Nutrition Faculty

John Athamanah, MS, MBA, RD

Johnny Athamanah has been an Adjunct Faculty member at Harper College since 2004.  Mr. Athamanah has multifaceted work experience in clinical and hospital foodservice management, corporate training, and collegiate teaching experience.  He has most recently served as Food Services Systems Manager and Dietetics Internship preceptor at the Edward Hines Jr. Veteran’s Hospital.  He currently teaches courses in the Nutrition Department at Harper College.

Mr. Athamanah has earned a B.S. in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and a M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  He also has completed a M.S. in Human Nutrition at Eastern Michigan University.

Debra McDaniel, MBA, RD, LDN

Debra McDaniel is a Harper College Adjunct Instructor for Nutrition 101. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign, Illinois. Debra completed a dietetic internship program at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. Debra has an MBA degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. She has worked as a clinical dietitian at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, and at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. With a strong interest in food safety, Mrs. McDaniel has performed restaurant audits for EcoSure. Debra is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly known as the American Dietetic Association. She is also a member of the state and suburban dietetic groups.

Rachael Costello, MS, RDN, LDN

Rachael Costello is a clinical supervisor and adjunct faculty in the Harper College Nutrition Department.  Rachael holds an M.S. in Applied Nutrition from the University of New England and a B.A. in Dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado.  She completed her dietetic internship at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia.  Rachael is the current President for the North Suburban Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has a certificate of training in food allergies from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  Her career has been focused primarily in clinical dietetics, working in long term care facilities, hospitals and private practice with a particular focus in gastrointestinal health, weight management, and food allergies.

Dina Genovese, RD, LDN

Dina Genovese is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and avid fitness and sports enthusiast. She began her nutrition education at Harper College in the Dietetic Technician program and completed her nutrition education at Dominican University in 2014.  Dina is currently pursing her MS in Applied Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition from Concordia University Chicago.

Dina provides nutrition counseling and education to individuals and groups and works with clients to establish healthy lifestyle changes at a local health club. She is also a Consulting Nutritionist for the National Head Start program. Dina is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and the SCAN practice group (Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition). She enjoys spending time with fellow sports enthusiasts and sharing her passion for living a well-balanced healthy lifestyle.

Mia Greco, MS, MPH, RD, LDN

Mia Greco is a clinical supervisor and adjunct faculty member of the Nutrition Department at Harper College. Mia holds an M.S. in Nutrition and Wellness and a Master of Public Health both from Benedictine University, where she also completed her dietetic internship. Mia is the current Treasurer of the North Suburban Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Mia's career expertise lies in foodservice management in senior living communities, where she managed operations, trained and developed staff and educated residents on food and nutrition.  In addition to the work with the Dietetic Internship at Harper, Mia also is a contributing speaker for Harper Wellness, with workshops for employees and students on Intuitive Eating, Body Diversity and Food Freedom.  

Lisa Piagari, MS, RD, LDN

Lisa knows that mentorship is necessary for student success. She is a registered dietitian practicing clinical nutrition with 18 years of teaching online nutrition. She is respectful of food as it nourishes the body and impacts health. Lisa earned her Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Northern Illinois University while completing the AP4 field experience program. To create a vibrant learning environment, she appreciates students' perspectives. Her motto is, "Healthy eating is a good habit!"