Melanie Ng
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Ph.D. Candidate and Dietetic Intern
169A and 172 Dawson Hall
305 Sanford Dr.
Athens, GA 30602
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietetics | Foods and Nutrition | University of Georgia | May 2018 |
| Consumer Foods | Foods and Nutrition | University of Georgia | May 2018 |
Research
Melanie's research focuses on the use of sensory evaluation methodology within the non-traditional community nutrition recipe development setting. Through a nutritional (specifically sodium and fat reduction), ingredient functionality, and sensory lens, Melanie provides guidance for recipe reformulation with the objective of improving consumer acceptability of recipes.
Teaching
FDNS 4645/6645 Functional and Nutritional Properties of Food (Fall semester, annually)
FDNS 4647/6647 and 4647/6647L Sensory Evaluation of Food (Fall semester, annually)
FDNS 4650 and 4650L Experimental Study of Food (Spring semester, annually)
Awards
| Award Name | Awarded By | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship | College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia | 2021 |
| Karin Elizabeth Willis Scholarship | College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia | 2019-2020 |
| Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship | College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia | 2018 |
| HOPE/Zell MIller Scholarship | University of Georgia | 2014-2018 |
| Dean's List | College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia | 2015-2018 |
Service
| Organization | Title | Year(s) | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Georgia Dietetic Association | Nominating Committee Chair | 2020-Present | |
| Northeast Georgia Dietetic Association | Nominating Committee Member | 2019-2020 | |
| FDN Graduate Student Organization | President | 2019-2020 | |
| Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | Awards Committee Member | 2021-Present |
Advisory Committee
Koushik Adhikari, PhD CFS
Elizabeth Andress, PhD
Ginnefer Cox, PhD RD (Major Professor)
Sarah Henes, PhD RDN LD
Jung Sun lee, PhD RD
Areas of Expertise
Consumer acceptability; non-traditional CLT settings and HUT; ingredient functionality; foods and nutrition; product reformulation and culinary science
Journal Articles
Ng MK, Lee JS, Sanville LM, Cotta-Rivera E, Dallas J, Pencek A, Powell A, Williams B, Moore CJ, & Cox GO. Sensory Evaluation of New Recipes for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Informs Consumer Acceptance and Recipe Development Needs. Journal of Sensory Studies. DOI: 10.1111/joss.12730
Ng MK, Adhikari K, Andress E, Henes, S, Lee, JS, & Cox GO (under review). Sensory Evaluation Methodology for use with Recipe Development in Non-Traditional Federal Community Nutrition Settings. Submitted to the Journal of Sensory Studies.
Ng M, Henes S, Giraudo S, Cox GO (under review). Utilizing Sensory Evaluation Methodology to Measure Acceptability of a Southern Salsa Recipe in Georgia 4-H Participants. Submitted to the Journal of Food Quality.
Ng M, Andress E, Adhikari K, Henes S, Lee JS, Cox, GO (in progress). Sensory Evaluation Feedback from Peer Educators Provides Important Perspective on Direct Education Recipes for Federal Nutrition Education Programs. Manuscript in preparation for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Ng M, Andress E, Adhikari K, Henes S, Lee JS, Cox, GO (in progress). A Sensory-Informed Ballot Offers Timely Insights on Recipes Tested by Peer Educators of Direct Nutrition Education Programs. Manuscript in preparation for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Ng M, Andress E, Adhikari K, Henes S, Lee JS, Cox G. The Inside Scoop: Sensory Evaluation Feedback from Peer Educators Provides Important Perspective on Direct Education Recipes. Oral Presentation recorded for the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Conference, 2021, Virtual. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.04.021
Cox, G.O., Rotberg, B., Ng, M., Henes, S., Giraudo, S. 2020. Examining the Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Intervention for Hispanic Participants. Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association: Vol. 8 : No. 1, Article 9. DOI: 10.20429/jgpha.2020.080109
Cox GO, Cotto-Rivera E, Dallas J, Ng M, Pencek, A, Powell A, Sanville L, Williams B, Lee JS. Taste is everything: Feasibility of using sensory evaluation to develop responsive recipes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed). Poster presented at Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Conference, 2019, Orlando, FL. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2019.05.563
Publications
Numerous articles authored on FoodTalk.org, the official blog of UGA SNAP-Ed
Quoted in article, "Nutrition student and dietician discuss TikTok's effect on body image," by Julianna Washburn for the UGA Red & Black, April 19, 2021
"Rejecting diet culture in a society that praises it," by Melanie Ng for The Passages Project, January 4, 2021