NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – What began as a teenager’s dream of becoming a veterinarian, or even an underwater welder, ultimately led Dr. Veronica Oates to a nationally recognized career in nutrition, public health, and higher education.
Oates, professor in the Department of Human Sciences at Tennessee State University, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Education Practice Award. The award is one of the profession’s highest honors, recognizing her outstanding service, leadership, and contributions to nutrition and dietetics. She will formally be presented the award later this year at the academy’s 2026 Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition in San Antonio, Texas.
For Oates, the national accolade represents decades of steadfast dedication to improving community health outcomes and expanding educational pathways for future nutrition professionals, especially students from underrepresented communities.
“I was always interested in nutrition,” Oates said. “Looking back now, I know this is what God ordained for me.”
Her journey into academia and public health was anything but standard. Growing up in Washington, D.C., she initially gravitated toward veterinary medicine and underwater welding due to a love of swimming. The turning point came at Cardozo High School, where science teacher Lucy McCorkle required every student to submit a science fair project.
Oates chose to analyze the saccharin content in consumer products. Her study earned runner-up honors at the D.C. Science Fair before winning top place the following year, earning her a spot at an international science competition in Puerto Rico.
“I really believe that was the catalyst,” she recalled.
She earned a full scholarship to North Carolina Central University to study biology. However, taking an elective nutrition course reignited a lifelong interest inspired by her grandfather, who frequently reminded her that “we’re supposed to eat to live and not live to eat.” Following her undergraduate work and immunology research, Oates realized that dietetics perfectly combined her scientific curiosity with a desire to combat health disparities.
Since joining TSU in 2008, Oates has made student success and institutional growth her primary focus. A cornerstone of her work at TSU has been developing academic pathways that allow students to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees in nutrition while preparing to become Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) without having to leave the university.
Her mission remains focused on increasing diversity within the field, ensuring that underserved communities are served by culturally competent dietitians.
“My goal was never to win awards,” Oates said. “It was to expose people to nutrition and reliable health information.”
That mission, she noted, is more critical today than ever before amid a flood of social media diet trends and automated AI health advice. “There are so many misconceptions,” she said. “Everybody is different. What works for one person may not work for another. That’s why we need credible health professionals in nutrition.”
While honored to receive recognition from her national peers, Oates insists her greatest fulfillment comes from watching her students thrive.
“We have some really good students at this university,” she said. “They just need the opportunity.”
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public land-grant university offering 41 bachelor’s degrees, 15 graduate certificates, 27 master’s degrees, and nine doctoral degrees. TSU’s campus spans 500 acres. The university is committed to academic excellence, providing students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders. Visit tnstate.edu for more details.
