Profile
Dr. Navder is a consummate nutritional professional who has made numerous contributions in a career that spans over three decades as a professor at Hunter College, where she has been a faculty member since 1988. As Director of the Nutrition Program, she oversees the BS, dual BS-MS, MS, and Dietetic Internship Programs, a couple of which are ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) accredited. The MS Nutrition Integrated Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (IPND) that she created and directs is a unique, dynamic accredited graduate program that is the first within CUNY, and one of a limited number of programs in the country to offer combined didactic and supervised experiential learning at the graduate level. Dr. Navder has created unique pathways for inner-city students to pursue full-time, day programs. Through the cohort model of structured, sequential learning she has been successful at creating stimulating and intellectually challenging programs that promote a sense of community with near-perfect graduation rates in her undergraduate and graduate tracks. She is also the advisor to the Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society for Nutrition students and has created a vibrant Nutrition Club.
Dr. Navder’s research has involved studying the effects of various food components on biochemical and metabolic regulations of lipid and alcohol metabolism. She has also studied ethnic differences in fat distribution patterns in children and neonates and has examined the effect of maternal diet and obesity on fetal growth and offspring adiposity. She encourages active student involvement in research projects and strongly believes in building a solid research foundation for her students.
Dr. Navder has been a recipient of the Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), and the Distinguished Research Alumni Award from her alma mater, Kansas State University. At the national level, she has served as the Chair of the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors (NDEP) – a Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy, as a Commissioner with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), and on the Council on Research of AND.