Chair
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Levin Dotimas, MS, RD, CD
Levin graduated in 2017 from Brigham Young University (Provo, UT) with a BS in Dietetics and a minor in French. He later graduated from Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK) in 2021 with an MS in Nutritional Science, which included his dietetic internship. He passed his RD exam shortly thereafter. When looking for RD jobs, he vowed to never end up in Provo and in food service management. At the moment, he is the Patient Meal Services Manager at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, UT where he manages an amazing group who is dedicated to making sure that the patients have an excellent meal experience in the hospital. Although not quite the career path he had originally planned, he enjoys his job and the relationships he gets to build with his team. In his spare time, Levin takes a clogging dance class and also performs with World Dance Company, a group that showcases traditional dance styles from several countries like the USA, Philippines, India, Hungary, Ukraine, etc.
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Chair - Elect
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Christina Liew-Newville, EdD, RDN, LD, FAND, CHWi
Dr. Christina Liew-Newville, EdD, RDN, LD, FAND, CHWi, is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director for the Dietetic Technician Program at the Tarrant County College, Texas. She received her Doctoral of Education degree in Education Leadership with a specialization in Health Sciences from the University of the Cumberlands. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition and her Master of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her prior work experience includes working as a public health nutritionist for the health department, a home visit dietitian for an Early Childhood Intervention Program, and a clinical dietitian at a hospital. Currently, she also serves as the Chaplain for the Dietitians For Christ group. In her free time, she enjoys watching spy movies and Asian dramas.
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Secretary
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Kajal Patel, MS, RDN, LD
Kajal Patel went to Oklahoma State University for her undergraduate and graduate studies, which included her dietetic internship. Kajal works as a clinical dietitian in Oklahoma. Her previous experience includes working in bariatrics/weight loss. Kajal is passionate about nutrition and dietetics in order to be a credible and safe source of information for her patients, and to help them reach their nutrition goals. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, and spending time with family and friends.
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Treasurer
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Zhiping Yu, Ph.D., RDN, LDN, FAND
Zhiping is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of North Florida. She received her doctoral degree in Nutritional Science from Pennsylvania State University and her bachelor's and master’s degrees in Food Science in China. She is a Registered Dietitian and a Florida licensed Dietitian and Nutritionist. Besides teaching, Dr. Yu’s primary research interests are in the prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases such as eating disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. She is an active member of several scientific societies and serves in a number of committee positions.
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Nominating & Awards Committee Chair
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Yanjie Yu, MS, RDN, CDCES, CDN
Yanjie obtained her Master’s in Nutrition and Exercise Science at Queens College and her BS in Human Nutrition from Washington State University. She completed her Nutrition Coordinated Program with Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA.
Yanjie has an extensive resume and over 15 years of clinical and community experience in hospital and outpatient settings. Yanjie is specialized in weight management, diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy, and other chronic disease conditions. She is always looking to expand her knowledges and skills in the field. Yanjie has been serving as a Treasurer at her local chapter in Long Island, NY since 2019.
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Nominating & Awards Committee Chair-Elect
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Jerianne Cusipag, MEd, RD, CDN
Jerianne successfully completed her Master of Education in Community Nutrition Education at Teachers College Columbia University. She is an active member of the AAPI MIG since 2021 and is the current Nominating and Awards Committee Chair-Elect. She was born and raised in the Philippines and has worked in Qatar. She is excited to bring her cultural competence and nutrition expertise to her next job. She is also committed to eating her way through New York City in her spare time.
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Committee for Professional Development Chair
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Jera (Qianhui) Zhang, MS, MA, RDN
Jera is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York City. She is also a certified lactation counselor and trained in the Low FODMAP Diet Protocol for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She will graduate from the doctoral program in behavioral nutrition at Teachers College, Columbia University, and join Hunter College in New York City as an Assistant Professor in the fall. She has also been trained in sociology and behavioral science with experience at the United Nations and various NGOs. Her research interests include culturally adapted dietary education and management related to digestive health, gluten-free diet, food allergies, and immune-related disorders.
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Membership Committee Chair
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Edith Yang, RD, CSR, CLT, FAND
Edith has worked in the area of nutrition and dietetics for nearly a decade. She is the founder and principal dietitian of Healthy Mission Dietitian, Inc, a hybrid model insurance-based private practice that specializes in chronic disease management and prevention. She is board certified in renal nutrition, a Certified LEAP therapist, a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics, a cookbook author, and a preceptor/mentor for RDs and RDs-to-be. Edith is an advocate for making evidence-based nutrition information accessible to people from different walks of life, cultural backgrounds, and age groups. She enjoys helping her clients cultivate a joyful relationship with food and learn how to adapt and thrive on their health journey. She wants to empower her clients with knowledge to know how foods impact their body and their health and how they can make realistic and sustainable changes to live healthy lives and feel their very best.
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Social Media/Communications Committee Chair
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Brianna dela Torre, MS, RDN
Brianna currently works for the Fairfax County Health Department as a WIC dietitian following the completion of her master's program at the University of Pittsburgh in 2022. Her primary areas of interest and expertise surround nutrition education in public health and through the media. Brianna joined AAPI during the first year of her master's program and is excited to continue connecting with her fellow RDNs on the topics of food and nutrition.
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House of Delegates (HOD) MIG Delegate
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Hilary Wu, MS, RD
Hilary is currently the DPD Director at Cal Poly Pomona where she helps to train students to become future dietitians. She is also a clinical dietitian at San Antonio Regional Hospital and skilled nursing facilities in Southern California. She had the opportunity of moving back to Taiwan to work in food service and public health for several years prior to earning her Master of Science in Nutrition from Cal Poly Pomona. In her spare time, she enjoys sipping a cup of coffee with her dogs at home.
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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access (IDEA) Liaison
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Maggie Tsai, MS
Maggie came from Taichung, Taiwan. She received her Master of Science in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition from Tufts University and finished the DPD program at Simmons University. Now, she is a dietetic intern at Yale-New Haven Hospital, CT. She hopes to become a dietitian specializing in genetics, but she is also open to other specialties.
During the internship, she has recognized a lack of diversity among nutrition professionals. As an IDEA liaison and an AAPI member, she wants to make AAPI more visible and recognized by other RD and RDs2be. Outside of work, she likes to go on neighborhood food tours with her husband.
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STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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Policy Advocacy Leader
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Yen Ang, DrPH, MSc, MPH, RDN, FAND
Dr. Yen Ang serves as the Vice President of Health Equity at Tangelo. Her professional life in the past 15 years has been devoted to advancing health equity and racial justice. As an advocate of the vulnerable members in our community, Yen successfully led the first and only city in San Bernardino County to adopt the Healthy-by-Default Kids Beverage resolution in 2018 ahead of the California state law, protecting the health of thousands of children in the city from soda drinks.
When COVID pandemic hit, Yen created the first ever county-wide Anti-Hunger Coalition in her county to break down silos among feeding agencies to help the distressed families access food. Her tireless effort to create a hunger-free world was recognized by the California state Assembly Majority leader Eloise Reyes who awarded her “Woman-of-the-Year 2021”. In 2022 she was honored with the “Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Excellence” award by HEN--DPG.
Dr Yen has published over 70 original community research papers, and earned multiple public health awards, such as the NACo (National Association of Counties) Achievement Awards in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
As a Policy Advocacy Leader for AAPI-MIG, Yen's mission is to raise the voices of our constituency, and to advocate for diversity and equity for all, especially the underrepresented ethnic minorities.
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Social Media/Communications Committee
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Kimberly Baishnab, RD, LD, CLS
Kimberly is a WIC dietitian and Certified Lactation Specialist in Iowa, and particularly loves working with infant and toddler nutrition and breastfeeding. She has been an active member in AAPI MIG for the past several years and enjoys volunteering her time with other dietitians. Among her many interests include cooking, mushroom farming, badminton, and loving on her puppy Lilo. She is also currently busy in the development phase of opening a private practice! |
Social Media/Communications Committee Member
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Yifei Wang, MS
Yifei was born and raised in Kaifeng, an ancient city of Henan Province, China, and she considers Beijing and Los Angeles her second and third hometowns where she spent years working, studying and living until she moved to Boston in 2021. She is a gerontologist by training with professional experience in the health and senior care industry. She is currently pursuing her master’s in Nutrition Interventions, Communication, and Behavior Change (NICBC) program at Tufts University. She is also in the DPD program at Simmons University to become a dietitian. Yifei is passionate about improving the nutrition and health of older adults with Chinese backgrounds through evidence-based, culturally tailored nutrition interventions and education. Yifei also wants to be a social media influencer in the nutrition field. She is a dog lover, a big fan of hotpot, and has recently picked up a new hobby: playing the acoustic guitar.
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Website Coordinator & Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee Member
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Elaine Huang
Elaine was born in Taipei, Taiwan but grew up in Shanghai, China. She received her bachelor's degree in clinical nutrition from the University of California, Davis, and completed her dietetic internship at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. She is currently studying for the RD exam while volunteering at the local food bank to promote health in the community. As an IDEA committee member and website coordinator, she wishes to encourage connections between Asian professionals who are interested in nutrition.
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Membership Committee Member/Social Media Coordinator
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Kristine Wong, CPT
Kristine received her B.S. in Microbiology from U.C. San Diego and is currently attending USC's coordinated program to receive her M.S. in Nutrition, Healthspan, and Longevity to become a Registered Dietitian. She loves empowering people to connect food to their health and helping others develop sustainable, healthy habits. She recently joined AAPI in 2021 but has already loved being part of a community of dietitians who share her culture and love of food. Kristine joined the AAPI Social Media team and Membership Committee and is excited to get involved to promote cultural diversity in the field of dietetics. You can follow her journey in nutrition and towards becoming an RD at @nutritionwithkristine.
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Professional Development Committee member
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Lourdes S. Chew, M.S, RDN, LD
Lourdes Singson-Chew is from Manila, Philippines and graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from College of the Holy Spirit. She completed an internship at Veterans Hospital which influenced her love for clinical work. She has extensive experience as a Clinical Dietitian/Consultant in the long-term care setting. Lourdes completed M.S. Public Service Management from DePaul University. She has recently taken a role as a Nutrition Specialist for an Area Agency on Aging serving eight counties in Northeastern Illinois. She has been an advocate for seniors and is serving as a member of the Naperville Senior Task Force. Lourdes has experience in promoting diversity at her children’s school and is a volunteer with the Philippine cultural group. Lourdes enjoys traveling and has visited Malaysia, Singapore, Israel and several European Countries. Lourdes is excited to be a Professional Development Committee member.
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