Dr. Catherine (Cat) Rudolph

Catherine (Cat) Rudolph, PhD, MS, RDN, is an Assistant Professor of Health and Nutrition in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Bridgewater State University, where she joined the faculty in September 2026. She earned her PhD in Nutritional Sciences with a graduate minor in Political Science from Iowa State University, along with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Diet and Exercise, and completed her dietetic internship at Duke University Hospital. Her research centers on food and nutrition security, the social determinants of health, and community engagement, with a particular focus on older adults. She has led national needs assessments, a multi-institutional qualitative systematic review, and program evaluations for senior nutrition programs funded through the Older Americans Act, and she brings clinical experience as a former oncology dietitian at the Duke Cancer Center. At Bridgewater, she looks forward to building community-based research partnerships and mentoring students through collaborative, applied learning. In her volunteer time, Cat is active in nutrition and dietetics advocacy, having served as Iowa's State Policy Representative for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and currently serving as co-chair of the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group's Public Policy Committee. She recently relocated from Iowa with her partner, Bryce. Outside of work, she loves to travel, learn about different cultures and perspectives, spend time in nature, and teach and take yoga classes.