Framingham State University student Laurie Richards-Farnsworth is the 2023 recipient of the Massachusetts Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Outstanding Student award.

This spring she will graduate from the University's 4+1 Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD), which provides students with the opportunity to earn both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in just five years, saving time and money.

"I'm thrilled and honored to receive this award," says Richards-Farnsworth. "The people I see in this major are all very intelligent and driven, so it was pretty shocking to get state-wide recognition."

Framingham State is the only college in Massachusetts to offer a 4+1 CPD program, which is crucial as the Commission on Dietetic Registration will begin requiring a master's degree in order to take the national dietitians exam starting in 2024.

"I am in one of the last classes that isn't required to get a master's degree to take the exam, but my professors encouraged me to enroll in the 4+1 program because the profession will get much more competitive once everyone is required to earn their masters," says Richards-Farnsworh. "I completed my bachelor's degree in 2022 and will graduate with my master's this spring."

She is interested in a career specializing in helping people with eating disorders and can envision working in sports nutrition or a clinical setting.

"Laurie has pursued her degrees with passion and enthusiasm," says Jerusha Nelson-Peterman, Chair of the Food and Nutrition Department. "We are extremely proud of her."

To learn more about the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at Framingham State, click here.