Maria Kaiafas Plant

Biography

      Dr. Plant has worked as a clinical dietitian for over 25 years. As a clinical dietitian she provided coverage for many units including Critical Care, Medical, Pediatrics, Oncology, and Surgical units. Her work experience also includes management of Clinical Nutrition and Diabetes Education Departments. Dr. Plant worked as pre-doctoral fellow and adjunct faculty at Rutgers School of Health Professions prior to accepting her UA position. During her time as a clinical dietitian and manager, Dr. Plant had the opportunity to oversee and mentor dietetic interns, entry level dietitians and student volunteers.  Her passion for nutrition and higher education led her to her most current position as Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona Nutritional Sciences Program starting Fall of 2016. Dr. Plant obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University and a Master’s and Doctoral Degree in Clinical Nutrition from Rutgers, School of Health Professions.  Dr. Plant has a particular interest and appreciation for online learning as both her Master’s and Doctoral Degrees were obtained through this exciting and engaging learning platform. In addition, some of her clinical interests include practice-based research, surgical nutrition, nutrition support, nutrition focused physical exam and malnutrition coding. 

Degrees

• Doctor of Clinical Nutrition Nutrition
• Rutgers University, School of Health Professions, Newark, New Jersey, United States
• Validation of a Practice- Based Dietitian Research Involvement Survey
• M.S. Clinical Nutrition
• Rutgers University, School of Health Professions, Newark, New Jersey, United States
• The Impact of Medical Nutrition Therapy Provided by a Registered Dietitian on Nutrition Parameters and Functional Status in Weight Losing Cancer Patients
• B.S. Didactic Program
• Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, United States

Awards

• Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Spring 2021