Inside Iowa State

June 10, 2005

Achterberg to lead the College of Human Sciences

by Annette Hacker

Cheryl Achterberg, founding dean of the Schreyer Honors College and professor of nutrition science at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, will become inaugural dean of the College of Human Sciences on Sept. 1.

The college will be founded on July 1, bringing together the departments and programs formerly housed in the colleges of Education and Family and Consumer Sciences.

"Cheryl Achterberg is an outstanding choice to lead our new College of Human Sciences," said President Gregory Geoffroy. "She is a skilled administrator and a top scholar in nutrition education, and she will definitely bring important ideas and energy to the college and to Iowa State."

Achterberg has served as founding dean of the Schreyer Honors College since 1998, and was acting dean for one year prior to that. She also is a professor in the nutritional sciences department at Penn State, as well as an affiliate professor in the School of Information Sciences Technology and an affiliate professor of education theory and policy in the College of Education.

Achterberg served as co-director of the Penn State Nutrition Center from 1985 to 1991, and director from 1992 to 1996. She has researched nutrition education among children and adolescents, as well as low-income, low-literate, older and minority populations.

She received a bachelor's degree (with high honors) in biological sciences from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (1975); a master's degree (with high honors) in human development/nutrition from the University of Maine, Orono (1981); and a doctorate in nutrition from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. (1986).

Cheryl Achterberg

"Cheryl Achterberg is an outstanding choice to lead our new College of Human Sciences. She is a skilled administrator and a top scholar in nutrition education, and she will definitely bring important ideas and energy to the college and to Iowa State."

President Gregory Geoffroy