Vol Nutrition

"Our mission is to motivate and educate University of Tennessee student-athletes to adopt healthy lifelong nutritional habits to help maximize their performance on and off the field of play."

	Ethan Bauer - Director of Sports Nutrition Ethan Bauer came aboard as Tennessee's Director of Sports Nutrition in April of 2021. He oversees nutrition optimization for all 20 varsity sport programs on Rocky Top. Bauer’s background specializes in the analysis of energy balance, body composition, hydration status, supplementation and on- and off-day dietary habits of high-performance athletes. He will provide education on optimal dietary practices for training, competition, post-exercise recovery, injury, illness, weight management and overall health. Prior to his hiring at Tennessee, Bauer spent five years as an assistant sports dietitian for the University of Nebraska Athletics Department. During his time in Lincoln, he assisted in the development and implementation of sports nutrition services to optimize their overall health and performance. He collaborated with an interdisciplinary sports performance team on recovery interventions, perioperative nutrition protocols and medical nutrition therapy. Bauer worked with Nebraska's football, basketball, baseball, and wrestling programs and was heavily involved in day-to-day operations at the athletics training table. Bauer grew up in Morse Bluff, Nebraska, and received undergraduate degrees in both Justice Studies and Nutrition and Wellness from Chadron State College in 2015. While attending Chadron State, Bauer was a part of the football program and earned academic All-America honors. He later earned certification as a registered dietitian (RD) during his time on staff at Nebraska. Bauer holds affiliations with the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA), Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).
	Amanda Fernandez - Associate Director of Sports Nutrition Amanda Fernandez joined the Tennessee Athletics staff in July of 2021 as the Associate Director of Sports Nutrition. She oversees the nutritional needs of the men’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, track and field, and cross-country teams. Prior to working at the University of Tennessee, Fernandez worked at Florida International, where she pioneered the sports nutrition program for the Panthers, overseeing the nutritional needs for all 18 Division 1 teams. In a dual role, she also worked as an athletic trainer. She provided counseling and education for individual athletes and teams on nutrition to generate optimal performance outcomes. Fernandez also spent time at the University of Miami (Fla.), where she worked with both the sports nutrition and athletic training departments. She was a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the Hurricanes from 2014-16, working closely with the football, track & field, cross country, volleyball, and baseball programs. She returned in 2017-2018 with a dual role as an athletic training assistant and sports nutrition intern working primarily with football. Her contributions included performing data assessments and application of research findings to benefit student-athletes’ recovery processes. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fernandez graduated from Duquesne with a degree in Athletic Training with a minor in Spanish. She later obtained an additional bachelor’s degree in nutrition from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Miami. Fernandez is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, a Certified Nutrition Specialist, a certified athletic trainer, and she is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
	Maggie Melhorn - Associate Director of Sports Nutrition Maggie Melhorn joined the Tennessee Athletics staff in April of 2023 as the Associate Director of Sports Nutrition for Football. Melhorn previously worked at the University of Connecticut, where she served as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Nutrition and oversaw all 19 varsity sport programs for the Huskies. During her time in Storrs, she helped lead the football program to their most recent visit to a bowl game since 2015 and their men’s basketball program to a National Championship win in Houston, TX (2023). In 2021, the Knoxville, Tennessee, native was hired as the first sports dietitian to work at Coastal Caroline University where she worked with the football program. During her time there she worked on making an immediate impact by developing a nutrition curriculum for student athletes, building a fueling station, being involved in all areas regarding fueling, and establishing a presence with the team. During Melhorn’s time at Coastal, they went 11-2 & 6-2 in conference play. Melhorn was part of the staff during the football program’s second visit to a bowl game and the program’s first bowl win at The Cure Bowl in Orlando, FL (2021). Prior to Melhorn’s time at Coastal, she was a graduate assistant at Auburn University, where she worked as the lead sports dietitian for their volleyball, softball, men’s & women’s tennis teams, men’s & women’s swim & dive teams, and assisted with the football team. Melhorn also completed her master’s in science in Kinesiology during her time at Auburn University. Melhorn graduated from Carson-Newman University in 2018 with a bachelor’s in science in Foods, Nutrition, and Dietetics and a minor in Business Administration. During Melhorn’s time earning her undergraduate degree she was also a student-athlete on the swim team. Melhorn is a 4x All-American in swimming. She is an Individual All-American in the 100 and 200 breaststroke (2018) as well as an All-American on two relays, the 200 Medley Relay (2018) and the 800 Freestyle Relay (2016). Being a Knoxville native, Melhorn worked as a sports nutrition volunteer intern for the University of Tennessee in 2017, where she primarily assisted with the football & basketball teams. Melhorn is a Registered Dietitian and is in the process of becoming a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). She is an active member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA).
	Beth Schwartz - Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition Beth Schwartz returned to the Tennessee Athletics staff in the summer of 2023 as Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition working with Baseball, Swim & Dive and Volleyball. Before Schwartz’s return to Rocky Top, she served as the Director of Sports Nutrition- Football at the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss. There she oversaw nutrition operations for the football team and assisted in oversight of the Manning Performance Centers dining facility, the Grill at 1810. During her time in Oxford, she helped the program to their 4^th consecutive bowl appearance under head coach Lane Kiffin. Prior to her time at Ole Miss, Schwartz served as Associate Director- High Performance Chef at her alma mater, the University of Tennessee. As a dietitian, Schwartz was an associate for the football team while serving as lead dietitian for Volleyball and the SEC Championship rosters for Baseball and Swim & Dive. Schwartz’s role of High-Performance Chef utilized her culinary background writing menus, managing staff, and teaching culinary interns with interest in performance nutrition. Schwartz received her first degree in Psychology, but her academic pursuits were far from complete. After graduation, she realized food & the culinary arts were her true passions leading her to culinary school. After several years working as a chef, caterer, baker and private chef she settled at the world-renowned luxury hotel and resort, Blackberry Farm. While there as Private Owner Catering Chef, she was a part of the culinary team on property that won 2 James Beard Awards. Soon after, Schwartz returned to the University of Tennessee to pursue a career in sport nutrition leading to her completing her master's degree in Cellular, Molecular Nutrition & Dietetics. As a former Tennessee student-athlete, Schwartz was a four-year letterwinner for the University’s Rowing team. During that time, she was a member of the first class to make four consecutive NCAA National Championship appearances, was captain her final year and helped lead the Varsity 8+ to a programs best finish of 8^th at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Schwartz is a Registered Dietitian and working toward becoming a Certified Chef de Cuisine in the kitchen. She is an active member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA), American Culinary Federation and an advisory board member with the UT Culinary Institute in Knoxville.
	Victoria Ip - Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition Victoria Ip joined the Tennessee Athletics staff in July of 2023 as an Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition. Prior to coming to Tennessee, Victoria worked at Texas Christian University for three years, where she spent her first year as a fueling station manager. In managerial role, she oversaw all fueling operations for the program's 22 sport teams and primary athletic weight room fueling station. She was then promoted into the departmental role as a Sports Nutrition Graduate Assistant, serving as the primary team dietitian for Women's Indoor Volleyball, Men and Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, Rifle, and Men's Basketball, all while working towards her master’s degree in liberal arts. Starting in her graduate assistantship role, she provided services such as individual athlete consultations, numerous seasonal team educations, travel nutrition operations and fueling plans, competition nutrition, hydration testing, and body composition examinations and tracking. She also contributed to the growth and development of the department, implementing systems for efficient day to day operations and drafting the department's first concussion injury protocol. Working with TCU's Men's Basketball in the last year of her Sports Nutrition Graduate Assistant role, she helped fuel the team to make it post season into the 2023 NCAA March Madness tournament, where the team advanced into the second round. A Northeast native, Victoria was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in New Jersey. She completed her undergraduate at Montclair State University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science: Dietetics. Following her undergraduate, she worked in the clinical setting for over a year at a major University Hospital in Paterson, NJ, while also gaining her initial collegiate sports nutrition experience at Rutgers University as a sports nutrition volunteer. At Rutgers, she spent time working in both the Olympic and Football setting, while also gaining more in-depth exposure to the field by shadowing and assisting their Football dietitian. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and is working towards becoming a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). She is a member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA). Victoria currently serves as the primary team dietitian for three Tennessee Lady Vols teams- Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer, and Softball.
	Dustin Harris - Sports Nutrition Fellow Dustin Harris is serving as the sports dietitian for men’s and women’s golf and serves as an assistant dietitian with football. He joined the Tennessee Athletics Team in October 2022. Prior to his time at Tennessee, Dustin worked in private practice as the dietitian at a private fitness facility in Syracuse. During his time there he served a wide range of athletes ranging from adolescents to master athletes. While completing his dietetic internship Dustin worked to create a sports nutrition program in conjunction with a youth baseball training facility as well as a local high school strength and conditioning department . Dustin Is a native of Syracuse, New York. He Completed his Bachelor of science degree in Exercise Science at SUNY Cortland in 2020. During his time at SUNY Cortland, he competed at the Division three level as a collegiate Wrestler. He then went on to attend The Ohio State University where he completed his master’s degree in Dietetics as well as his dietetic internship.
	Helen Ballew - Sports Nutrition Fellow Helen Ballew joined the Tennessee Athletics team in July 2023 as the Sports Nutrition Fellow. Originally from Charlottesville Virginia, she received her undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Clemson University in 2019. During her time at Clemson, she worked as an intern for the Sports Nutrition Department, assisting operations in both Olympic and Football fueling stations. After graduating, she went on to receive her Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Degree from Appalachian State University while simultaneously completing her Dietetic Internship. After graduating, she spent two years providing individual and group nutrition counseling and serving as a nutrition resource advisor in the private practice setting. Helen is excited to make the transition back to working in sports; her current responsibilities include overseeing rowing, managing the Carmichael fueling station, and assisting with the nutrition needs for Baseball, Swim & Dive, and Volleyball.
	Adelle Capp - Sports Nutrition Fellow Adelle Capp joined the Tennessee Athletics team in October 2023 as a sports nutrition fellow. Capp graduated in December 2021 from the University of Wisconsin with a BS in nutritional science and dietetics. She completed her dietetic internship at the University of Indianapolis with a concentration in sports nutrition. While at UIndy, she worked directly with UIndy Sports Medicine and the National Institute for Fitness and Sport. Capp is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), working toward becoming a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and Sport and Human Performance Nutrition (SHPN). Capp currently serves as the assistant sports dietitian for men’s and women’s basketball and oversees all fueling related responsibilities for spirit squad.

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