College of Natural Sciences

Distinguished Emeriti

2021-2022: Katie Silliman

Kathryn (Katie) Silliman began her career at California State University, Chico in 1990, the same year she completed a PhD in Nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley. After thirty years of teaching, scholarship, and service to the university, she entered the faculty early retirement program (FERP) in 2020.   

Over the years, Katie taught and developed several undergraduate and graduate courses. She was the Graduate Coordinator for the MS in Nutritional Science from 2000 to 2008 and mentored over 40 students in graduate research projects. Being a mentor and advisor to both undergraduate and graduate students was one of her passions. In recognition of her dedication to students she was awarded the 2009-2010 Outstanding Academic Advisor Award. 

She received a prestigious NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award and has 22 peer-reviewed publications, the majority are joint publications with graduate students. Katie was awarded the Outstanding Researcher Award by the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2002.  

Not only was Katie dedicated to serving students, but serving her Department, College, University and Profession as well. Katie was the Coordinator for the Program of Nutrition and Food Science from 2003 to 2007 when the program was part of the Department of Biological Sciences. Under Katie’s leadership and with support of the College of Natural Sciences, the Nutrition Program became the Department of Nutrition and Food Science where she served as Chair until 2018. During her time as Chair, she helped to shepherd many program changes including the creation of three options to the BS degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences and making major revisions to the MS degree in Nutritional Science.   

Katie served on the University’s Academic planning Committee which resulted in the University’s Academic Plan for 2015-2020 and was a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Writing Committee for undergraduate Programs in 2016-2017. She was also a member of the  

Executive Management Evaluation and Development Committee (EMEDC) from 2016-2020 which helped in the selection of the President’s University Leadership Team. 

She is a long-time public policy volunteer and advocate for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has been an external reviewer for faculty promotions and graduate, undergraduate and community college programs. She was a member of the Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty Discipline Review Group which helped develop the Transfer Model Curriculum (TMCs) for the AS-T in Nutrition and Dietetics.