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Sue E.D. Cunningham, PhD, RD/LD, CDE

Assistant Professor
Department of Community Dentistry

Education

Biographical Sketch

Upon graduation from her Dietetic Internship, Dr. Cunningham served as a Hospital Dietitian in the U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps in Active Duty and Active Reserves positions in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Denver, Colorado; Helena, Montana; Kearny, New Jersey; Topeka, Kansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Tacoma, Washington; and Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Her last assignment was Chief, Allied Health Services, 5501st U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and she retired from the U.S. Army Reserves with the rank of Colonel on September 1, 2001. Her military honors include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal; the Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters; the Overseas Training Ribbon; and the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star. She volunteered for Active Duty service during the 1st Gulf War and served at Madigan Army Medical Center. In civilian life, Dr. Cunningham has experience as a Medical Nutrition Therapist in acute and long-term healthcare settings in Kansas, South Carolina, Washington, and Texas. She has served as a Public Health Nutritionist and Program Coordinator for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Kansas and Washington; substitute teacher for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools, U.S. Army Europe; and a Realtor™ in Washington. Her research experience includes nutritional oncology, diabetes, and oral health, specifically Early Childhood Caries, the focus of her doctoral dissertation research. She has extensive experience in the areas of nutritional oncology; diabetes; maternal-child nutrition; cardiology; food service safety; survey instrument development, validity, and reliability; and nutritional counseling. She is a member of the San Antonio, Texas, and American Dietetic Associations; Kappa Omicron Nu National Honor Society; the American Association of Diabetes Educators; the International Association for Dental Research; the Reserve Officers Association; and the Military Officers Association of America. She serves as an officer of Nutrition Educators of Health Professionals, a Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. She is board certified as a Registered Dietitian, is a Licensed Dietitian in the state of Texas, and is a Certified Diabetes Educator. Her honors include the Curved Bar Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting; Etta Joel Award for Outstanding Senior in Home Economics, Florida State University; Sunkist Growers Award for Outstanding Patient Care Study by a Dietetic Intern, American Dietetic Association Foundation; Lane Nutrition Research Award, Texas Dietetic Association Foundation; Lydia J. Roberts Fellowship in Public Health Nutrition, American Dietetic Association Foundation; San Antonio Dietetic Association Scientist of the Year; Jean Hankin Nutritional Epidemiology Fellowship from the American Dietetic Association Foundation; and the 2003-5 and 2007-9 Colgate-Palmolive Fellowships in Oral Health Nutrition, American Dietetic Association Foundation. Dr. Cunningham is frequently interviewed on nutrition topics by local and national print, radio, and television media and is an invited speaker for numerous professional and civic organizations. She has authored book chapters and abstracts in nutritional and oral health research.

Dr. Cunningham’s office is room 3.174R in the Dental School. She can be reached by telephone at (210) 567-4589 or (210) 567-3200; Fax (210) 567-3119; or by email at cunninghams@utshcsa.edu