Biography
Annette Besnilian is the Executive Director of the Marilyn Magaram Center and Dietetic Internship Director; and the faculty member teaching Nutrition and Dietetic classes to graduate students in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She holds a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from CSUN. She received her M.P.H. in Public Health Nutrition from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) while completing her Dietetic Internship at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a Registered Dietitian (RD), a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE), and a Faculty Affiliate of the CSUN Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing. She also serves as a NIH BUILD PODER Mentor for CSUN. She has been a DI Director for over 16 years and has trained and graduated over 160 dietetic interns and Registered Dietitians (RDs/RDNs). She currently has affiliation agreements with over 40 community, administrative, and clinical sites throughout LA County, primarily in the San Fernando Valley. She has received numerous awards and recognitions such as Primary Investigators (PI) Award, Diversity Action Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and CSUN Faculty Scholar, Outstanding Dietetic Educator award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Excellence in Education from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The Young Dietitian of the year award from AND. She is the recipient of Extraordinary Service to the university. She is a member of numerous organizations such as; California Dietetic Association (CDA), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (A.N.D.) previously known as American Dietetic Association (ADA), California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetits (CAN), State Professional Recruitment Coordinator, California Educational Research Association, American Council on Fitness and Nutrition, Kappa Omicron Nu (KON) Honor Society, Institue of Food Technologists (IFT), Southern California Insitute of Food Technologists (SCIFTS), American Public Health Association, and the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. She is the faculty co-advisor for KON. Working with students and educating them is truly her passion!