Christine Bergman is a professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

She earned the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) credential after completing a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition at Loma Linda University. Her master's and doctoral degrees in food science were obtained from Michigan State University and the University of Arizona, respectively. Bergman did her postdoctoral work as a research food technologist with the USDA ARS Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory.

Prior to joining the UNLV faculty, Bergman worked as a USDA ARS research chemist with administrative responsibility for the National Rice Nutrition and Processing Quality Program. She also managed the foodservice and clinical nutrition departments of Palo Verde Hospital. She has consulted for numerous school districts, hospital foodservice operations, and food corporations, including Mars, Inc., Kellogg Company, and Campbell Soup Company. During her early years, she held various front- and back-of-the-house positions in casual and fine-dining restaurants.

She has served in the following leadership roles while at UNLV:

• Chief Academic Officer, UNLV Singapore
• Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Hospitality
• Director, M.S. in Hospitality Degree Program
• Chair, Food & Beverage and Event Management Department

At UNLV, Bergman enjoys teaching courses such as Nutrition in Foodservice, Principles of Food Science, Zero-Proof Beverages of the World, and Sustainable Restaurant Studies. Her primary scholarly work centers on collaborating with plant geneticists to enhance the sensory attributes, nutritional value, and processing quality of Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and related species, as well as examining the beverage industry and factors influencing restaurant customers’ food choices.

She has published over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and has received more than $2.5 M in research grant funding. Bergman has been invited and funded to address attendees of international conferences such as the FAO International Year of Rice Research Conference (Tokyo, Japan), the International Symposium of Food Science and Technology (Montevideo, Uruguay), and the Cuban International Meeting of Rice (Havana, Cuba). The USA Rice Federation’s executives called upon Bergman to collaborate with other scientists and marketing professionals to create and submit an FDA health claim petition. Due to the success of this petition, brown rice sold in the U.S. now may carry the following health claim: “Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.”

Bergman is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Cereals & Grains Association, and International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE). Other than food, her true passions in life include caring for abandoned animals, international food-related travel (more than 70 countries so far), and philosophizing about life with friends over a flavorful bottle of wine.