About

Natalie Cooke is an Associate Professor and the Director of Undergraduate Programs for Nutrition Science at North Carolina State University within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. Her teaching philosophy is inspired by the concept of self-efficacy, emphasizing the importance of confidence in skill development. She applies Albert Bandura’s principles to course development, providing students with models of best practices, encouragement, constructive feedback, and a supportive environment that accepts failure as part of learning. Her goal is to equip students with the skills necessary to succeed as nutrition scientists, educators, and public health professionals by offering diverse opportunities for skill mastery and professional growth. Her research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning, with an emphasis on qualitative research as an evaluative methodology. She aims to improve students’ self-efficacy in nutrition science-related skills by developing best practices in service-learning programs and assessing the impact of innovative teaching techniques and technologies on classroom success. Cooke has received numerous awards for her teaching and advising, including the Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Teaching and Learning with Technology, the CALS Teaching Award of Merit, and the NACADA Outstanding New Faculty Advisor Award. She is actively involved in professional memberships such as NACADA, the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, among others.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Social Science
• Medicine
• Computer Science
• Applied psychology
• Gender studies
• Geography
• Social psychology
• Data science
• Anthropology
• Gerontology
• Pedagogy
• Medical education

Selected publications

• Practical Qualitative Research Strategies: An Introduction to Data Analysis and Rigorous Coding Practices

  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · 2026-05-01

  article

  The increased emphasis on qualitative research in nutrition education and behavior underscores the need for structured processes that enhance analytical rigor and transparency. A 5-phase qualitative analysis process was developed to guide research teams through a structured coding and theming process, while promoting intercoder consistency, critical reflection, iterative refinement, and replication. This process supports novice and experienced analysts alike and is adaptable to diverse study designs. By enhancing the trustworthiness of findings, implementing the 5-phase process can improve program development, evaluation, and adaptation, and inform context-specific, evidence-based policies in nutrition education and health promotion settings.

  PublisherDOI

• Elevating Marginalized Student Experiences of Belonging in the Life Sciences: A Qualitative Case Study Approach

  CBE—Life Sciences Education · 2024 · 4 citations

  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Social Science

  College students with identities traditionally marginalized in scientific disciplines are more engaged and more likely to remain in science if they feel that they belong in their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes and departments. In this qualitative case study, we elevated marginalized student voices to learn how departmental experiences shaped their sense of belonging in curricular and co-curricular spaces. Our research team interviewed 27 undergraduate life science students at a large predominantly white, research-intensive university. Participants reflected on their lived experiences and feelings of belonging within a biology department and shared their perceptions of departmental efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Three themes emerged as being of value to undergraduate students while they navigated the sciences: 1) implementing inclusive pedagogies, 2) providing co-curricular resources and support, and 3) humanizing life sciences education. These stories illuminated the importance of authenticity and intentionality in the implementation of strategies related to these three themes. This study provides an example of the power of centering marginalized students' lived experiences to identify strategies that can be employed more broadly to improve our courses, our departmental cultures, and our institutional policies-strategies essential to supporting students with a diversity of identities in engaging, belonging, and persisting in STEM.

  PublisherDOI

• College Student Food and Housing Insecurity: Students’ Perceived Determinants, Consequences, and Resilience

  Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · 2023 · 2 citations

  • Sociology
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

  This qualitative study was designed to explore contributing factors to and consequences of college students' food and housing insecurity as well as protective factors for retention. We conducted an inductive thematic analysis of interviews with 13 demographically diverse students at a public university who had experienced recent food insecurity and/or homelessness. Results revealed themes of the dynamic experiences of food and housing insecurity, the interplay of these with transportation, and risk and protective factors contributing to their resilience as indicated by persistence in college. We provide policy and practice recommendations based on the findings and directions for future research.

  PublisherDOI

• O2 Impact of an Online Service-Learning Course on Students’ Understanding of Community Food Security

  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · 2021-07-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extended Reality Technologies in Nutrition Education and Behavior: Comprehensive Scoping Review and Future Directions

  Nutrients · 2020 · 40 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Sociology
  • Political Science

  = 92) were extracted from PubMed and Scopus using a structured search strategy and selection approach. Pertinent study information was extracted using a standardized data collection form. Each article was independently reviewed and coded by two members of the research team, who then met to resolve any coding discrepancies. There is an increasing trend in publication in this area, mostly regarding Virtual Reality. Most studies used developmental testing in a lab setting, employed descriptive or observational methods, and focused on momentary behavior change like food selection rather than education. The growth and diversity of XR studies suggest the potential of this approach. There is a need and opportunity for more XR technology focused on children and other foundational theoretical determinants of behavior change to be addressed within nutrition education. Our findings suggest that XR technology is a burgeoning approach in the field of nutrition, but important gaps remain, including inadequate methodological rigor, community application, and assessment of the impact on dietary behaviors.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Layered Learning, Eustress, and Support: Impact of a Pre-Service-Learning Training on Students’ Self-Efficacy in Teaching in the Community

  Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning · 2017-07-26 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Service-learning programs provide students with opportunities to gain discipline-specific skills, while providing community organizations with a steady pool of volunteers. However, because students may lack the skills needed to effectively serve the community, skills-based training may need to be incorporated into service-learning courses. Students in a community nutrition service-learning course engaged in 7 weeks of training before teaching a 6-week-long nutrition education course to community members. The training included three layers of activities: (1) basic activities, which introduced the students to material necessary to build skills for their service-learning experience; (2) directed activities, which allowed them to refine a targeted skillset; (3) and collective activities, which allowed for the application of multiple skills. Through qualitative interviews with 12 of the 19 students who had been enrolled in the course, we determined the impact of a pre-service-learning training program on the development of the skills necessary to successfully teach a nutrition education course. Thematic analysis of the data revealed two major themes: (1) “layered learning” activities facilitate skill building and (2) a stressful, yet supportive, environment facilitates growth. Together, these aspects of course design allow students to develop skills and their self-efficacy in those skills. Therefore, instructors who plan to incorporate service-learning into their nutrition courses may benefit from designing a pre-service-learning training to improve student learning outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Qualitative Assessment of the Impact of a Service-Learning Course on Students' Discipline-Specific Self-Efficacy

  Journal of community engagement and higher education · 2016-07-14 · 3 citations

  article

  Investigators employed a multi-method qualitative approach to determine the impact of a service-learning course on students’ discipline-specific self-efficacy. The majority of students reported an increase in discipline-specific self-efficacy after participating in this service-learning course. Analysis resulted in three major themes: (1) constructive criticism and self-reflection improve self-efficacy; (2) experience breeds confidence; and (3) service-learning encourages students to obtain more knowledge and experience in areas of deficiency after the service-learning experience.

  Publisher

• Practical Qualitative Research Strategies: Training Interviewers and Coders

  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · 2016-07-08 · 156 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of a Pre-Service-Learning Training on Students’ Skills Needed to Deliver a Pre-Packaged Educational Curricula in the Community

  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · 2016-06-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Childhood Obesity Prevention Self-Efficacy Survey

  PsycTESTS Dataset · 2015-01-01

  dataset1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• L. Suzanne Goodell

  North Carolina State University

  14 shared

• Dana Thomas

  North Carolina State University

  4 shared

• Abhishek Singh

  Yerevan State University

  4 shared

• Ashtin Crawford

  North Carolina State University

  4 shared

• Chaterlee Pamintuan

  North Carolina State University

  4 shared

• Claire L. Gordy

  North Central State College

  4 shared

• Jane L. Lubischer

  North Carolina State University

  4 shared

• Charles Frank Oliver

  North Central State College

  4 shared

Awards & honors

• Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Teaching and Learning with…
• Community-Engaged Faculty Fellow, North Carolina State Unive…
• Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Faculty Fellowship…
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Teaching Awa…
• National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Outstanding…