Clark Simcoe, the new part-time dietitian at Washington and Lee, is enjoying the process of blazing a trail in his new job position. 

A 2011 graduate of Washington and Lee, Simcoe majored in geology and worked in environmental consulting post-grad, but he felt compelled to work with people. He decided to switch and pursue a medical career, a decision which led him “all over the place,” including Seattle for grad school and Denver for residency. 

Simcoe began his current position in November 2022 after sending an email to Jan Kaufman, the director of health promotion, introducing himself and asking if she needed help with nutrition on campus. 

It turned out that Kaufman had been wanting a campus dietitian for several years, and he was hired. Simcoe said it was “the right person at the right place at the right time.” 

Kaufman is just as pleased to have Simcoe as the new dietitian. 

“We are excited to have Simcoe on campus and especially to have an alum in this position!” she wrote in an email.

Simcoe says the most surprising revelation about working at Washington and Lee has been “just how many people there are in the background making the wheels turn for the benefit of the students.”

At other comparable small liberal arts colleges, such as Davidson College, dietitian programs are long-established. Since the Washington and Lee position hadn’t previously existed, Simcoe is still in the process of developing and experimenting with his programming and offerings. 

“The cool thing about nutrition is you cover a wide range of topics,” he said.

The position now has a multi-departmental reach that includes nutrition coaching for athletic teams, one-on-one consulting and meeting with dining services. 

Simcoe is optimistic about the direction of food services at Washington and Lee. He reflects back on his time as a student when the only main food option on campus was the Marketplace and commends the “more adventurous” food options of today. 

Simcoe said renovations at the Marketplace and Cafe 77 will yield future benefits.

“This is all a process to have a much better experience next year,” he said.

A large part of Simcoe’s job is to advise students on food and nutrition plans, but he stresses that it is just as important to cultivate a healthy mental attitude about food.

It’s “not just what to eat, but why to eat,” he said.

Simcoe welcomes any student who is interested in an individual meeting. His office is in the Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center, and he can be reached via email.