. (2021, April). Awarding Community Service Learning with Open Badges. (Poster). JWU Faculty Scholarship Showcase, Providence, RI
- Acquisto, A. (2019, October). Emotional Eating: The Registered Dietitian Nutritionist’s Role in Integrating Two Effective Interventions into the Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team. (Poster). JWU Faculty Scholarship Showcase, Providence, RI