Jill Nicholls is director, nutrition and scientific affairs, for the National Dairy Council (NDC). Nicholls’ expertise in nutrition research and her ability to distill the science into actionable health and nutrition information makes her a valuable resource to the media. She is leading the NDC’s participation in the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (NRFC) and is responsible for the development and execution of national science-based nutrition communications at the NDC.

The NRFC’s mission is to create a scientifically validated, consumer-friendly approach that helps consumers choose healthy foods from the core food groups and get the most nutrition from their calories. The NRFC brings together leading academic institutions and agricultural commodity organizations representing the five basic MyPyramid food groups.

Before joining the NDC, Nicholls developed and managed food and nutrition communication programs for a variety of agricultural commodity groups at Fleishman-Hillard in Sacramento, Calif. She worked as a science writer at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, focusing on food, medicine and agriculture topics, and has taught gastrointestinal physiology, food science and nutrition courses at University of California, Davis. Nicholls earned her doctorate in nutrition and Master of Science in food science from University of California, Davis, and her Bachelor of Science in nutrition science from University of Arizona, Tucson. Nicholls is a member of the American Society for Nutrition, the American Heart Association and the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

She is the mother of one young son.