McManemin foresees using nutrition for preventive medicine

April 21, 2008

McManemin foresees using nutrition for preventive medicine

Senior in dietetics receives award from Iowa State Alumni Association

Maggie McManemin, a senior in dietetics, says she wants to become a "doctor who uses nutrition ... as a tool for preventive medicine." McManemin received the Iowa State Alumni Association's top award for students. Photo by Dana North.

By Scott Schrage

A College of Human Sciences student who never imagined herself in Ames has joined a very exclusive company of Cyclones.

Maggie McManemin, a senior in dietetics and pre-medicine from Dallas, Texas, has been named one of five winners of the Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award. The award, created by the ISU Alumni Association in 1968, recognizes seniors who display superior character, outstanding ability in the classroom and university activities, and the promise to utilize those qualities in their future pursuits as alumni.

The award is bestowed upon only two to five seniors annually and was established in honor of Wallace E. "Red" Barron, a member of the 1928 graduating class and director of alumni affairs from 1937 to 1968.

"It was humbling," said McManemin, who was nominated for the award by her advisor. "I was thinking, 'Is that right? Did they make the right decision?'"

Humility aside, McManemin's achievements and goals are inspiring. After graduating with her dietetics and pre-medicine degree in May and completing an internship, she hopes to earn her medical degree.

"Nutrition is such a huge topic right now, but the nutrition field and the medical field are pretty separate right now," she said. "I want to be a doctor who uses nutrition more as a tool for preventive medicine. I want to combine the two, so I'm probably going to have to forge my own way, and make my own path with that."

Just as impressive has been her ability to juggle a hectic academic schedule with her role as an Iowa State soccer player, which originally brought her to Ames.

"I think a huge thing ... was time management. With soccer, it was pretty much a 40-hour job," McManemin said. "My role on the team was [primarily as] a leader off the field and a mom on the team. Getting to play the bit that I did was really worth it."

McManemin has served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and represented that committee on the ISU Athletics Council, which reports to ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and Athletic Director Jamie Pollard. She is also actively involved with several church leadership groups.

"I love it here," said the Dallas native. "I look back and think, 'How did I end up in Iowa?' It was a big change, but I really do love Ames. The people here are really great."

The ISU Alumni Association presented the award to McManemin and her fellow recipients during the 2008 Student Scholars and Leaders Recognition Ceremony, held March 30 in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium.