Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University professor of dietetics Dr. Detri Brech was awarded the Outstanding Nutrition Educator Award during the recent Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual meeting at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

“It is a delight to present information in class to students who love the field of nutrition as much as I do,” Brech said. “I feel blessed to teach students at Ouachita.”

“It came no surprise to me that Dr. Brech was named the Outstanding Nutrition Educator,” said Dr. Tim Knight, dean of Ouachita’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences. “She is a great teacher, wonderful advisor and excellent researcher.”

Emily Hastings, a senior dietetics and nutrition major from Leawood, Kan., nominated Brech for the award. Hannah Nolan, a senior dietetics and nutrition major from North Little Rock, Ark., and Sarah Pollock, a senior dietetics and nutrition major from North Richland Hills, Texas, wrote letters of support for the nomination.

“Dr. Brech is such a dedicated professor and dietitian,” Hastings explained. “She's incredibly passionate about her field, and she gives her all to teaching students.”

Brech began her dietetics training as a student at Ouachita. A 1984 Ouachita graduate, she completed her master’s degree at Louisiana Tech in 1985 and earned her PhD at Oklahoma State in 1992. Brech has taught at the college level for nearly 28 years, including teaching at Louisiana Tech, the University of Central Arkansas and Missouri State University. She joined the Ouachita faculty in 2000.

For more information, contact Dr. Detri Brech at [email protected] or (870) 245-5543.

By Jessica Stewart