Wheaton welcomes nutritionist Leslie J. Bonci to campus February 9

NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton Athletic Mentors (WAMs), a leadership group of student-athletes from each of the college's 21 varsity sports programs, invite the entire Wheaton Community to a presentation by nutritionist Leslie J. Bonci’s on Thursday, February 9, 2012 in Cole Chapel at 7:30 p.m. 

Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, is the director of sports medicine nutrition for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She serves as the sports dietitian for the University of Pittsburgh’s department of athletics, and is a nutrition consultant for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Passion, the WNBA, and the Milwaukee Brewers.

In addition, she is the company nutritionist for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and a sports nutrition consultant to numerous high schools and universities. Leslie is a consultant to the NCAA and is also a member of the United States Olympic Committee sports nutrition network who has worked with Bryan Clay, Garrett Weber-Gale and Tara Lipinksi.

"I am thrilled that our athletic mentors are able to bring Dr. Bonci to campus and speak to the Wheaton community," said Wheaton Interim Director of Athletics John Sutyak '00. "Nutrition is a topic of utmost importance, not only in athletics, but in everyday life. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Bonci to Wheaton, in an effort to help the Wheaton community learn and make quality decisions about nutrition." 

A former national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Bonci is a frequent guest on local and national TV news programs, a commonly-quoted nutrition expert in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and serves on the editorial advisory board of Fitness magazine. She has her own weekly TV segment entitled ‘The Winning Plate’ on CBS’s Pittsburgh Today Live and writes a weekly blog for Runners World called ‘Ask the Sports Dietitian.’

Her expertise in the areas of sports nutrition, weight management, eating disorders and digestive health resulted in five book publications, including the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion and Sport Nutrition for Coaches. Bonci also co-authored Total Fitness for Women, Run Your Butt Off, and The Active Calorie Diet (2011 Rodale). She is an adjunct assistant instructor in pediatric dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and also serves on the faculty of Pitt’s sports medicine fellowship training program.

Bonci is a registered dietitian and board certified specialist in sports dietetics and a Pennsylvania licensed dietitian/nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science degree in biopsychology from Vassar College and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh.

The purpose of the WAMs, which is Wheaton's student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC), is to provide a forum for the student-athletes and to serve as a liaison between the student-athletes and administration at the academic and athletic levels. The WAMs design and implement programs to encourage academic achievement, health promotion and social responsibility to enhance the student-athlete experience.

Wheaton is a member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), an association of 10 selective academic institutions that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III philosophy.

Donations at the door are greatly appreciated and will go towards future WAM events. For more information or to make a donation, contact Emily Kiablick at (508) 286-5804 or kiablick_emily@wheatoncollege.edu.