USP Member Spotlight – Fall 2009

Mary Hastings Hager, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A.,
USP Member from the American Dietetic Association and Member of the Council of the Convention

The dedicated service and valuable contributions of USP volunteers is a key element in achieving USP's mission of promoting public health.

This issue of the USP Member Spotlight shines on Mary Hastings Hager, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A., Member of the USP Council of the Convention (CoC), Chair of the CoC Section on the Quality of Food Ingredients and Dietary Supplements, Chair of the 2010 Resolutions Committee, and Convention Delegate representing the American Dietetic Association (ADA) since 2004. She also served on the Committee of Tellers for the 2005 Convention and the subsequent election of the Information Expert Committee chairs. As Director of Regulatory Affairs at the ADA, Dr. Hager is responsible for communicating issues of professional interest to federal agencies ranging from dietetics practice and the delivery of nutrition care in healthcare facilities to a large variety of food labeling topics. Prior to joining ADA, Mary was Director of the AIDS Center at Hope House in Dover, New Jersey. The AIDS Center administers social services support programs to persons living with HIV and AIDS.

Dr. Hager has held several positions in the food and drug industry. While at Entelos, Inc., in Foster City, CA, she was a life scientist, providing decision support to pharmaceutical companies in the discovery and development of new drugs for obesity and diabetes. At Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, OH, Dr. Hager worked on the development of Olean, a nonabsorbable fat replacement, and conducted both clinical and laboratory research, with an emphasis on understanding how the gastrointestinal tract handled nonabsorbable dietary lipids. She also conducted clinical research and obtained an FDA orphan drug approval for P&G’s Peridex®, a prescription mouthrinse for control of oral infections, for individuals undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

Dr. Hager’s academic career includes more than thirteen years of experience in college teaching and administration. She was founding dean of the graduate program and a professor of foods and nutrition at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ. She also taught at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, and at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, OH.

In addition to her volunteer work for the US Pharmacopeial Convention, Dr. Hager has served as a technical advisor to the United States Delegate to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses. She received her Masters and Doctorate degrees in nutrition from the University of California, Davis, and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware. She is a registered dietitian. In her free time, Dr. Hager enjoys training for, and occasionally competing in, triathlons.