Joel D. Kopple Award

The Joel D. Kopple Award is an annual award honoring an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of renal nutrition.

Lois Hill, MS, RDN, LD, LDE is a Renal Dietitian, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Licensed Dietitian and Licensed Diabetes Educator in Kentucky who is in private practice in Lexington, with her practice focusing on CKD nutrition counseling. Over her career, Lois has worked as Nutrition Service Supervisor and as a Renal Dietitian at Dialysis Clinic, Inc. and at the University of Kentucky. She has various experiences in clinical practice among stages 1 – 5 CKD and post-transplant patients and has participated in research in CKD nutrition. Lois holds a M.S. and B.S. degrees from the University of Kentucky with her dietetic internship completed at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Lois’ passion is CKD nutrition advocacy as a lobbyist for Medical Nutrition Therapy legislation for CKD. She continues to advocate for increased use and expansion of CKD Medical Nutrition Therapy with the Coalition for Kidney Health. She also was a lobbyist for successful licensure for Registered Dietitians in Kentucky with the governor appointing her as the first licensure board chair. Lois has served in leadership roles with the NKF Council on Renal Nutrition, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Commission on Dietetic Registration including the 2020 Revised Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for RDNs in Nephrology Nutrition. She has presented multiple lectures on nutritional management of kidney disease and policy advocacy around the nation.

View press release here.