From Tenured Professor to the Pork Industry with Kristen Hicks-Roof

Most health professionals spend years building toward a role they're told is the destination. What happens when you get there and realise you're still evolving? Kristen Hicks-Roof is a registered dietitian and PhD researcher who built a full academic career - tenure, grants, research agendas, and chose to leave it to lead human nutrition at the US National Pork Board, a role that didn't exist before she took it. This conversation gets into what it's like to be a high performer navigating competitive dynamics, the identity reckoning that happens when your career and your motherhood collide on the same timeline, and what it actually looks like to take clinical skills into an industry most dietitians are taught to distrust. If you've ever felt like you outgrew a role you genuinely valued, or wondered whether the skills you built in practice could belong somewhere completely different, this one will sit with you. We Explore The fight to prove nutrition's value and why it follows you no matter what setting you're in What happens when your drive and the culture around you aren't well matched The identity shift from "mother scholar" to something with no established name How a 2am LinkedIn scroll during maternity leave became a career turning point What dietitians and clinicians misunderstand about working in the food industry Chapters 00:00 Unexpected Career Paths 06:31 The Role of Nutrition Professionals 17:08 Academia and Career Transition 28:26 The Decision to Leave Academia 34:01 Navigating Tension in Academia 42:46 The Impact of Motherhood on Career 49:29 Role in Nutrition Research 59:12 Building Connections and Following Passions About Kristen Hicks-Roof Kristen Hicks-Roof PhD, RD is the Director of Human Nutrition at the US National Pork Board, where she oversees research investment and science communication across stakeholder groups from farmers to federal policymakers. A former associate professor with promotion and tenure, her academic research focused on integrating nutrition across healthcare teams and the lived experience of mother scholars in academia. She also hosts the Nutrition Connection podcast. LinkedIn: Kristen Hicks-Roof Podcast: Nutrition Connection Career Cliniq Resources Wondering where your clinical skills could actually take you? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you map what you've built and where it could go next. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Join the Conversation Have you ever been in a role where your drive worked against you? Tell us about it. Find us on LinkedIn and Instagram.