Laurel M. Wentz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition Science at East Carolina University. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She completed a BS in Nutrition Science at the Pennsylvania State University followed by a MS at the University of Florida. She completed her PhD at Florida State University where she also served as the Athletic Department Sports Dietitian, working with all varsity teams. Her PhD research focused on the relationship between dietary calcium and bone health in female runners with stress fractures. Subsequently, Dr. Wentz was the Performance Dietitian for 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Bragg, NC, where she had the opportunity to work with elite service members. Her work at Fort Bragg inspired her research interests in military nutrition and she has continued to collaborate with the medical teams from 3rd Group to study vitamin D and associated hormone interactions in military personnel.
