Not many dietitians can trace their career back to a women’s studies degree – though Jocelyn Dubin ‘94 can. Our 60th anniversary alumni series continues with Dubin, who arrived at UC Irvine planning to become a therapist, left as one of the university’s first women’s studies graduates and is proof that a humanities major can lead just about anywhere.
At UCI, Dubin immersed herself in campus life – peer counseling, student organizing and conferences – and even met her husband, Victor Dubin ‘94 (B.A. political science), along the way. After graduating, she taught elementary school through Teach for America before earning a master’s degree in nutrition science from San Jose State University. Today, she serves as the lead public health nutritionist for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, helping local communities eat and live better.
Why did you choose UCI and what inspired you to choose your specific major, considering it was so new at the time?
I originally thought that I wanted to be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). UCI offered one of the only two Social Ecology majors in the country. I started out as a Social Ecology major.
I was searching for a major that allowed me to think outside the box. I stumbled upon a class called “Racism and Sexism” in 1991 and immediately knew that I wanted to learn more about Women’s Studies and the courses in that major.
Your career path seems unconventional for a Women’s Studies major. Why did you go into Nutrition Science and how did your UCI major prepare you for this field?
The beauty of a Women’s Studies degree is that it teaches one how to think critically about a wide variety of topics. My degree in Women’s Studies has been applicable to my two post-graduate careers: teaching and dietetics. I was accepted into Teach for America before graduating from UCI. My Teach for America experience was the start of a short career as an elementary school teacher. While I loved teaching, I spent quite a bit of my free time studying nutrition. My wonderful husband encouraged me to deepen my pursuit of nutrition knowledge given how interested I was in the subject. I graduated with a Master’s of Science in Nutrition Science from San Jose State University in 2001.
What was student life and the campus culture like when you attended?
It was one part classically collegiate (students hanging out in dorm living rooms together, lounging on the lawn in Middle Earth and grabbing something to eat at Phoenix Grill between classes) and one part commuter campus. Though my hometown was only 60 miles away, I spent the vast majority of my time on campus during weekdays and weekends. Smartphones didn’t exist and most of us didn’t have PCs or laptops which meant we hung out with each other and rocked it old school.
Having review sessions with classmates in my professors’ living rooms and at Zuni Grill made my Women’s Studies experience feel like I was attending a private school within a public school (there were 12 students in my major while there were 17,000 students on campus!).
What student organizations, events, programs or other extracurriculars were you involved with? What were some of your favorite spots on and off campus?
I worked two to three jobs and took 20 units/quarter for my last five quarters in a row so I didn’t have a ton of free time. But when I did, I loved hanging out with my Shadowfax dorm friends and my boyfriend (now husband). Whether going to concerts in the student union (Sheryl Crow played on campus in my junior year) or seeing art shows at coffee houses in Laguna Beach, my time on and off campus was great.
I was a peer counselor at the Women’s Resource Center, the MC for an on-campus Women’s Studies conference and was in the Organization to Promote Political Awareness (OPPA). I also worked at TGI Fridays as a hostess and a food and beverage runner, and a tutor for elementary and high school students.
Were there any big historical events or movements on campus that shaped your college experience?
There were frequent student protests against fee hikes. Bill Clinton got elected as president. The beating of Rodney King catalyzed response and unrest in L.A. The Northridge earthquake happened in my senior year at UCI (’94).
What advice would you give current UCI students and soon-to-be alumni?
When the demands of school feel overwhelming, know that many before you have made it happen and you’ll make it happen too!
Looking back, how do you think your UCI education impacted your life and career path after graduation?
The UCI Women’s Studies program had a profound impact on my critical thinking skills and prepared me for every job I have had since as well as the demands of my master’s program.
I met my husband at UCI and we have now been together for 35 years. I also have several dear friends that I met at UCI and still hang out with today.
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