Born in Baltimore, Maria Morgan-Bathke grew up in Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic.

She received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics with a minor in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in May 2009. She received her PhD in nutritional sciences with a minor in cancer biology from the University of Arizona in July 2013 and her MBA with an emphasis in health care management from Viterbo University in 2020.

She also completed a medical nutrition therapy focused dietetic internship at the Carondelet Health System in Tucson, Ariz. She completed her postdoctoral research fellowship in the Mayo Clinic Endocrine Research Unit with Dr. Michael Jensen.

Currently, she is an associate professor, nutrition and dietetics department chair, and dietetic internship director in the nutrition and dietetics department at Viterbo University. She also works as a research collaborator in the Endocrine Research Unit at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and is a content expert and registered dietitian for Vida Health. Her current research focus is on obesity, insulin signaling, inflammation, and fat metabolism.

She recently spoke in Orlando, Fla, at the Food & Nutrition Conference Expo, the world’s largest meeting of food and nutrition experts, presenting about the updated adult weight management guidelines she helped develop.

She actively advocates for better nutrition and health. You can read her blog entries on a wide variety of wellness topics, get healthy recipe ideas, and take on-demand nutrition classes on her Dr. Maria’s Nutrition & Wellness website.

Morgan-Bathke and her husband, Damian, have a 3-year-old daughter and three dogs. She’s an avid traveler, and if she has any spare time, you might find her cycling or reading.

How (and/or why) did you come to be at Viterbo?

I was working as a post-doctoral fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, but I knew my passion was in teaching. The position in nutrition and dietetics became available and I knew it would be perfect for me, a great mix of teaching, research, and clinical work. My interview on campus sealed my passion for Viterbo. Everyone was so welcoming, and all of the students were so engaged and excited about nutrition!

What do you love most about teaching at Viterbo?

I love that I do something different every day. Some days are in the classroom, some are in the assessment lab completing research, other days are meeting with our preceptors and students in the clinical setting.

I also love that I get to know each student so well due to the small class size. I am able to keep in contact with all of my students after they graduate and watch them grow in their careers.

Lastly, I love that I get to travel to Spain every year with our students to work with professional athletes on their nutrition.

What inspires you?

My students inspire me, they are all so engaged and passionate about nutrition and it makes it so much fun to teach!

What advice would you give to students regarding heading out into “the real world”?

Be flexible, make a lot of friends, and say “yes” to every opportunity to grow.

Do you have a little-known fun fact about yourself that would surprise students?

I can speak Spanish fluently, and I have a passion for international travel.

What do others say about you?

My students say that I am their most favorite professor on campus, and they aspire to accomplish as much I have in my career related to patient work and research. Here are a few quotes from them:

“Maria is my all-time favorite professor. She has so much knowledge in her field!! She uses lectures, field trips, papers, clicker questions, case studies (with partners), reviews, discussions, etc. She makes sure that class isn't boring and that the students aren't just being lectured to. I am glad I get to take Maria again next semester!”

“Maria is AHHHHMAZING. She is so kind and lectures so clearly. She tells you exactly what you need to know and what you don't need to know. I'm so sad that this is the only class I'll have with her! One of the best professors I've had at Viterbo.”

“This is Dr. MB’s first year at Viterbo, and I was impressed with her. She's so sweet and easygoing. What makes her stand out is that she is very understanding of her students. She teaches what is necessary and tells you what you need to know for exams. Her class is straightforward and gives great analogies that help understand the material.”