Dr. Colette Leistner
Associate Professor and Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
South Louisiana cuisine is like no other. Growing up in southwestern Louisiana, Dr. Colette Leistner recognizes that food is more than nourishment for many people. She has spent much time studying south Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole foodways and cuisine of teaching a lay audience and dietetics professionals how to prepare traditional foods in a healthy way.
Leistner has taught dietetics courses at Nicholls since 1993. “I am especially pleased that I have had the opportunity to see the women graduates of our program become independent and self-supporting,” she says. “For so many years women’s career options were limited — dietetics is very adaptable profession and offers many exciting options in the 21st century.”
One of the most enjoyable academic endeavors for Leistner has been writing about the foodways of south Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole culture — whether as a Thibodaux Daily Comet columnist for five years or as an author of professional publications.
In her spare time, Leistner enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, and gardening.
Education:
B.S., M.A., University of Southwestern Louisiana; Ph.D., Florida State University
Courses Taught:
DIET 111 — Food and Nutrition
DIET 120 — Introduction to Dietetics
DIET 215 — Meal Management
DIET 264 — Food Science
DIET 301 — Institutional Planning and Purchasing
DIET 316 — Organization and Management
DIET 330 — Health Beliefs and Practices in a Diverse Society
DIET 404 — Quantity Food Production
Professional affiliations:
- American Dietetic Association
- Louisiana Dietetic Association
- Bayou District Dietetic Association
- Dietetics Educators of Practitioners Practice Group
Credentials:
Contact information:
256 Betsy Cheramie Ayo Hall
Phone: 985.448.4732
E-mail: colette.leistner@nicholls.edu