Rachel Vollmer

Biography

After graduating from Bradley with my undergraduate degree, I completed by dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. From that experience, I discovered that my professional interests lie in community nutrition and nutrition education. During my PhD, I was able to conduct multiple community nutrition interventions for low-income preschool aged children and families. Personally, I enjoy spending time reading, gardening, and running.

Teaching

I love being in the classroom with students! I’m always trying new activities to teach students about food and nutrition. When I enter a classroom, I see my role as a facilitator of activities to help students learn about the content in a fun and engaging way. I have taught many different classes during my time at Bradley in both the graduate and undergraduate programs including:

• FCS 202: Food & Nutrition
• FCS 340: Parent Education 
• FCS 410: Advanced Nutrition
• FCS 442: Foundations of FCS
• FCS 541: Research Methods in Nutrition & Dietetics
• FCS 501: Community Nutrition Intervention

Scholarship

Most of my research is focused on food parenting, or how parents and children interact around mealtimes and/or food. I find it fascinating how the behaviors of parents around food and mealtimes can have such an intense impact on the way children eat, view food, and raise children themselves in the future. I tend to focus on the dad’s role in the family because the definition of what it means to be a “good father” has changed throughout time. Some of my favorite studies I have done are below:

• Vollmer, R. L. (2022). Comparing relationships of food parenting practices and concern for child weight between siblings. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 51, 119-132.
• Vollmer, R. L., Girsch, V., Foster, J. S. (2022). A Qualitative Investigation of Parent and Child Perceptions of School Food Allergy Policies in the United States. Journal of School Health, 92, 185-193.
• Vollmer, R. L. (2021). The Relationship between Parental Food Parenting Practices & Child Eating Behavior: A Comparison of Mothers and Fathers. Appetite, 162, DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105193
• Vollmer, R. L., Adamsons, K., Mobley, A. R. (2019). Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention of Fathers in Nutrition Education and Obesity Research. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior. 51, 1121-1125
• Greenhill, E. & Vollmer R. L. (2019). Perceptions of a Father’s Role during a Couple’s First Pregnancy. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 48, 52-64.
• Vollmer, R. L. (2018) An exploration of how fathers attempt to prevent childhood obesity in their families. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50, 283-288.

I also conduct research on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Because I love teaching so much and I love to try new things, I decided it would be fun to research them! I mostly investigate the role flipped learning plays on student learning, but I am also interested in student motivation to learn, collaborative learning, ungrading, and the fear of failure. Below are some examples of my work in this area:

• Vollmer, R. L. & Drake, T. (2024). Guided Reading Questions as a Scaffolding Technique in a Flipped Graduate Class. Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 24, 18-32.
• Vollmer, R. L. & Drake, T. (2023). Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Retrospective Perception of Flipped Learning in Dietetics Curricula. Journal of Dietetic Education, 1, 4.
• Vollmer, R. L. & Drake, T. (2022). Comparison of undergraduate students’ experiences in a flipped course pre-pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interactive Learning Environments, DOI: 10.1080/10494820.2022.2110125.
• Vollmer, R. L. & Drake, T. (2020). Exploration of Dietetic Graduate Students’ Experience in a Flipped Course Using Learning Reflections. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 52, 407-414.
• Vollmer, R. L. & Drake, T. (2020). The Use of Guided Reading Questions as a Scaffolding Technique in a Flipped Graduate Metabolism Class. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 52, S24.

A new interest of mine is college student food insecurity. Our students should not have to choose between buying textbooks and buying food. In collaboration with others on campus and in the community, we have started to explore some possible ways to help students avoid hunger and food insecurity in order to promote student success.

• Toy, S., Flores, R., Kelly, M., De Valois, M., Vollmer, R. L. (2024). Academic Breaks and Food Security Status at a Midwestern Private University. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 56, S37.
• Mooney, G., Drake, T., & Vollmer, R. L. (2023). A Qualitative Analysis of Eating Behaviors Among Food Insecure College Students. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55, 531-540.
• Drake, T. & Vollmer, R. L. (2021). Food Security at a Private, Midwestern University During COVID-19. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53, S49.

Service

On-campus, I participate in service in my department, college, and university. Currently, in my department I am serving as the C.C. Wheeler Institute Director and on the curriculum committee. In EHS, I serve on the curriculum & regulations committee. I also serve as chair of the university Sub-Committee on Curriculum.
Off-campus, I like to partner with non-profits that work to provide nutrition education and minimize food insecurity. Additionally, I am active in leadership positions in the professional organization, Society for Nutrition Education & Behavior.

Licensures and Certifications

Registered Dietitian (RD)