Jill Killough earned a bachelor’s degree in Family & Consumer Sciences- Nutrition from Lamar University in 1998. The next year she enrolled in the Department of Family & Consumer Science graduate program and dietetic internship where she graduated with his master’s degree in 1999. She became a Registered Dietitian that year as well. She later went on to pursue her Ph.D. in Nutrition and it was earned in 2011 from Texas Woman’s University.

She began at Lamar University as the Dietetic Internship Program Clinical Instructor and continues to serve in this capacity. In 2008, she became the Coordinator for the Internship Program. In these roles, her primary focus is to provide quality instruction in both the classroom as well as in the supervised practice experiences. In addition, she provides an environment that is conducive to learning in highly specialized rotation experiences through networking with the supporting medical and dietetics community.

Dr. Killough teaches three graduate courses in the Fall & Spring for the Internship Program as well as courses in Summers 1 & 2. As part of the required program courses, she teaches, directs, and manages the program responsibilities. Dr. Killough effectively aligns the program's mission, goals, and objectives with those of the department and university. She coordinates multiple education activities including directing the progress of interns in supervised practice, program public relations and recruitment efforts, serves as academic advisor, implements ongoing assessment procedures, and monitors completion of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition & Dietetics (ACEND) requirements to maintain accreditation status.

A student-centered teaching philosophy is utilized by Dr. Killough and is driven by the desire to guide students to become successful practitioners in the field of nutrition & dietetics. Dr. Killough emphasizes the need for students to utilize evidence-based and a desire for life-long learning. This is achieved through the use of a structured, but relaxed atmosphere where students are challenged to reach their full potential. By staying current with the trends in the field and teaching the most up-to-date information, students gain a respect and an understanding for the research which supports the field. Her passion for the field, expertise in the subject matter and acknowledgment of the students learning are characteristics she projects in and out of the classroom.

Dr. Killough’s research area of interest centers around community-based participatory research related to disparities and food insecurity in patient populations such as in dialysis and diabetes. She has a growing interest in research related to preparing registered dietitians for advanced practice and quality assessment of internship programs.