Over the course of her career, Marianne Smith Edge has traveled across the country and globe connecting food, health and agriculture. Trained as a registered dietitian with an agricultural background, Edge brings a multitude of experience to the table as a health professional and prominent figure in the community.  

Edge grew up on a dairy farm in Union, Kentucky. Working on the farm was a family affair; she, her parents and older brother all had their roles. From the time Edge was in grade school, feeding the dairy calves was always her responsibility—no matter how involved she was in extracurricular activities.  

“Growing up on a farm, you have an innate sense of where food comes from,” Edge said. “We always had a large garden and my mother raised chickens, perhaps more for economics than the desire. While I didn’t appreciate the uniqueness of that knowledge growing up, I now realize the benefits and how that has shaped my career.” 

Growing up in a 4-H family, 4-H Youth Development became a primary part of Edge’s life from the age of nine. From showing dairy cows to home improvement projects and foods, her summers were packed with projects. In fact, her years of involvement in the 4-H food demonstration events helped Edge connect food to the science of nutrition before going to college. With a strong family connection to the University of Kentucky through Cooperative Extension and UK basketball, there was no place for her but the University of Kentucky.  

Edge became a student in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. She received a Bachelor of Science in 1977 after completing UK’s Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), which celebrated its 50^th accreditation anniversary in 2024. 

UK’s DPD is a four-year undergraduate program that provides a comprehensive, evidence-based education in food, nutrition and management. The program prepares students for supervised practice and leads to eligibility for students to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist.   

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, a status first gained at UK in 1974.   

“Accreditation ensures the quality of nutrition and dietetics education of our students, which in turn, helps our profession advance and expand,” said Julie Plasencia, associate professor and DPD director. “Since our profession became accredited, we have stayed at the forefront of nutrition and health by addressing timely nutrition issues such as nutrition security.”  

After graduating, Edge started as a 4-H agent in Western Kentucky but soon realized her love for food and nutrition were her priority. After receiving a master’s degree, she began her dietetics career in long-term care. At 31, she started her own nutrition and food service consulting business and was owner and president of MSE & Associates, LLC. Here, she and team members provided strategic nutrition consulting services for both food and health care industries regionally and throughout the country. With her continued commitment to volunteerism, she jumped into her professional role at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, while balancing community engagement and UK Alumni involvement.  

In 2003-04, Marianne served as the president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest food and nutrition professional association. To this day, she is the only registered dietitian in Kentucky to hold that position. Her leadership there allowed her to represent the profession and organization across the country and the globe, speaking at conferences from Cyrus to South Africa.  

Starting in 2010, Edge served as Senior Vice President of Nutrition & Food Safety Communications for the International Food Information Council (IFIC) in Washington, D.C., for almost six years. Her role included oversight of consumer research, serving as spokesperson and directing all food and agriculture-related strategic initiatives. 

“When you dive into consumer research, you understand consumers do want to know more about where their food comes from,” Edge said. “As professionals, we need to listen and communicate in a way that brings about understanding. We may not always change minds or attitudes, but at least we can provide the information for others to make informed decisions.”  

Edge has had a career that spans across the food, nutrition and agriculture fields but has always balanced her professional career with her love for UK.  She served as president of the Alumni Association from 1997-1998 and as a member of the Board of Trustees from 2000-2006. 

“I was very fortunate, as I was Alumni Association president during two historic events: the 1998 men’s basketball national championship and the opening of the William T. Young Library in 1998—both of which happened within the same week,” Edge said. 

She recognizes her UK professors as mentors and motivation.  

“While I’m sure some of my professors questioned if I would be become a dietitian as I was not the traditional type, they did see the drive in me to succeed,” Edge said.  

Her relationship with the university continues to evolve. She currently serves as an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at UK Martin-Gatton CAFE. 

“Good or bad, I cannot just do one thing. I was an involved student, therefore I am an involved alum,” Edge said. 

Returning from Washington D.C., in 2016, Edge founded the Agri-Nutrition Edge, a platform where she offers personal and professional insights into today’s food systems and connects her agricultural roots with her nutritional knowledge.  The Agri-Nutrition Edge provides strategic counsel for food and agriculture industry leaders looking to improve their understanding of the consumer-provider relationship, while simultaneously being a resource for audiences just dipping their toes into nutrition and food science. 

“Agriculture is so much more than cows, plows and sows,” Edge said. “We have a lot of work still to do to show the public that agriculture, food and nutrition go hand in hand.” 

To learn more about the UK Didactic Program in Dietetics, visit https://dhn.ca.uky.edu/dp.   

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Writer: Grace Sowards, grace.sowards@uky.edu  

The mission of the University of Kentucky’s Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in contributing excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement is to promote healthy lifestyles through sustainable, nutritionally‐sound, food choices and regular physical activity; enhance the well‐being of people through meaningful nutrition education, research, and service experiences; and expand economic opportunity by generating and sharing knowledge of human nutrition, dietetics, and food systems.  

The Didactic Program in Dietetics and the Accelerated Coordinated Program is celebrating 50 years of accreditation, demonstrating a commitment to providing high-quality education and enabling faculty to innovate and grow.  

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services to individuals and institutions that provide equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.