The Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition’s Tracy Maluchnik is a clinical instructor and assistant professor with over a decade of experience as an educator, including serving as an award-winning adjunct faculty member at a community college. Maluchnik was also awarded the 2020 Outstanding Dietetics Educator by the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a recognition that reflects her commitment to student success and educational excellence.
Maluchnik incorporates plenty of real-world interprofessional experience into her teaching. She served as the sole dietitian on a U.S. Marine Corps base supporting a population of over 12,000. This role required her to navigate complex interdisciplinary collaboration and adapt quickly to the unique demands of military life. She provided services across the spectrum—from providing nutrition education at the Child Development Center to briefing and advising senior leadership, including Marine Corps colonels. These experiences sharpened her ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and to lead with both flexibility and professionalism.
Maluchnik and her collaborators, Department of Communication Science and Disorders Associate Professor Kendrea Garand and Professor James Coyle, were recently awarded one of the 2025 Interprofessional Seed Awards to create a joint learning opportunity for both dietitian nutrition and speech-language pathology students. Their goal is to help future practitioners better understand each other’s roles and how they can work collaboratively to best support their patients.
The research project is titled “Didactic and Practical Interdisciplinary Collaborations” and its objective is described as: “To increase future registered dietitian nutritionists’ (RDN) understanding of swallowing disorders (dysphagia) and to know the warning signs of dysphagia across the lifespan so they can recommend consultation with a speech-language pathologist (SLP); together, the RDN and SLP can collaborate closely to optimize nutritional and hydrational intake considering fluid and food consistency that can be safely and efficiently consumed by the patient.”
Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition Chair Kevin Conley says, “Dr. Maluchnik put together a terrific project that will accomplish two objectives. First, the students in our Dietitian Nutritionist and Speech-Language Pathology programs will gain valuable knowledge about the role their counterparts play in treating patients with dysphagia. Second, the skills learned will prepare these students to practice at the top of their licenses and inform their clinical decision making from an interprofessional perspective.”
“I’m grateful to Dr. Maluchnik and her colleagues for the foresight they demonstrated in developing this project and the value that was placed on ensuring students from these programs learn more about one another’s professions and develop skills that will advance their professional development.”
– Kevin Conley, chair and associate professor
