Samantha Coogan

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Director, Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics

Senior Lecturer, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences

Expertise: Diet, Human nutrition, Food science, Lifecycle nutrition, Community nutrition, Food & ethnic issues

Biography

Samantha Coogan is a senior lecturer within the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, and serves as the director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPND). She has been licensed in Nevada as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) since 2014.

Coogan teaches human nutrition, sports nutrition, nutrition, health and ethnic issues, nutrition assessment, and medical nutrition therapy (MNT) within the B.S. in Nutrition Sciences undergraduate program. She has also taught in the areas of food science, lifecycle nutrition, and community nutrition.

Coogan is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is a past president of the Nevada Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NvAND), and is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Nevada Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors practice group.

In 2019, she won the Nevada Emerging Dietetic Leader of the Year Award, and was then featured in the Opening Session of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) 2019 for her role as program director and passion for creating confidence in her students to become future leaders of the profession.

Coogan was later the 2023 Nevada Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year (RYDY) recipient for her contributions to the Las Vegas community, leadership in education and career guidance, and participation in the dietetics profession at the state and national levels.

She is frequently called upon by national media including Healthline, Sports Illustrated, Women's Health Magazine, and Wallethub.

Education

M.S., Exercise Physiology, UNLV
B.S., Nutrition Sciences, UNLV

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Samantha Coogan In The News

Do I actually need electrolytes to stay hydrated?

Look around: Does it seem like everyone has been pouring little packages of electrolyte into their beverages lately? Pre-workout, post-workout, without a workout at all? Powders and tablets like LMNT, Liquid I.V., and Nuun are everywhere, from TikTok ads to your office snack counter.

Are Your Herbal Supplements Safe? Tips for Using Unregulated Remedies

Next Avenue

Millions of Americans take herbs and supplements to enhance their health or alleviate ailments ranging from the common cold to arthritis. Many consumers consider these to be safe, accessible complements to conventional medicine, but research suggests some of these products could do more harm than good.

The 28 Best Things to Eat, According to 10 Nutrition Experts

Wise & Well

Stranded on a desert island, I could live off nothing but bread, bananas and broccoli. That’s what I say, anyway. My wife scoffs. What about protein? Hmm, beans, I suppose, sticking stubbornly to my B-inspired list. But I’m no nutritionist. And like many people, I’m often confused by the competing and conflicting claims about what we should eat.

Can Cardio Really “Kill” Your Gains? Exercise Science Experts Weigh In

Peloton

You don’t need to be deep in the fitness world to have run into the idea that cardio “kills” muscle gains—as if every cycling class and or 3-mile run sends a little army of molecules through your body to chomp away at hard-earned muscle tissue. While it’s an entertaining image and a potentially convincing theory, the reality is that it’s not exactly true.