Nutrition@Syracuse - Fall 2017

News about the nutrition science and dietetics programs at Syracuse University | Fall 2017.

In this edition:

Nutrition program news & notes

Student news

Faculty and staff highlights

Alumni updates

2017 is a very special year!

We are pleased to acknowledge a very special milestone year as the nutrition program at Syracuse turns 100! A grand celebration is planned for this fall in Syracuse, and we hope you will join us.

Continuing as the undergraduate program director, it is my honor to share all we have to celebrate with the ebb and flow of our nutrition programs. Professor Emerita Sarah Short and Dietetic Internship Director, Debra Connolly, have retired. We are thankful for their years of dedication to the students, program and the University! We are glad for Professor Kay Stearns Bruening’s return from Qatar. She is the interim director of the dietetic internship program. Dr. Lynn Brann has smoothly assumed the role as the director of the graduate program, and was promoted to associate professor of nutrition in May.

We had a tenure-line faculty search approved, and were fortunate to hire Dayeon Shin, Ph.D., R.D., who joined us in August. Welcome Dr. Shin!

Once again, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference (F.N.C.E.) was within driving distance, making it possible for us to take a bus full of students to experience the conference, and to network at our alumni reception in Boston during Fall 2016.

In 2015, we dedicated the Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education (ACE) Center thanks to a very generous gift from nutrition alumna, Rhoda Dearman Morrisroe. Throughout this newsletter, you will see how we used the ACE Center space this past academic year. This year, as part of renovated space on the fifth floor of White Hall across from our collaborative partners and colleagues in Food Studies, we dedicated the Susan R. Klenk Café and Kitchens. Please visit our website at falk.syr.edu to view three informational videos that highlight the ACE Center, as well as our undergraduate and graduate programs.

We were fortunate to have Dr. Kate Clancy, food systems expert and past professor of nutrition at Syracuse University, back on campus. She provided a lecture, “Looking at Food Security in the Northeast Region Through Different Lenses.” This year, she will return to campus to teach a one-credit class on food systems.

Last fall, we held the Second Annual Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Lecture, made possible by a very generous gift of the Ann Litt Foundation. Jill Castle, M.S., R.D. presented on sports nutrition for children.

We look forward to seeing you at the 100-year celebration planned for Sept 22-23 in Syracuse (see related story). Please keep in touch so that our paths can cross, either on campus, at conferences or other events and activities. Best wishes for a wonderful year ahead.

Tanya M. Horacek, Ph.D., R.D.

Director of Undergraduate Programs and Professor of Nutrition.

From the Dean…

The first teaching facilities that supported Syracuse University nutrition courses in the early 1900s included 24 gas stoves, a coal and a gas range, and a fireless cooker. What a difference a century makes! Today our student learning laboratory in the Susan R. Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens features a high-tech, well-equipped experimental food lab and commercial kitchens, a baking nook, a 44-seat café, and oh, so much more. As nutrition education needs have evolved, so too have our nutrition offerings.

Yet there have been many constants in our programs during this time, and one of them illustrates the very essence of Falk College today: educating students to be socially responsible global citizens. The first documented example of social responsibility (and service learning) in Falk College we are aware of is attributed to our nutrition program. Answering a call for help from the city welfare department in 1933, students helped local mothers prepare appetizing meals from their food distribution packets.

Our students’ commitment to making a difference in the Syracuse community continues today, with outstanding faculty and staff mentoring them along the way. Many students volunteer regularly at an after-school program that teaches adolescents about nutrition and cooking. Others are part of the Food Recovery Network, a campus organization that, instead of throwing away good food from the dining halls, transports it to non-profit groups who could use it.

As we look back on 100 years of nutrition education with gratitude to those who have made it possible, we look ahead to a promising future. I hope to see you on campus in September for a very special celebration.

Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dean, Falk College.

Nutrition Program News & Notes.

History highlights in food and nutrition at Syracuse University.

As we gear up to celebrate this milestone in 2017, we hope you will enjoy looking back in time as much as we have in preparation for our 100-year celebration.

1917 - The School of Home Economics opens, offering the University’s first courses in nutrition.

1933 - Dean Annie Louise Macleod institutes what we know today as ‘service learning.’ Her leadership with area social services officials paired students with local mothers to help them prepare appetizing, healthy meals from their food distribution packets.

1947 - Department of Nutrition directs first Community Nutrition Institute, offering important education, collaboration with community agencies including the Syracuse Visiting Nurse Association and the City Department of Health.

1971 - The College of Home Economics renamed College for Human Development.

1972 - Coordinated program in dietetics begins.

1975 - Saudi Arabia grants the College funding to train 50 Saudi men to run school lunch programs. The Kellogg Foundation provided a grant for registered dietitians to earn master’s and doctoral degrees to teach in nutrition/dietetics programs.

1977 - The R.T. French Cookbook Hall of Fame dedicated, which included a collection of classic cookbooks rich in social and cultural history.

1988 - Dietetic Internship Program receives approval from the American Dietetic Association.

1988 - Lender Family Laboratory dedicated.

2005 - Outreach and group nutrition education, ORANGE WRAP, created to serve campus, local community.

2007 - Mediterranean Food and Culture Study Abroad program launches in Florence, Italy.

2010 - Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service Nutrition-oriented collaborations launched and on-going.

2011 - The didactic program in dietetics accredited.

2015 - Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education (ACE) Center opens.

2017 - Klenk Learning Café and Teaching Kitchens dedicated.

Photos with captions in this section included historical photos of students  in a laboratory and students counseling with a mother and baby, caption says: Our rigorous academic programs have prepared generations of nutrition and dietetics professionals for 100 years, and continue to be complemented by a long-standing commitment to serving our community.

Best wishes Professor Emerita Sarah Short!

After five decades of students-first dedication in Syracuse University’s nutrition programs, Professor Sarah Short retired in May. In addition to a university-wide event honoring faculty and staff service milestones, a celebration of Professor Short’s distinguished career and many contributions to nutrition education was also hosted by Falk College. Family, friends and long-time colleagues gathered to reminisce on her teaching innovations.

Beloved by her students, Professor Short made it a priority to ensure majors and non-majors alike were engaged in her courses. Accounts of the creative ways she motivated students to attend class continue to be fondly shared in Falk College and beyond. One time she had the SU marching band follow her into the auditorium. For another class, she rode her bike up the aisle of the Newhouse classroom where she was teaching. Her methods captured the attention of The New York Times, which ran a photo of her on the Quad with her motorcycle and a story about her teaching.

Professor Short earned two doctorates from Syracuse University, including one in nutrition and a second in education. Congratulations and best wishes, Dr. Short!

Photos with captions in this section include: A historical photo of Professor Short on a motorcycle with the caption, Since she began teaching in the 1960s, Professor Short employed various methods to grab students’ attention. Here she is on the S.U. Quad where just down the hill in Newhouse I she entered class on her motorcycle, riding it up the aisle past her students. Another photo shows a group of people posing for a photo around Professor Short with the caption, Nutrition colleagues past and present celebrate the career and contributions of Professor Sarah Short.

100 years of nutrition at Syracuse University.

By Lynn S. Brann, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D.

Our nutrition program has responded to the challenges of society. The vast and varied accomplishments of the students and faculty of the program are remarkable. This year, the nutrition program is pleased to celebrate a century of successfully educating nutrition students, contributing to the field of nutrition research, and serving the profession. As we celebrate our 100^th year, we will start with an evening reception on September 22, 2017. We will hold a silent auction to support our N.S.D. students in their community outreach and research. The reception will be held at the newly renovated Marriott Syracuse Downtown (formerly the Hotel Syracuse). A special group rate for hotel accommodations at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown is secured for our weekend event. On September 23^rd, we will host a day of education and networking in the Falk Complex (formerly the College of Law buildings in White and MacNaughton Halls) on campus. The morning will include selected education sessions by alumni using various formats (lecture/discussion and cooking demonstrations). Daina Falk, the daughter or our College’s benefactors, David B. and Rhonda S. Falk, will conduct a cooking demonstration and a tailgate lunch will follow in the courtyard of the Falk Complex.

The afternoon will feature our alumna and keynote speaker, Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried ’88 Ph.D., R.D., whose presentation is entitled “From Dick Clark to Joe Biden…A Good Beat? Can You Dance to It? Can You End the Burden of Cancer?” Our 100-year celebration will allow us to honor the past, highlight the present, and look to the future. We hope to see you all in September!

Please join us to celebrate 100 years of nutrition at Syracuse!

Meet our keynote speaker, Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried:

Wendy Demark-Wahnefried G ‘88, Ph.D., R.D. is Professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (U.A.B.). Dr. Demark-Wahnefried received her baccalaureate degree in nutritional science and biochemistry at the University of Michigan in 1978 and then completed a coordinated master’s degree – dietetic internship through the V.A. Texas Medical Center, Texas Women’s University and Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her doctoral degree in nutrition science from Syracuse University in 1988. Dr. Demark-Wahnefried began her career as a cancer researcher at Duke University where she was on the faculty for 17 years, then was recruited to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In 2010, she was recruited to U.A.B. as the associate director for cancer prevention and control in the Cancer Center.

She has led nine N.I.H.-funded clinical trials of diet and physical activity interventions in cancer patients and survivors and has participated as a co-investigator on several other investigations. Dr. Demark-Wahnefried’s research ranges from determining mechanisms of action of nutrition-based therapies that are implemented pre-surgery to developing and testing interventions that are scalable and which improve diet, physical activity and functional status among cancer survivors. Demark-Wahnefried’s research in cancer control and survivorship has resulted in well over 200 scientific publications, and recognition as a Komen Professor of Survivorship and an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor.

She serves on several committees, including the American Cancer Society’s Guidelines Panel for Nutrition and Physical Activity, World Cancer Research Fund, American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines Panel for Physical Activity in Cancer Survivors, American Society of Clinical Oncology Committee on Cancer Survivorship and Energy Balance, and the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Alumni presenters featured at 100-year celebration:

Eight alumni presentations were accepted for our 100-year celebration. We are excited for the willingness of our alumni to share what they are doing in their work:

Mary Jo Deinhart, M.A., R.D.N., Enjoy the Northeast region’s fall harvest bounty: a cooking demonstration, discussion and tasting emphasizing local and sustainable food .

Tara Hatala, R.D., When building a foundation, everything’s a brick.

Cindy Phillips, M.B.A., M.S., R.D., Adding flavor to heart health.

Linda Quinn, M.S., R.D.N., How a career in nutrition prepared me for the best life ever.

Felicia Spence, M.B.A., R.D., L.D., Whole body approach to weight loss.

Rob Swanda, B.S., Investigating functional alterations of ribosomes and initiation factors during amino acid deprivation.

Allison Tepper, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., Mindful and intuitive eating in the field of dietetics.

Catherine Zymaris, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., Empowering registered dietitians in using social media to enhance their practice.

Daina Falk, founder, C.E.O. of Hungry Fan joins 100-year celebration:

Daina Falk grew up at sporting events and around professional athletes who were clients of her father, David Falk, a pioneer of the sports agent industry. She took this passion to Duke University, where she played on the Women’s Club Tennis Team and was a devoted Cameron Crazy. While at Duke, Daina pursued two other passions—art and food. She lived in Florence and Paris and studied the arts—both fine and culinary. Taking cooking classes while immersed in European culture cemented a lifelong interest in food—both eating and cooking it. Daina came to believe that food wasn’t just a hobby but was an important cultural component of a sports spectator’s experience everywhere in the world.

Falk is the founder and chief executive officer of Hungry Fan, a New York-based lifestyle brand that brings together sports and food culture. She’s also in demand as a celebrity cook on various television programs and in person for professional sports teams, for whom she also serves as a tailgating judge at special events. Daina’s first cookbook hit bookshelves in August 2016 and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon.com in Tailgating Cooking. We look forward to seeing you for Daina’s cooking demonstration and a tailgate luncheon.

Susan R. Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens dedication.

In September 2016, Falk College officially opened the Susan R. Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens, a new hands-on learning laboratory to prepare students with traditional and emerging professional competencies for careers in food, nutrition, dietetics, and public health.

The new facility includes an experimental food lab kitchen, commercial kitchen, baking nook and café. A video camera system allows faculty and chef instructors to broadcast classes, food demonstrations and seminars from Falk College to anywhere on campus and across the country.

A generous and visionary gift from Falk College alumna, Susan R. Klenk, made the new facilities possible. A dual major in the School of Education, Klenk pursued a teaching career with the Syracuse City School District. Because her career always revolved around supporting students to help them be successful, she created the Susan R. Klenk Learning Assistantship in September 2009 that allows students to take a leadership role, provide support for classmates and gain valuable management experience.

“Susan Klenk is a true advocate for student learning and a generous visionary whose on-going support makes Syracuse University an extraordinary place to study food. With the opening of the Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens thanks to Susan’s commitment and support, Falk College, which began offering courses in food and nutrition in 1917, is leading the way in preparing students for expanding career opportunities in food,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, Dean, Falk College.

Photos with captions in this section include: Susan R. Klenk at the September 2016 dedication. The new teaching kitchens located on Falk Complex’s fifth floor.

Nutrition science graduate program update.

By Lynn S. Brann, Ph.D., R.D.N., F.A.N.D.

As I reflect on my first year as director of the nutrition science graduate program, I am grateful to have such wonderful and collaborative colleagues and inquisitive graduate students. Our focus in the coming year is to examine how to best position the graduate program to serve the needs of the graduate students and the profession of nutrition and dietetics. Given that our program has a long-standing history, we hope to continue a legacy of excellence in graduate education. The department has developed a proposal for a Certificate of Advanced Studies in integrative and functional nutrition that will be reviewed in the coming academic year by the Falk College Curriculum Committee. This area of inquiry is emerging as one of great interest to nutrition and health professionals, and we are leading the way in offering these courses to our graduate students.

Our faculty and graduate students continue to collaborate within the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition and Falk College, as well as Syracuse University and beyond. Additional connections are being formed between the new food studies graduate program and the nutrition science graduate program. As we look forward, we are poised to build upon our strengths and we are excited to educate future nutrition professionals.

Photos with captions in this section include: Lynn Brann, Graduate Program Director with Martha Wasserbauer.

Congratulations Deb Connolly!

Falk College congratulates long-time director of the Dietetic Internship Program, Debra Connolly, on her retirement from Syracuse University this fall. An alumna of Syracuse University’s nutrition programs, Deb worked tirelessly and passionately on behalf of students, Falk College, Syracuse University and the local community. She was an active advocate in the profession, holding leadership roles including service as Public Policy Coordinator of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (N.Y.S.A.N.D.). She took dietetic interns to Washington, DC regularly for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Legislative Policy Week.

Debbie was named an Outstanding Dietetic Educator by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics in 2014 and was honored in 2008 by the College of Human Ecology (now Falk College) with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Associate professor of nutrition and interim director of the dietetic internship program, Dr. Kay Stearns Bruening, notes, “Debbie held in high esteem by colleagues in Central New York who serve as preceptors for our dietetic internship, and our colleagues in the Central New York Dietetic Association and the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.”

Our heartfelt thank you to Deb for her leadership, service and dedication!

Nutrition welcomes Class of 2021.

We are pleased to welcome 41 new undergraduate students for Fall 2017 from 11 states and two other countries (China and Dominican Republic). Two-thirds of the students are in the nutrition-D.P.D. programs, and two student-athletes represent the ice hockey and track and field teams. In addition, eight students have matriculated to start in the master’s program. Welcome to our newest students!

Joan Christy Lecture Series focuses on adding flavor to heart health.

The Falk College nutrition program hosted “Adding Flavor to Heart Health,” a culinary demonstration and tasting with Cindy Chan Phillips ‘14, M.S., M.B.A., R.D., director of nutrition education for the New York Beef Council last April as part of the Joan Christy Lecture Series.

The lecture addressed the role of protein in managing both weight and overall health, and demonstrated how to incorporate lean beef into healthy meals to meet the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and add flavor without superfluous sugar, salt, and fat. Recipes used in “Adding Flavor to Heart Health” included an easy Mexican beef cornbread muffins breakfast, and a cook-once, eat-twice dinner of pepper-crusted sirloin with garlic-sherry sauce and Korean-style beef and rice bowl.

Phillips received her master of science in nutrition science from Syracuse University, her M.B.A. in marketing in San Diego State University, and a chef certificate from Mohawk Valley Community College’s hospitality program. Cindy has experience in both clinical and community nutrition.

The Joan Christy lecture series is made possible by The Christy Food and Culture Fund, established in 2005 through the generosity of nutrition alumna Joan Christy ’78, G’81 to provide support for a lecture series in the nutrition program at Syracuse University.

Third Annual Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series to feature Emme.

We are in the planning stages to welcome Emme as our featured speaker at the Third Annual Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series in March 2018.

A leading voice and face in the fashion industry, Emme is a T.V. personality, model, mom, author, brand spokesperson, creative director of her clothing lines, cancer survivor, lecturer and globally recognized women’s advocate for positive body image and self-esteem. She is the first model invited to speak before a Congressional subcommittee in Washington, D.C. with a mission to increase public awareness of eating and body image disorders.

Emme’s fifth book: Chicken Soup For The Soul Curvy and Confident: 101 Stories of Loving Yourself and Your Body, encourages women to embrace their bodies once and for all. She is often consulted and interviewed in the media on eating disorders and body image, fashion trends and model diversity, as well as surviving cancer and women’s health.

She has twice been selected to People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” and Ladies’ Home Journal chose her as one of the “Most Important Women in America” and one of the “Most Fascinating Women of the Year.” She has been honored as one of Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year” and as one of Biography magazine’s “25 Most Influential Women.” Emme is the past chair ambassador to The National Eating Disorders Association, honorary board member to Project Heal, and donates her time to the Girl Scouts of America.

Annual Ann Litt Lecture covers sports nutrition for young athletes.

Falk College and its nutrition program hosted the Second Annual Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series featuring childhood nutrition expert and author, Jill Castle, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N. Her presentation, “Fueling the Growing Athlete: What’s In, What’s Out, & What’s Essential,” covered appropriate sports nutrition advice for young athletes.

Castle has practiced as a registered dietitian/nutritionist in pediatric nutrition for over 25 years. She is a national and international speaker, addressing the topic of childhood nutrition and feeding to a wide variety of groups, including medical professionals, allied health professionals, parents, school, and other interest groups.

Castle is the author of Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete, co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School, and creator of Just the Right Byte, a childhood nutrition blog. In addition, Castle has been published in peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, consumer books, and other blogs. She is the nutrition expert at Bundoo.com, and has been a regular contributor to U.S.A. Swimming, U.S. Rowing, and About.com.

Ann Selkowitz Litt ’75 (1953-2007) was a nationally known nutritionist who helped children and adolescents with eating disorders and assisted developing athletes in reaching their full potential. The nutrition consultant to CosmoGirl magazine, Litt was the author of The College Students’ Guide to Eating Well on Campus, Fuel for Young Athletes, and the American Dietetic Association Guide to Private Practice. She was the nutritionist for the N.F.L.’s Washington Redskins and served as spokesperson for several media campaigns during her career, including the Got Milk campaign. After her death, the Ann S. Litt Foundation, Inc. was created to support nutrition education.

Through a generous gift from this foundation to Falk College, the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series was created at Syracuse University in 2015.

Incorporating the ACE Center into our nutrition programming.

To date, we’ve trained more than 60 medical nutrition therapy students how to use the BodPod, and assessed the body composition of some athletes as well as Donna A’Cox’s weight management class. The dietetic interns, via the multi-skilling classes, worked with dietetic internship director, Debbie Connolly, and physical assessment instructor, Mary Lewis, R.N., using the high-tech mannequin to assess blood pressure, heart rate, and bowel sounds as well as proper tube feeding placement. The Practice of Dietetics class, taught by Nancy Rindfuss, used the facilities and equipment to do its physical assessment lab. The counseling students under Dr. Tanya Horacek’s direction used the counseling rooms to practice and certify for lifestyle-oriented nutrition counseling. With our high-tech facilities, each nutrition counselor was observed/ supervised remotely via live video. Then the student and R.D. supervisor met to discuss progress. Professor Horacek’s U.S. Department of Agriculture FRUVED grant assessments were moved to the ACE Center. The 25 research assistants were trained and tested for inter-rater reliability on the new equipment and assessed 180 research participants.

Four students worked with Dr. Kay Stearns Bruening to design, implement, and evaluate two food demonstration programs during the fall semester. On three consecutive evenings in October, we presented “Fast, Simple, Nutritious Meals for Busy Student-Athletes.” We developed this program at the request of the Syracuse University Department of Athletics for eighty first-year student-athletes. Nutrition students Abby Moore, Mariana Hiotis, and Errant Son and Food Studies student Julia Chatzky demonstrated how to make herbed baked chicken, roasted butternut squash with spinach and dried cranberries, and parmesan-rosemary roasted potatoes, all of which could be prepared in the oven at the same time. We also demonstrated a weekend brunch menu with vegetable-egg cups (like a mini-frittata) and carrot-walnut whole wheat muffins.

In November, the same group of students demonstrated several of these recipes, plus fall harvest salad with apple cider vinaigrette and broccoli-black bean quesadillas, for the Syracuse University Trustee guests. Susan Klenk Scholars Dominique Pacitti and Wing-Yee Chung, and undergraduate teaching assistants Eva Li and Janette Bedoyan (all who were members of the Class of 2017) provided invaluable support for the food demonstrations and tastings.

Starting Fall 2017, the Practice of Dietetics class will teach all D.P.D. students how to plan and implement a food demonstration in a sustainable way. Via the class, we have added labs in the ACE Center so they can practice with each other and offer food demonstrations to the public.

In Spring 2017, we hired R.D.s in the community to teach one-credit food demonstration classes. Gluten-Free Cooking, taught by alumna Kathryn Szklany, and Cooking on a Budget, taught by alumna Mary Jo Deinhart, were a success. During each week of the five-week courses, students learned how to make three to five recipes, which they tasted. Finally, Dr. Sudha Raj and Mary Kiernan collaborated to provide a one-credit Food As Medicine demonstration class for five weeks. During the Fall 2017 semester, we will offer one-credit demonstration classes on How to Cook with Local Ingredients, Cooking to Improve Athletic Performance as well as Cooking Healthy on a Budget.

During the Spring 2017 semester, Dr. Margaret Voss created and implemented a one-credit Biochemical and Physical Assessment class. The course was designed to teach methods of biochemical and anthropometric assessment of nutrition and health. It specifically focused on using new technologies to assist practitioners with nutrition-focused physical assessment. Students used state-of-the-art equipment to examine body composition, resting metabolic rate, and biochemical evidence of oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and glucose regulation. These metrics can be used with traditional physical examination techniques to provide the most accurate and comprehensive nutrition assessment. Laboratory exercises in data collection and analyses allow students to discriminate between the advantages  and disadvantages of the various techniques. The inaugural class, a mix of undergraduates and graduate students, came away from the five-week, hands-on experience with a better understanding of the appropriate application of the methods showcased. They also practiced the analytical skills required for the interpretation of energetic and anthropometric data. Technical terms and mathematical equations aside, they also seemed to enjoy the experience. Who says learning can’t be fun?

Dr. Kay Stearns Bruening completed a Physical Assessment class for R.D.Ns. and will do more training on our ACE Center equipment to ensure we provide our students with cutting-edge physical assessment training. This past year, she taught the graduate assessment class and incorporated more of these skills into this class. They used the Bod Pod, stadiometers, electronic scales, bioelectrical impedance, and skinfold calipers to practice body composition assessment techniques. They also measured heart rate and blood pressure with the new equipment. Under the supervision of Dr. Margaret Voss, they practiced using the Cholestek instrument to measure blood glucose, cholesterol, and glycosylated hemoglobin.

We look forward to expanded uses for teaching, service and research.

Photos with captions in this section included:  Graduate students using cholestech with Dr. Margaret Voss; Demo class presenting to student-athletes; Assessment to determine caloric needs.

Opportunities to support nutrition and the ACE Center.

There are opportunities for alumni, the community, and foundations to partner with us to strengthen our efforts and reach related to our nutrition programs and the ACE Center:

• Support student opportunities to conduct research, attend conferences, or study abroad.
• Similar to the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Lecture Series (see story), with funding we could bring in a series of dietetic/food/nutrition experts to provide food demonstrations on a theme, or we could bring in experts on physical assessments to train the students and local R.Ds. We could also offer a wider series of applied classes for credit and/or for continuing education to the community.
• There are also opportunities to support students while we provide a service to the community or conduct research via ACE assistants. Funding could support nutrition counselors, physical assessment technicians, food demonstration masters and assistants to support equipment usage, food demonstrations, set up/clean up/ ordering and preparation for tasting events. These positions are essential to implement more intensive classes and seminars.
• ACE Grants could support student use of the ACE Center to conduct education/research.

For more information on the ACE Center and potential funding opportunities, contact assistant dean for advancement and external affairs, David Salanger, at dasalang@syr.edu or 315.443.8989. Thank you for your consideration.

Falk College gratefully acknowledges the following gifts recorded July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017.

Every effort is made to be as accurate as possible in reporting our donors. If there is an error or omission, please contact us at 315.443.8989 or via email at kmdesmon@syr.edu.

Dr. Michael Arvan, Mr. John S. Boswell, Mrs. Kelly A. Boswell, Mrs. Barbara E. Bruening, Dr. Kay Stearns Bruening, Ms. Joan M. Christy, Dr. Barry A. Clark, Mrs. Rochelle A. Clark, Mrs. Debra Z. Connolly, Dr. Steven M. Connolly, Mrs. Teri L. Crisp, Ms. Maria B. Erdman, Mr. Stephen M. Friedberg, Mrs. Madalyn Felix Friedberg, Dr. Robert Fulop, Mrs. Barbara S. Fulop, Mrs. Gretchen S. Hassenplug, Ms. Anisa Lila Kamel, Ms. Gillian Glenn Kelly, Mr. Stephen H. Kirsch, Mrs. Laurie B. Kirsch, Ms. Susan R. Klenk, Ms. Jenifer Jy La, Mr. Kin-Shing Li, Mrs. Yin-Kam Li, Ms. Zijun Liu, Mrs. Victoria R. Lounsbury, Mr. Eric Mason, Ms. Melissa Mason, Ms. Rhonda A. Mona, Mrs. Rhoda D. Morrisroe, Mrs. Mary Lue Mueller, Dr. Susan L. Peverly, Mrs. Mary J. Plesac, Mrs. Barbara N. Reiss, Ms. Arlene O. Sanoy, Mr. Mark E. Schifrin, Mrs. Melanie L. Schreiner, Dr. Edward T. Schroeder, Dr. Lois A. Schroeder, Mr. Leslie W. Squire, Mrs. Sandra C. Squire, Miss Constance E. Vickery, Mrs. Lynn Hanig Waite, Mrs. Lucinda L. Wiestling, Ms. Jessica Lauren Zinn,

Mary Kiernan inducted into American Academy of Chefs.

In July, Associate Teaching Professor Mary Kiernan was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs (A.A.C.), the honor society of the American Culinary Foundation (A.C.F.).

“It is the highest honor for me to be recognized by my colleagues in the culinary world,” says Chef Kiernan. “We all work hard to elevate the profession of the chef. To be able to stand side-by-side with this esteemed group of chefs, who continuously promote scholarship so that others may choose this path, is by far my greatest achievement.”

Chef Kiernan came to Syracuse University in 2000 to work in Carrier Dome Catering where she managed 42 private suites and numerous other functions related to games and floor dinners. She became an instructor in Hospitality Management in 2007 and received her M.B.A. at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management in 2012. She also holds a bachelor of science in hospitality management from Florida International University in Miami.

Student News.

Students learn, explore, network at Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.

From October 30 through November 2, 2016, undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic intern students and faculty attended the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (F.N.C.E.) in Boston, Massachusetts. Syracuse University’s Falk College hosted a nutrition alumni reception during the conference.

At F.N.C.E., students attended a variety of the 270 educational sessions, explored hundreds of vendors, and networked with both dietetic professionals and alumni. “The students were inspired by the breadth and depth of our field and returned with some new ideas and a passion for how they can contribute as nutrition professionals as they move forward,” says Nutrition Professor Tanya Horacek.

“Attending the 2016 F.N.C.E. Conference was by far one of the most valuable and exciting experiences of my career thus far as a nutrition dietetics student,” says Abigail Moore ‘18. “I met countless inspiring individuals and had a ton of fun getting to speak with other people in the field. I also felt so privileged to be able to sit in on the sessions where the most knowledgeable nutrition professionals in their respective fields spoke about the most current and relevant studies, trends, ideas, and practice applications.”

There were 100 attendees at the alumni reception. “It was so nice to visit with alumni and see them interact with current students and dietetic interns,” Horacek adds.

The N.S.D. Horacek Research Fund supported nine students with grants to defray the cost of attendance. The grant recipients each shared a summary of a session they attended. Nutrition science master’s student, Miranda McConnell ’17, produced a short video, “Am I Getting Enough Vitamin D?” Graduate student, Rebecca Lustig, summarized “Frontiers in Aging: Diet and Exercise Impacts on Musculoskeletal Condition” while junior, Abigail Moore, wrote about “Promoting Endurance Training Adaptation in Skeletal Muscle by Nutritional Manipulation.” Heather Brubaker, graduate student, critiqued “Cooking Our Way To Common Ground: Lessons in Nutrition Education” and senior, Wing Yee Cheung, wrote about “Aquaculture and Fish Tech 101 for Food and Nutrition Educators.” Gillian Kelly, senior, summarized “Living in Wasteland: Effective Practice and Advocacy Strategies.” Graduate students, Martha Wasserbauer and Mariana Hiotis, wrote of “The Hidden Faces of Eating Disorders” and “Orthorexia,” respectively. Sasha Pourpezeshk, senior, summarized “Food Tourism: A New Opportunity for Dietitians.” 

Photos with captions in this section include: N.S.D. alumni across the decades, and current students and faculty enjoying the reunion at F.N.C.E.

Congratulations Class of 2017.

Students from the Class of 2017 were honored at Falk College Convocation and Syracuse University Commencement in May. We are proud of all of our graduates—our newest alumni. Highlights of our students’ next steps include:

Nutrition, B.S.:

Rebecca Alcosser, completing a distance Dietetic Internship with Priority Nutrition Care.

Shachar Amsalem, planning to apply for D.I. and/or graduate school.

Kara Andrews, starting Syracuse University graduate school.

Annalisse Baker, attending the Dietetic Internship at The Sage Colleges, Troy, New York.

Rebekka Bean, attending the Dietetic Internship at University of St. Joseph, Connecticut.

Janette Bedoyan, attending the Dietetic Internship at University of Rhode Island.

Abigail Case, attending the Dietetic Internship at Virginia Commonwealth University Health.

Wing Cheung, attending the Dietetic Internship at Queens College, New York.

Yuyun Cui, attending graduate school in Canada.

Kathryn Davis, attending the Dietetic Internship at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

Anna Delapaz, returning to Texas, apply to work for WIC, and later pursue D.I..

Meaghan Harkins, attending the Dietetic Internship at Aramark, Pennsylvania.

Natasha Kavanagh, job hunting.

Erin Kavanaugh, attending the Dietetic Internship at Medical University of South Carolina.

Gillian Kelly, attending the Dietetic Internship at Memphis V.A. Medical Center, Tennessee.

Cheyenne Kersavage, seeking employment.

Molly Kim, offered a job with a food company in South Korea.

Eva Li, applied to the M.S. program at N.Y.U. and was awaiting a decision.

Jiaxin Li, will be in grad school in Australia.

Eva Manuse, seeking employment and plans to take the N.D.T.R. exam.

Pilar Marin, seeking employment and exploring other disciplines.

Eric Mason, plans to seek employment as a diet tech.

Erin Mulvey, completing a distance Dietetic Internship with Priority Nutrition Care.

Elizabeth Pabisch, attending the Dietetic Internship at Hunter College, New York.

Dominique Pacitti, attending the Dietetic Internship at Western Michigan University.

Joelle Porush, attending the Dietetic Internship at Long Island University/Post.

Sasha Pourpezeshk, moving to Colorado and seeking employment.

Beth-Elle Schussler, attending the Dietetic Internship at Cornell, New York.

Francesca Sereno, diet technician, Loretto L.T.C., Syracuse.

Maria Winkworth, attending the Dietetic Internship at Syracuse University.

Binglun Zhao, applied to grad school.

Jessica Zinn, completing a distance Dietetic Internship with Priority Nutrition Care.

Nutrition Science, B.S.:

Jordan Barnett-Kradjian, gap year/undecided, allied health; considering application to M.D. programs.

Jacob Feingold, gap year; summer research position at Columbia; applying to M.D. programs at Columbia, SUNY Upstate, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Arielle Hall, accepted a position at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Genetics Laboratory working for Dr. Emanuela Gussoni.

Kimberly Juarez, gap year at Harvard Clinical Translational Research Program; apply to M.D. programs.

Anisa Kamel, gap year working as a pharmacy technician; applied to pharmacy programs (Northeastern, University of Arizona, Pitt, Temple).

Tiffany Liao, gap year; applied to dental school (Stony Brook, Buffalo, N.Y.U. , Case Western).

Evan Lopez, applying for lab research positions (U.T., U.M.N., U.W., Miami).

Elena Pierce, gap year as a medical scribe; applied to multiple M.D. programs for admission fall 2018.

Jessica Rosenberg, clinical tech position at St. Barnabas Hospital, N.Y.C.

Xuanqing Wang, admitted to the University of Pittsburgh Pharmacy Program for Fall 2017.

Alexandria Yorke, admitted to the M.S. program in nutrition at S.U. for Fall 2017.

Nutrition science update.

Of the 11 majors graduating in May 2017, seven are taking a planned gap year before continuing in an allied health professional program. Of these students, three medical school applications have already been submitted, one pharmacy application is complete (nine percent of N.S.D. 2017 graduates), and one dental school application has been submitted. One medical school application is still in progress. The final student in this group is still trying to decide which allied health field to commit to, but is leaning toward medical school. All of these applicants have very competitive profiles and applications.

Of the remaining 2017 nutrition science graduates, one student has been admitted to University of Pittsburgh’s pharmacy program, one to graduate school (S.U., M.S. in Nutrition Science), and one has employment as a clinical technician. Only one student is completely undecided. This student switched to nutrition science in Spring 2017 and is considering a career in allied health.

The breakdown of future employment plans for the Class of 2017 is very similar to those of the previous three years, with 45 percent opting for application to medical programs, 18 percent applying to pharmacy programs, nine percent to graduate programs, nine percent to dental programs, nine percent employed in an entry-level allied health field (technician or medical scribe), and nine percent undecided.

In past years, an average of two medical school applicants have been accepted each year. The remaining applicants usually consider P.A. programs; we place an average of three former students in P.A. programs per year. We place an average of two students in pharmacy programs per year, one student per year in dental programs, and an average of three students per year in nutrition-related graduate programs (M.S. and Ph.D. combined). We have also placed students in nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, and physical therapy in recent years. We usually average one student per year in one of these allied health fields.

Master’s students:

Laura Brown, M.S. -  Attending the Dietetic Internship at Syracuse University.

Zijun Liu - Finishing, M.A.  summer and seeking employment.

Rebecca Lustig , M.A. - Attending the Dietetic Internship at Yale New Haven, Connecticut.

Miranda McConnell, M.A. - Attending the Dietetic Internship at Syracuse University.

Anthony Murphy, M.A. -  Seeking employment.

Zhengli Shi - Finishing M.A. summer and starting Mississippi State University Dietetic Internship in the fall.

Marlei Simon, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2014) - Employed at Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing.

Martha Wasserbauer, M.S. - Attending the Dietetic Internship at Cornell.

Dietetic intern class 2016-1:

Gianna Borelli - Seeking employment.

Timothy Dalesandro R.D.,  - Seeking employment.

Nancy Dannoun (B.S. 2016) - Seeking employment.

Mary Jo Deinhart R.D. (M.A. 2016) - Employed at the V.A. Medical Center.

Erin Driscoll - Seeking employment.

Sophia Guida R.D., (B.S. 2016) - Seeking employment.

Kelsey Hamelin - Employed at the Canandaigua WIC office.

Michelle Koch - Employed at Wegmans in the Food Labeling Department.

Ashley Russo-Leone R.D. (M.A. 2016) - Employed at Upstate Medical University.

Catherine Stephan R.D. - Employed at Rochester General Women’s Health Center in high-risk prenatal care.

Britiney Taylor - Studying for R.D. exam, got married, and applying to long-term care positions.

Margaret Tiss - Seeking employment.

Undergraduate thesis projects:

Master’s thesis projects:

Nutrition Science and Dietetics (Department Awards) 2017.

Elizabeth L. Reid Memorial Award: Kathryn Maria Cosco.

Emily Gere Coon Award: Carly Sheffer.

Faculty Award for Excellence in Nutrition Science: Jordan Barnett-Kradjian.

Marjorie V. Dibble Scholarship Award: Bridget Emily Clark.

Nutrition Science and Dietetics Graduate Research Award: Martha Renee Wasserbauer.

Nutrition Science and Dietetics Research Award - Undergraduate: Arielle Jordan Hall.

Outstanding Dietetic Intern - Director’s Award: Mary Jo Deinhart.

Outstanding Graduate Assistant in Nutrition Science Award: Zijun Liu.

Outstanding Graduate Student in Nutrition Science Award: Marlei Blair Simon.

Peer Leader in Nutrition Science and Dietetics Award: Dominique Noel Pacitti.

Ruth Tolley Award - Women of the University Community: Alyssa Detogni.

Selleck Award: Gillian Glenn Kelly.

Susan J. Crockett Prize for Student Leadership: Beth-Elle Schussler.

Vershann Icem-Wright Professional Promise in Nutrition Science and Dietetics Award: Meaghan Emily Harkins.

Victoria F. Thiele Scholarship Award: Yi Lyu.

Victoria Li Scholarship Award: Kathryn Jane Davis.

Nutrition Students - other awards.

Falk College Scholars: Dominique Noel Pacitti, Abigail Leigh Case, Kathryn Jane Davis, Gillian Glenn Kelly, Beth-Elle Schussler.

Graduate School Master’s Prize: Martha Renee Wasserbauer.

College Marshals: Arielle Jordan Hall.

Department Marshals: Undergraduate (Nutrition) - Gillian Glenn Kelly, Undergraduate (Nutrition Science) - Elena Michele Pierce, Graduate (Nutrition Science): -Martha Renee Wasserbauer.

Remembrance Scholars selected 16’ served 16-17: Kimberly Michelle Juarez.

Nutrition Honor Roll.

Nutrition B.S.:

2017 - Rebecca Esther Alcosser, Janette Nazeli Bedoyan, Baylee Ann Carroll, Abigail Leigh Case, Kayla Chen, Wing Yee Cheung, Lillian Jane Croll, Yuyun Cui, Kathryn Jane Davis, Alyssa Detogni, Elizabeth Lyndsey Eisnor, Susan M. Fukes, Stephanie D. Haber, Meaghan Emily Harkins, Sydney Marie Hughes, Erin Marie Kavanaugh, Gillian Glenn Kelly, Jaleh Kermani, Rylee T. Lease, Jiaxin Li, Mary A. Mik, Abigail Taylor Moore, Erin Jacqueline Mulvey, Katie Eileen Obojkovits, Elizabeth Ann Pabisch, Dominique Noel Pacitti, Beth-Elle Schussler, Sydney Kendall Spiewak.

2018 - Julianna Blake, Olivia A. Cullen, Rachel Goldie Dragon, Heather Marie Falise, Taylor Jordyn Garlow, Lesly Gomez, April M. Hill, Saori Ishida Komatsudani, Emily Kathleen Kuettel, Jacky Lin, Yi Lyu, Clair L. Russell.

2019 - Jamie Rae Weisenberg.

2020 - Justin Pascual.

Nutrition Science B.S.:

2017 - Jordan Barnett-Kradjian, Anthony Dean Dushane, Jacob D. Feingold, Arielle Jordan Hall, Kimberly Michelle Juarez, Anisa Lila Kamel, Tiffany Y. Liao, Elizabeth Ogundare, Elena Michele Pierce, Xirui Song, Sarah Elizabeth Walsh, Xuanqing Wang, Alexandria Roman Yorke.

2018 - Jessica Bak, Bridget Emily Clark, Kristen El-Amir, Bingying Hou, Leah Kochen, Carly Sheffer.

2019 - Erika Rosendahl.

Nutrition Science graduate students:

2017 - A’Keema Sha’Leigh Austin, Laura Beth Brown, Min Hu, Zijun Liu, Zhengli Shi, Marlei Blair Simon, Martha Renee Wasserbauer, Rachel Lauren Watkins.

2018 - Heather Ann Brubaker, Katrina Dufresne, Mariana Olga Hiotis, Megan Christine Lowe, Jacqueline Ann Misch, Brittany Marie Rando, Rosemary Anne Squires.

Orange Wrap.

Orange Wrap was created in the Fall of 2005 as part of the Healthy Campus Initiative to provide nutrition education to students across campus. Orange Wrap educators are junior, senior and graduate nutrition majors who are selected, trained and supervised by a Registered Dietitian. Nancy Rindfuss, Director of the D.P.D. program, managed the program this year. Five students provided a variety of programs on and off campus. On campus, they did a Taste of New York Dinner to promote local foods, and the Try Me Campaign in the dining halls and Campus Crunch to promote apples. Additionally, they assisted Dr. Bruening with her food demonstrations; provided a general nutrition lecture to sport management students, and a healthy foods presentation at S.U.’s Early Education and Child Care Center. They also worked with an S.U. Athletics trainer to give healthy food options to athletes before or after practice or training in the new “Grab and Go” mini café in the Manley Field House Complex and provided a Sadler Dining Hall tour to the Rowing team. Off campus, they assisted with the Upstate Hospital Employee Weight Loss Program, Eat Right, Move, Lose, and the Interfaith Works of C.N.Y.-refugee resettlement program, eating healthy in America.

Mediterranean Food and Culture 2017.

By Tanya Horacek, Ph.D., R.D.

This was the tenth short–term Mediterranean Food and Culture experience that has run since 2011. The program included three days in Maremma in the southern part of Tuscany, six days at the argriturismo La Ginestra, and the remainder of the trip in Florence to round out the two-week itinerary .

The trip maintained many of the tried and true experiences such as: working with the vineyards and bees; making pizza with spelt flour, an antique grain, and; black truffle hunting with trained dogs, and then preparing and enjoying our spoils. We also thoroughly enjoyed the many wonderful local and sustainable Tuscan meals made by Lorenzo and/or Lidia at La Ginestra.

We visited the small artisanal producers for pasta, Pastificco Fabbri, pecorini cheese – Corzano and Paterno, and cooked not just one but two meals with Chef Jacopo once at his home in Montespertoli and the other at the S.U. Florence campus. In Montespertoli, we visited the Wine Museum, a grain mill and a podere, Guido Guillani.

In Florence, we ate our way through Florence via the day-long Taste of Florence tour and had guided tours of the city and the Ufizzi. In Maremma, we visited the award-winning olive press, Frantoio Franci, and a biodynamic organic farm, La Salve. We had meals at two slow food restaurants, Antica Fattoria del Grottaione Montenero d’Orcia and La Dogana, and ate Italian style barbecue at La Buttera.

New this year, we tasted fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese at our tour of Caseficio Inno al Sole in Maremma. The facility was amazing and completely sustainable. In Parco Maremma, we rode bikes to and enjoyed the beach for a day.

An appreciation for the Mediterranean lifestyle and slow, local food.

Student Eric Harris provided insights about the Mediterranean lifestyle and slow, local food. Excerpts from his final journal are noted below.

• “Amazing enough, with only three, maybe four ingredients for the meal, the flavors were robust and wholesome; more impressive than the dishes that contained many ingredients in the U.S.”
  
  

• “…at the bread factory, pasta factory, olive groves, etc, the Italian culture focuses on providing products from ground to table that reflect a standard that if “ they wouldn’t eat it, they won’t supply it”.… it became certain and abundantly clear that Italians really are proud of where their food comes from.”
  
  
• “The effort for community, whether meals are eaten in slow and drawn out courses with many others (La Marenma) or emphasis on guilds with their own rules focused on supporting the local region (detailed by Chef Jacopo and family), the distribution of food and wine is taken with the utmost pride and care among all regions. Understanding this, comparing the environment, terrain, commercial availability, and sustainability to that of the U.S., both nations are almost incomparably different.
  
  
• “I believe now I am much more aware to the food options available to me in freshness and simplicity, rather than complexity. After exploring on the farm, the various harvesting methods of food, wine, honey, and olive oil, I’m much more inclined to pay attention to the origin (food systems) of my meals and the pathways they take to be collected from the fields to arrive on my table.”

Photos with captions in this section included: Gluten demonstration at Pastificio Fabbri; Wine tasting at Guillian Podere;  Dr. Horacek and students at Corzano & Paterno touring pecorino cheese production;  Bee Squad: a little fun while learning about beekeeping at La Ginestra;  Black truffle hunting at La Ginestra; Happy hiking to tend the vineyards at La Ginestra.

Nutrition/Shaw Center partnership.

By Liz Armstrong, Associate Director, Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service.

In a continuing partnership with the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service (Shaw Center), 46 nutrition students volunteered throughout the 2016-2017 academic year for one or more of the Shaw Center’s community-based nutrition education programs. Each program was led by one or more Nutrition Volunteer Coordinators, a Leadership Intern position within the Shaw Center, with advisement from a nutrition faculty member.

Books and Cooks engaged approximately 22 fourth grade students in lessons focused on literacy, nutrition, and food preparation, with each week’s lesson highlighting a different country and nutrition topic. The program collaborated with Bellevue Elementary School, engaging students in lessons during the school day that aligned with state and national curriculum standards. Meaghan Harkins ’17 led Books and Cooks, with support from Markell Reid ’18 and faculty advisement from Dr. Tanya Horacek.

Cooking on the Hillside engaged 12-15 high school youth in making healthy, nutritious food choices while also learning food preparation, food safety, and food demonstration skills. The program occurred at Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, and the Spring 2017 semester incorporated a campus visit into the first program. Program participants received a tour of Falk College, including the Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens and the Nutrition Assessment, Consultation, and Education Center. Annalisse Baker ’17 led Cooking on the Hillside with faculty advisement from Dr. Kay Stearns Bruening.

Food Busters engaged Henninger High School students in STEM-focused lessons to increase their literacy, mathematics and science comprehension by exploring the relationships between food, nutrition, health and media. Nutrition students worked with 20 ninth grade students who are interested in exploring health-related careers and are enrolled in a Principles of Biomedical Sciences class. Katy Davis ’17 led Food Busters together with Elizabeth Eisnor ’18 (fall) and Kristina Didio ’18 (spring), with faculty advisement from Dr. Margaret Voss.

Photos in this section included: Books and Cooks 2017;  Food Busters working through the cholesterol lab;  Cooking on the Hillside team;  Books and Cooks – reading in class; Food Busters learning from the label.

Nutrition Education and Promotion Association (NEPA).

Led by President Rebecca Alcosser and new advisor, associate teaching professor Jane Uzcategui, the group was active on and off campus. On campus they tabled at the Student Involvement Fair and the Apple Picking on the Quad event. As a group, they volunteered at Rescue Mission serving food on a regular basis and a few times at the Samaritan Center. The big event for the year was its guest speaker in April. Kylie Mitchell, M.P.H., R.D., an eating disorder dietitian whose philosophy surrounds intuitive eating and health at every size, spoke about how she became a registered dietitian and her passions surrounding food and health. The event was produced in partnership with Ophelia’s Place, a non-profit organization dedicated to treating eating disorders and changing conversations surrounding beauty and health.

Photos in this section included: Kylie Mitchell with NEPA members.

Dietetic intern teams develop intervention plans for Syracuse populations in need.

By Jennifer Wilkins, Ph.D., R.D.

To strengthen competency in “outcomes management,” our D.I. concentration interns focused on population subgroups in three areas of Syracuse. In teams, these participatory program planning projects were developed during the Spring semester with input from key informants and community leaders in the City of Syracuse.

Gianna Borelli, Nancy Dannoun, Michelle Koch, and Catherine Stephan chose to address the issue of summer food insecurity among adolescents in Syracuse’s Northeast area in their project. To address potential challenges and barriers to teen participation in summer feeding programs, the team identified developed a plan to offer the meals in a safe outdoor location away from the youth’s neighborhood where they could receive meals and also engage in sports. The program included a proposed collaboration with the Syracuse bus transit service, Syracuse University grounds and facilities, and S.U. student-athletes on campus during the summer months.

The project that Timothy Dalesandro, Erin Driscoll and Margaret Tiss developed focused on the issue of hypertension among low-income independent living seniors who participate in programs offered by the Syracuse Northeast Community Center. Their planned intervention included a food-based nutrition education approach consisting of up to eight monthly group sessions. This direct nutrition education strategy was to be coupled with an environmental reinforcement implemented in partnership with a local Wegmans grocery store where “no added sodium” canned products would be easily identified through a Senior Sodium Program.

Sophia Guida, Kelsie Hamelin, and Britiney Taylor worked in the Southwest area of Syracuse. This team focused on improving diet quality among low-income African American mothers of dependent children. This team recognized the cultural importance and identity associated with soul food and sought to engage their target population in strategies to increase nutrient density of traditional foods. Their program combined a food-based nutrition education program with environmental and policy changes including a nutrition standard on food assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, and nutrient thresholds for menu items at area fast food restaurants.

Student highlights.

Elizabeth Eisnor (Nutrition 2018) secured a paid two-month internship at Iowa State University: Cyclone Scholars Summer Research Experience, Summer 2017. She worked on food bioengineering, including fermentation and algal culturing, specifically transforming toxic selenium containing wastewater to create an organic, bioavailable form of selenium.

Kimberly Juarez (B.S. 2017) applied to medical school. In the meantime, she was accepted into The Harvard Medical School’s Clinical and Translational Research Program (S.C.T.R.P.).

Gillian Kelly (B.S. 2017) volunteered with the Food Recovery Network, a campus organization started with students at E.S.F. in 2014. Rather than throwing away good food, it is transported by students using safe food handling practices to non-profit groups who could use it (Samaritan Center, etc.). Starting with one dining hall, now they have five different sites, and the group is working to secure additional sites for food recovery. Volunteers go to at least one of these sites every weeknight. The list of agencies to which they deliver has also grown.

Photos with captions in this section included individual photos of Martha Wasserbauer, Laura Brown and Arielle Hall at N.Y.S.D.A.

New partnership evolves with undergraduate teaching assistants.

Beginning in Spring 2017, the Nutrition program introduced undergraduate teaching assistants (U.G.T.A. s) into many of its courses. This opportunity provides students with leadership and teaching experience. At a minimum to be considered to be an assistant for a specific class, the student must have earned at least an A- in the class previously and have availability during the scheduled class time. Dr. Horacek assigned students depending upon who applied and how applicants matched with faculty needs. A few of the standard minimum expectations for U.G.T.A.s include: attend training; attend the class, but not always necessary; keep office hours to assist students; keep a journal of time and activities; and evaluate your own effectiveness. The supervising professor also evaluated their U.G.T.A.’s effectiveness. The results were encouraging: U.G.T.A.’s learned a lot and felt they were contributing; faculty were grateful for the help and students enjoyed learning from their peers. The program will continue this academic year.

D.P.D. updates.

• Adopting new 2017 ACEND Standards starting June 1.
• 2016 R.D. pass rate was 100 percent (26/26 passed on first attempt).
• Spring 2017 match rate was 85 percent, compared to 56 percent, which is the national average. The five-year match rate average is 81 percent.

Faculty Highlights.

Submitted research proposals.

Lynn Brann, Interactive Mobile Game to Improve Dietary Knowledge and Self-efficacy, National Institute of Health, $5,214.

Lynn Brann, Improving Health through Food Multimedia with Interactive Game for At-Risk Students, Teachers and Parents, National Institute of Health, $80,425.

Brooks Gump, Lynn Brann, Kevin Heffernan, and Aesoon Park, Contribution of Epigenetic Modifications and Racial Disparities in Environmental and Psychosocial Exposures to Cardiovascular Disease, N.I.H., $2,163,429.

Lynn Brann co-I with PI Sharon Wood, Learning How Food Choices Affect Health Through Caretaking, Augmented Reality and Urban Garden Using a Mobile Game, N.I.H., $17,815, sub-award.

Margaret Voss P.I. with Rick Welsh co-P.I., Charlotte Causton, Birgit Fessl, Stephen, Beth Potter, and Alejandro Mieles, DARWIN (Dynamics and Regulation of a Parasite Life Cycle with Emphasis on Invasion of a Novel Island Ecosystem) – the Evolution of an Ecological Trap in the Galapagos Islands, N.S.F., Pre-proposal.

Research awards.

Tanya Horacek, Get Fruved: A Peer-Led, Train-the-Trainer Social Marketing Intervention to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Prevent Childhood Obesity, Department of Agriculture with University of Tennessee, $80,257, continuation award, 7/1/16-6/30/17. (Falk portion Year 1 $80, 257).

Marlei Simon (graduate student) and Tanya Horacek funded proposal for $1000 to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Assessing Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Intuitive Eating Attitudes and Behaviors. Period of Performance 5/01/2016-5/01/2017.

Research/scholarly collaborations & partnerships.

Kamala Ramadoss and Sudha Raj presented “Acculturation, Work-family Interface, Dietary Patterns and Health Among South Asian Immigrants” in March at the Falk College Research Colloquium Series.

Honors and awards.

Associate professor, Kay Stearns Bruening, was honored by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics for her 15 years of service as a program reviewer. Professor Tanya Horacek was named a Gold Author by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (J.N.E.B.). Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Karen Chapman-Novakofski, noted that over the past 10 years, Dr. Horacek has authored or co-authored 8 to 10 papers J.N.E.B. has published.

Associate teaching professor, Mary Kiernan, was inducted into the American Culinary Federation’s honor society, the American Academy of Chefs (A.A.C.) in July. The A.A.C. represents the highest standards of professionalism in the organization, society and industry.

In April, Daina E. Falk Professor of Practice Jennifer Wilkins learned that she had been elected vice president of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. This is a three-year term on the Board of Directors: the first year as vice president, the second year as president-elect, and the third year as president. As vice president, Dr. Wilkins will serve on several committees, including the Executive Committee, and prepares to assume leadership of S.N.E.B. She will serve as vice chair of the Membership Committee, serve as liaison for conference sponsorship for the purpose of building relationships and seeking sponsors for the conference she will plan during her second year, when she will be president-elect. When president in year three, she will preside over all meetings of the board of directors, appoint committee chairs and liaisons, serve on the S.N.E.B. Foundation Board of Trustees and act as spokesperson for S.N.E.B.

Journal publications.

Augustine J.A., Lefferts W.K., Dowthwaite J.N., Brann L.S., Brutsaert T.D. , Heffernan K.S.. Subclinical atherosclerotic risk in endurance-trained premenopausal amenorrheic women. Atherosclerosis. 2016;224:157-164.

Davis K.L., Brann L.S. Examining the Benefits and Barriers of Instructional Gardening Programs to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Preschool-Age Children. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2017. Article ID 2506864. 

Ren J., Brann L.S., Bruening K.S., Scerpella T.A., Dowthwaite J.N. Relationships among diet, physical activity, and dual plane dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry bone outcomes in prepubertal girls. Archives of Osteoporosis. 2017;12:19.

Colby S., Zhou W., Sowers M., Shelnutt K., Olfert M., Morrell J., Koenings M., Kidd T., Horacek T., Greene G., Brown O., White A., Hoerr S., Byrd-Bredbenner C., Kattelmann K. College Students’ Health Behavior Clusters: Differences by Sex. American Journal of Health Behavior 2017;41(4):378-379. In Press.

Horacek T.M., Dede Yildirim E., Kattelmann K., Byrd-Bredbenner C., Brown O., Colby S., Greene G., Hoerr S., Kidd T., Koenings M.M., Morrell J., Olfert M.D., Shelnutt K., White A., Phillips B. Path analysis of campus walkability bike-ability and college students’ physical activity attitudes, behaviors and body mass index. American Journal of Health Promotion published on September 13, 2016.

Wynn C., Raj S., Tyus F., Greer Y., Batheja R., Rizwana Z., Hand R. Barriers to and Facilitators of Dietetics Education among Students of Diverse Backgrounds: Results of a Survey. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, August 2016.

Rupal M. Patel, Ranjita Misra, Sudha Raj, and Ashok Balasubramanyam. Effectiveness of a Group Based Culturally Tailored Lifestyle Intervention Program on Changes in Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes among Asian Indians in the United States. Journal of Diabetes Research, vol. 2017, Article ID 2751980, 13 pages, 2017.

Peters C.J., Picardy J., Darrouzet-Nardi A.F., Wilkins J.L., Griffin T.S. , et al. 2016. Carrying capacity of U.S. agriculture land: Ten diet scenarios. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. 4: 000116.

Peters C.J., Wilkins J.L., Rosas S.R., Pepe B.K., Picardy J. and Fick G.W. Engaging Stakeholders To Refine Models of State-level Food Self-reliance. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. 2016;(6)4:1-5.

Conference and professional presentations.

Brann L., Razza R., Bergen-Cico D. Evaluating the Success of a Pilot Mindfulness-Based Intervention with Preschool Children: Lessons Learned. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts, October 16, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(9):A17

Brann L.S., Razza R., Bergen-Cico D. Impact of a Mindfulness-Based Program on Child Diet and Eating Behaviors. Selected Poster Presentation at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Conference in Washington, D.C. July 2017.

Kay Bruening served on a discussion panel for the annual meeting of the New York State Beef Council on January 20, 2017, at Doubletree in East Syracuse.

Horacek T., Dede Yildirim E., et al. Greene Convenience Store SHELF (Supportive Healthy Environment for Life-promoting Food) Audit Differences between College Campuses. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts October 17, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(9):A47

Horacek T. , Dede Yildirim E., et al. Assessing the healthfulness of campus dining environments using “Full Restaurant Evaluation Supporting a Healthy (FRESH) Dining Environment” tool. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts  October 17, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(9):A44

Simon M., Horacek T. et al. Developing a Tool to Measure Workplace and University Wellness and Obesity-Prevention Policies, Opportunities, Initiatives and Notable Topics: The POINTS Audit. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts October 17, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(9):A47

Loso J., Horacek T., et al. Childhood and Current Gardening is Associated with Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake among College-Aged Students Participating in the Get FRUVED Study. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts October 16, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2016;116(9):A13

El Zein A., Horacek T., et al. Food Choice Priorities of College Freshmen and Variation by Demographic Characteristics: Get FRUVED Study. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, MA October 16, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(9):A18

Laitner M., Horacek T., et al. Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Associated Health Behaviors among College Freshmen. F.N.C.E. Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts October 16, 2016. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2016;116(9):A30

Sowers M., Colby S., Riggsbee K., Greene G., Pickett M., Olfert M., Shelnutt K., Brown O., Horacek T., Kidd T., Kattelmann K., White A., Zhou W., Yan W., Byrd-Bredbenner C. Development and Validity of a College Environmental Perceptions Survey (C.E.P.S.). American Public Health Association 2016 Annual Meeting & Expo Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Denver, Colorado.

Riggsbee K., Sowers M., Colby S., Greene G., Olfert M., Shelnutt K., Brown O., Horacek T., Kidd T,. Kattelmann K., Whate A., Pickett M. Variations in and factors associated with perceived healthfulness of campus environments. American Public Health Association, Denver, Colorado. October 2016.

Raj S. and Wynn C. Supporting Students of Diverse Backgrounds During Dietetics Education. Presented at the Annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, October 18, 2016 Boston Massachusetts.

Horacek T. Relationship between Dietetic Students’ Travel and Study Abroad Experience and Cultural Competence Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Meeting Washington D.C., July 2017.

Kelly G. Simon M., Bedoyan J., Case A., Jackson N., Colby S., Horacek T. University Websites Indicate a Lack of Policy Support for Disease Prevention and a Healthy Environment. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Meeting Washington D.C., July 2017.

Voss M. To catch a thief: Do bird parasites unlock the chemical code of metabolic status to identify potential hosts? University of Nevada, Reno, October 20, 2016.

Margaret Voss discussed coffee research. Syracuse University News, Health and Society, Friday July 14, 2017.

Dragon, L. and J.Wilkins. “Where are the Tomatoes From?” Wait Staff Ability to Address Customer Questions about Food Sources. Poster presentation at Honor the Past, Embrace the Present, Define the Future. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior 50th Annual Conference. Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington D.C. July 20-24, 2017.

Brown, L. and J.Wilkins. Greening the Thrifty Food Plan – How a Sustainability Constraint Affects Price, Availability and Composition. Poster presentation at Honor the Past, Embrace the Present, Define the Future. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior 50th Annual Conference. Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington D.C. July 20-24, 2017.

Welcome Dr. Shin!

Dayeon Shin, Ph.D., R.D. joined Syracuse University as an assistant professor in nutrition and dietetics. During her visit to Falk College in the spring, she presented “Determinants of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Prepregnancy Weight Status and Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy.”

She completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in human nutrition at Michigan State University. She holds a bachelor of science in nutritional science and food management with a minor in consumer studies from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea. She also completed a dietetic internship at Michigan State University.

Her areas of specialization include nutritional epidemiology, maternal nutritional status and birth outcomes, dietary patterns and chronic diseases, biomarkers and predictors for nutritional status in large populations. Her research interests include: the relationship between pre-pregnancy weight status, diet quality during pregnancy, and gestational weight gain; determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus, particularly maternal weight status and dietary patterns during pregnancy; meal and snack patterns and their associations with glucose metabolism, diet quality, and weight status in U.S. adults; and the prevalence of depression and its comorbid conditions among U.S. adults.

Welcome Dr. Shin!

Community presentations.

Kay Bruening and the Food Demos class provided food demonstrations on simple, healthy meals for the first-year student athletes in October. Additionally, Kay, the Food Demos class and a group of students did food demonstrations for the S.U. Board of Trustees’ guests.

Kay Bruening and graduate students Martha Wasserman and Rebecca Lustig participated in a diabetes health fair with the Joslin Center for Diabetes at Upstate-Community Hospital. Information on plant-based eating for diabetes and samples of a fall harvest salad and curried vegetable soup were provided.

Congratulations faculty!

Several members of the nutrition faculty were recently promoted or have new titles, including:

• Lynn Brann, Ph.D., R.D., promoted to Associate Professor
• Mary Ann P. Kiernan, M.B.A., Associate Teaching Professor
• Sudha Raj, Ph.D., R.D., Teaching Professor
• Jane Burrell Uzcategui, M.S., R.D., Associate Teaching Professor

The department is seeking applications for two new positions:

• Teaching associate in Nutrition/Food Service Management. 
• Tenure line assistant professor in Integrative and Functional Nutrition or Sports Nutrition. 

Alumni Updates.

Alumna takes her passion for nutrition to Syracuse City Schools.

It was a series of unexpected events when on a whim, Rachel Murphy ’04, R.D. came to visit the fashion program at Syracuse University. Alone among groups of tours, Murphy was directed to the Dean’s Office. Suddenly, she found herself talking about her interests with then-Interim Dean, Lois Schroeder, R.D., Ph.D.

“I had very a strong conviction about body image and how the fashion industry is not conducive to healthy eating,” says Murphy, whose friends had suffered from eating disorders. The fashion and nutrition program were in the College for Human Development at that time, and after listening to Murphy, Schroeder challenged her, asking, “Rachel, how would you like to help people eat healthier?”

Kay Stearns Bruening, R.D.N., Ph.D., associate professor, who was the undergraduate program director of the Nutrition Science and Dietetics Program at that time, worked with Murphy during her undergraduate years. “Rachel sought and gained opportunities to expand her expertise in various sub-disciplines of nutrition. She seemed to gravitate towards community and public health nutrition and towards promoting the health and well-being of children,” says Bruening.

One of Rachel’s earliest roles was in Onondaga County’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program. “My perspective on life changed dramatically having that experience. It was something that I used as a launching pad to gain insight into the depth of poverty in Syracuse, New York.”

It’s a reality that Murphy recognizes as the current director of Food and Nutrition Services for the Syracuse City School District (S.C.S.D.).

She considers challenges and opportunities that many school meal plans don’t need to think about—poverty, food access, and childhood hunger. “We have a huge number of children and a responsibility to take care of them.”

More than 21,000 children are enrolled in S.C.S.D. schools. Every day, they are served breakfast, lunch, and snack, as well as supper for some after-school programs, and 83 percent qualify for free/reduced meal plans.

The weekend is particularly troubling. “I have a very difficult time being OK with my children in the school district leaving on Friday and not getting fed again until Monday,” she notes.

Though there are community programs, young children are unlikely to find these resources. “Unfortunately, a lot of the opportunities in our environment are not healthy opportunities. Many children end up in corner stores where the big ticket items are beer, lottery tickets and tobacco.”

Murphy recently raised funds for Blessings in a Backpack, a program that provides backpacks filled with fresh food for the weekend to children who need it.

Children are familiar with their school environments, making it the perfect place for them to access wholesome food. What’s more, the approach can lead to countless benefits. “If we offer [food] through the school system, we see increased participation in programs and lower absenteeism,” she says.

Bruening notes that approximately two-thirds of registered dietitians/nutritionists work outside of hospitals, citing a 2016 Commission on Dietetic Registration survey, which indicates 32 percent of registered dietitians/nutritionists work in acute care or hospital inpatient.

Murphy believes that there is great need for nutrition experts in roles outside the hospital setting. For aspiring nutritionists who want to change a culture, “this path is for you,” she says. “Take the torch and run with it.”

Alumni news.

Neychla Abreu (B.S. 2013) is starting a dietetic internship at Puerto Rico Health Department in the fall.

Corie Adamucci, R.D. (B.S. 2014) is the owner of Get Real Nutrition, L.L.C. in New Jersey.

Carolyn Allen, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., C.L.C. (B.S. 2012) is the owner Rural Roots Nutrition, P.L.L.C.

Elizabeth Anderson, R.D. (M.A. 1999) is a bariatric dietitian at CrackerJack Nutrition in New Hampshire.

A’Keema Austin (B.S. 2014) is finishing a masters degree at Syracuse University and starting dietetic internship at S.U. in the fall.

Alyssa Baldino, M.P.H., R.D. (B.S. 2009) is working at the Training and Research Foundation Head Start, California .

Danielle (Stegman) Barber, R.D.N., C.D.N., C.N.S.C. (M.S. 2011) is a diabetes educator at the Joslin Diabetes Center.

Michelle (Easterly) Barber, R.D. (M.S. 2006) is a nutrition specialist at the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc. in New York. Michelle and her husband, Mathew, had a baby boy, Nolan, in August 2016.

Thyra Bartlett, R.D., M.B.A. (M.S. 2013) is a junior product manager at B. Braun, South Africa.

Elisa Bernando, R.D. (M.A. 2013) is a nutrition educator for the Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables Program and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier in New York.

Alexa Bickhart, R.D.N., C.D.N. (B.S. 2015) is a clinical dietitian at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York.

Cheryl Bixby, R.D. (B.S. 2009) is a clinical dietitian at C.H.I. St. Luke’s Health in Texas.

Catherine Blakeman, R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2015) is a clinical dietitian with the Department of Nutrition Services, Adult Inpatient Team, at Duke University Hospital in North Carolina.

Ashley Blauvet, M.P.H. (B.S. 2010) is the director of project management at Staten Island Performing Provider Systems, L.L.C. in New York.

Leigh (Kusovitsky) Bleiberg, M.P.H., R.D. (B.S. 2006) and her husband, Steven, had a baby boy, Jacob, in March 2017.

Rita Boreczky-Berger (B.S. 2009) is the center director at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes in California.

Jennifer BouChamoun, R.D., R.Y.T. (B.S. 2007) is a long-term care clinical dietitian at Alaris Health. She married Tristan Collesano in May 2017 and they reside in New Jersey.

Kelly Brooks (B.S. 2016) is starting a dietetic internship at University of Connecticut in the fall.

Kathleen Bump, M.B.A., R.D. (2016) is at Cornell Cooperative Extension, Syracuse New York.

Shelby (Keys) Burns, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2012) is a senior bariatric dietitian at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts.

Lauren (Sausmer) Carey, R.D. (B.S. 2007) is the owner of L.B.S. Nutrition L.L.C. She and her husband had a baby girl, Scarlett, March 31, 2017.

Katelyn Castro, R.D. (B.S. 2015) is a blogger with Nutrition Served Simply.

Jenifer Chang, R.D. (M.A. 2012) works at S.N.G. Dialysis in Texas.

Amanda Charbonneau (B.S. 2011) is a chef at Persimmon Restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island.

Jennifer Cholewka, R.D., C.N.S.C. (B.S. 2011) is a senior dietitian at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Cherina Cilauro, R.D. (B.S. 2011) is a health coach at Noom, Inc. in New York.

Ally Colson, R.D., C.D. (M.S. 2010) is the owner of Evergreen Nutrition, L.L.C., in Washington.

Kelsey Conn, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2013) works at Trillium Health and Revive Nutrition Therapy in New York.

Amy Jeanne Connell, R.D. (M.A. 2010) is director of sports nutrition at Columbia University. She married Zach Wayne on June 1, 2017.

Kayla Cord (B.S. 2014) is head of marketing at Paleo Passion Foods in Connecticut.

Emily Danckers, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2015) is an assistant sports nutrition consultant with the Chicago Cubs in Illinois.

Kristen Davis, R.D., (M.S. 2013) is teaching as an adjunct for N.S.D. at Syracuse University. She and her husband Ryan had their second daughter, Sawyer, June 2017.

Rebecca D’Arby (B.S. 2015) was accepted to the physician’s assistant program at Bryant University in Rhode Island.

Hannah Degen, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2013) is a clinical dietitian at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s in Iowa.

Dorothy (McLaughlin) Dellefave, R.D., C.D.N. (M.A. 2002) works at the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities in Syracuse, New York.

Lauren Demblowski, R.N. (B.S. 2009) is a resident registered nurse anesthetist in Texas.

Elysa (Silbersmith) Dinzes, M.P.A., R.D., C.D.N. (B.S. 2002) is director of nutrition at the New York City Department for the Aging.

Hilary Donahue, R.D., P.A., P.A.-C. (B.S. 2007) is a physician assistant with Bone Marrow Transplant Service at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts.

Marissa Donovan, R.D., L.D.N. (M.S., B.S. 2013) is an in-store nutritionist at Giant Food in Washington, D.C.

Rebecca (Ditkoff) d’Orchimont, M.H.P., R.D. (B.S. 2011) works at St. Barnabas Hospital in New York. She married Alexander Daniel on June 3, 2017.

Colleen (Boyle) Dour R.D., (M.S. 2009) added a third child, Alexandra to their family, June 2017.

Marlie Doucet, M.P.H., C.H.E.S. (B.S. 2005) is a health research analyst /public health analyst at Northrop Grumman Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia.

Marissa Dutka (B.S. 2015) is a clinical research assistant at The Children’s Hospital of Philadephia.

Alison Eldridge, Ph.D. (B.S. 1981) works for Nestles in Switzerland. Alison was recognized as a top reviewer for the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). She is one of the only active reviewers for AND from the food industry; all other reviewers are from universities or the government.

Noelle Fairchild, R.D. (B.S. 2012) is a P.A. student at Mercy College in New York.

Jenny (Jerome) Farrell (M.A. 1999) is senior director of sales training at GateHouse Media in Massachusetts.

Rachel Feldman (B.S. 2016) is completing a distance dietetic internship with Priority Nutrition Care.

Serena Ferris (B.S. 2016) has accepted a seat into her top choice for a Physician Assistant Program at Pace University for the Class of 2019.

Dana (Kohot) Finke, R.D., C.N.C.S. (M.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, New York.

Nicholas Fischetti, R.D. (M.S. 2012) is a clinical dietitian at V.C.U. Health System in Massachusetts.

Angela Fish, R.D., C.N.S.C. (B.S. 2012) is a clinical dietitian at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

Lauren Flynn, R.D. (M.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian specialist at Florida Hospital.

Elyse Freschi, R.D., L.D.N., C.D.N. (B.S. 2013) is a clinical dietitian at Sisters of Providence Health Systems in Massachusetts.

Janel (Ovrut) Funk, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2004) is the owner of Eat Well with Janel in Massachusetts.

Holly Gilligan, R.D., C.D.N. (M.A. 2014) is a clinical dietitian in Transplant at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut.

Meagan Giovanni (B.S. 2014) was accepted to the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.

Erica (Eisenberg) Gittleson, R.D.N., L.D.N. (B.S. 2008) is a renal dietitian in New York.

Courtney (Schnabel) Glick, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. (B.S. 2006) is a registered dietitian coordinator with the Ketogenic Diet Program at N.Y.U. Langone Medical Center in New York.

Marni Gliklich, R.D. (B.S. 2014) is a nutrition program coordinator at Life Time – The Healthy Way of Life Co. in New Jersey.

Ericka Goldstein (B.S. 2016) is completing a distance dietetic internship with Priority Nutrition Care.

S. Skylar Griggs, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2008) is a registered dietitian in preventive cardiology at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Lauren Grupe (B.S. 2014) started an accelerated nursing program at Northeastern University in January.

Kelly Hamlin, R.D. (M.A. 2003) is a nutritionist at Crandall Corporate Dietitians in Arizona.

Jacqlene (Tillmes) Hanks, R.D. (B.S. 2009) works at the V.A. Medical Center in Syracuse, New York.

Tara (Hammes) Hatala, R.D.N. (M.S. 1998) is the founder of Getting F.E.D. in Boston.

Miho Hatanaka, R.D. (B.S. 2015) works at The Renfrew Center in New York.

Kari (Wallach) Henderson, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2004) is a biopharmaceutical field access specialist in New York.

Risa Herbstman, R.D., C.D.N. (B.S. 2014) works at Downtown Family Medicine, New York, New York.

Julie (Menounos) Hersey, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2009) is a nutritionist at Stop and Shop, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Tessa Hockley, R.D.N., L.D. (B.S. 2015) is a consultant dietitian with Nutritious Lifestyles, Inc. in Tennessee.

Caitlin Hogan, R.D. (B.S. 2010) is a clinical dietitian at U.C.S.F. Medical Center in California.

Amy (Auciello) Hoover, R.D., C.D.N. (M.A. 2012) is a clinical dietitian at Glen Falls Hospital in New York.

Heather Hudson, R.D. (M.A. 2012) is chief programs officer at Food Bank of Central New York.

Lindsey (Brown) Hunter, R.D. (M.A. 2008) and Krista Hunter had twins, Johanna and Alan, in March 2017.

Qianzhi Tea Jiang (M.S., 2011) is finishing her Ph.D. dissertation at UMass Amherst while working as a research assistant for UMass Dining. She and her husband had a baby boy, Everest, February 11, 2017.

Brittany (Chin) Jones, M.S., R.D., L.D. (B.S. 2010) is a registered dietitian and wellness manager at B.M. W.-S.C. at A.V.I. Food Systems, Inc. She got married in April, 2017.

Kailyn (Cavanaugh) Jopling, M.S., R.D., L.D. (B.S. 2008) is a dietitian at I Live Well Nutrition Therapy in Austin, Texas.

Laura Kahn, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. (B.S. 2007) is a dietitian at Compass Nutrition in New York.

Hannah Kalet, M.B.A., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2009) is a nutrition communications manager at MullenLowe U.S., Boston.

Julia Kamiesha (B.S. 2016) was accepted to P.A. programs, but has since decided that she would like to return to S.U. to work on an M.A. to become an R.D.

Ari Kasprowicz (B.S. 2013) is a naturopathic medical student at Bastyr University in California.

Emma Keefe, M.S., R.D., C.N.S.C. (B.S. 2009) works as a clinical dietitian at New England Life Care in Massachusetts.

Shauna Keeler, R.D.N. (M.S. 2014) is a nutrition curriculum developer at Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Erin Kelly, R.D. (M.A. 2014) owns Positive Path Nutrition, L.L.C., Cazenovia, New York and is the Dietetic Internship Director for Utica College.

Andy La, R.D. (B.S. 2015) works at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York.

Jenifer La, R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2014) is a bariatric dietitian at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Massachusetts.

Jocelin Lamprey, R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2013) is a wellness coach at Steward Health Care, Dedham, Massachusetts.

Caitlin Lantier, M.S., R.D., L.D. (B.S. 2014) is clinical assistant professor and co-director for the coordinated program in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Adele Lee, R.D. (M.S. 2013) is a Ph.D. candidate at Teachers College of Columbia University. She works as a clinical nutrition manager at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York.

Krista Lennox, R.D. (M.A. 2009) is a registered dietitian at Farmers and Artisans in Snyder, New York.

Ashley (Russo) Leone (M.A. 2016, C.A.S./D.I. 2017) won the Ann Litt Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Scholarship as an S.U. dietetic intern. She married Brent Leone October 14, 2016.

Christina LiPuma, R.D. (B.S. 2016) is ‘WOOFing’ with the World Wide Organization for Organic Farming. She volunteered on two different farms: one in France and one in Spain. She will job hunt after her volunteer service concludes.

Jennifer (Anderson) Logan, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2009) is employed by Novant Health Heart and Vascular Institute and is president of North Carolina Dietetic Association.

Martina Loncarica (B.S. 2011, M.S. 2016) is assistant coach, Field Hockey, College of William and Mary, Virginia.

Kristina Mallon (B.S. 2014) is a produce buyer at HelloFresh in New York.

Rachael Mallory (M.A. 2016) is starting a new position as the dietitian for Wellbridge Sport in Alburquerque, New Mexico.

Danielle Marino, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania.

Danielle Markowitz (B.S. 2011) is an accounts payable manager at Aurify Brands in New York.

Shelagh (Ramsden) Marshall, R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at Cambridge Health Alliance and Owner of Virtually Nutritious in Massachusetts.

Maggie McCrudden, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at Alaris Health.

Katy Meassick, R.D., C.S.S.D., L.D.N., A.T.C. (M.A. 2010) is a performance dietitian with the Cleveland Browns.

Stacey (Meneilly) Messe R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2004) is a pediatric dietitian at Upstate Medical University. With her husband, Rick, she had a baby boy, William, April 2017.

Susan Miller, R.N. (B.S. 2014) is a certified diabetes educator at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Syracuse, New York.

Paola Mora, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., C.D.E. (B.S. 2007) is a diabetes clinical manager at Medtronic, Bronx, New York.

Michele Morgan, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. (B.S. 2010) is multi-service general manager at Sodexho: Food and Nutrition Services, E.V.S. , Transport, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Milton, Massachusetts .

Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., C.D.N., C.P.T. (B.S. 2008) is a weight loss, sports nutrition and anti-aging expert with The New York Nutrition Group, New York, New York.

Carrie (Jennis) Motschwiller, M.Ed., R.D. (B.S. 2008) is a benefits and wellness expert in New York, New York.

Theresa (Camardo) Mortofis, R.D. (M.A. 2009) is an independent contractor in Massachusetts. She and her husband Alex had Gabriella in July 2017. Big sister Gracie is excited.

Amy Mui, R.N. (B.S. 2010) is a registered nurse at V.A. New York Harbor Healthcare System.

Kayleigh Newell, M.P.H., (B.S. 2013) is associate director, quality improvement initiatives/professional education at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in New York.

Sovanny Nuon, R.D.N., L.D.N. (D.I. 2011) is a U.S. food and nutrition regulatory specialist with LifeSpice Ingredients in Illinois.

Shelby (Squire) Oster, (M.S. 2017 (Food Studies), B.S. 2015) married Dave June 3, 2017 and is now living in Louisiana. She will start the Marshall distance dietetic internship in the fall.

Olivia Palmisano, R.D., L.D. (B.S. 2015) is a registered dietitian at the Emily Program in Ohio.

Brittany Peterson (B.S. 2016) published another recipe in the Academy’s Food & Nutrition Magazine.

Kristal (Michalatos) Pilavas, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. (B.S. 2008) is a clinical dietitian at New York Presbyterian, New York.

Collette Powers, R.D. (M.A. 2010) is a renal dietitian at Dialysis, Inc., in Tennessee.

Sara A. Quinteros-Fernandez, R.D.N., C.N.S.C., L.D.N. (M.S. 2015) is a pediatric clinical dietitian at Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

Amy Reed, M.B.A., R.D. (B.S. 2008) is a senior associate brand manager, at Church & Dwight Co., Inc. in Pennsylvania.

Jie Ren, R.D. (M.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at El Camino Hospital in California.

Alyssa Resnick, (B.S. 2014) is starting the dietetic internship at College of St. Elizabeth in the fall.

Ashleigh Ricevuto, M.B.A., R.D., C.D.E. (B.S. 2007) is marketing manager, Critical Care/Surgery, at Nestle Health Science in New York.

Cindy Rivera, R.D., C.P.T., P.N.1 (B.S. 2010) is a registered dietitian and personal trainer in Florida.

Nancy (Paul) Rindfuss, R.D.N. (B.S. 1992, M.A. 2000) is director of Falk College at Syracuse University’s didactic program in dietetics and completing an Online M.B.A. with the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse, with a specialization in marketing management.

Anna Riverso, R.D. (M.S. 2015) is a registered dietitian at The Lotus Collaborative, San Francisco.

Sam John Rodgers (B.S. 2015) is a law student at S.U. and law clerk at Upstate Hospital. He married Jenna in July 2016.

Alyssa Rothschild, R.D. (B.S. 2013) is a clinical dietitian at Pinnacle Dietary in New York.

Loryn Royer, R.D. (M.A. 2013) is a research nutrition aide at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York.

Katie Salmon, R.D. (B.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at Jersey City Medical Center.

Nicole Santucci, R.D., C.D.N. (B.S. 2013) is a clinical dietitian at Sodexo in New York.

Monica Sathyamurthy, R.D., C.D.N. (M.S. 2012) is clinical nutrition manager/weight management (MOVE !) program coordinator at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in Syracuse.

Hana Seckler (B.S. 2015) has just begun the physician assistant program at Stony Brook University in June 2017.

Dean Seidman, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2014) accepted a position as nutrition care manager with Compass Group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .

Steve Senenko, P.A.-C., R.D., C.D.N. (B.S. 2005) works at Ogdensburg Family Practice, Ogdensburg, New York.

Marlei Simon R.D. (B.S. 2014, M.S. 2017) will present Intuitive Eating Practices and Attitudes of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at F.N.C.E. in Chicago in October 2017.

Sarah Skinner (M.S. 2016) is a Ph.D. candidate in exercise physiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A finalist in the American Society for Nutrition’s Emerging Leader Poster Competition, she presented her research (Elevated Muscle Inflammatory Response After Protein-Dense Food Ingestion in Obese Adults) at the Experimental Biology Conference in Chicago in April. Co-published Beals J.W., Mackenzie R.W., van Vliet S., Skinner S.K., et al. Protein-rich food ingestion stimulates mitochondrial protein synthesis in sedentary young adults of different B.M.I.s. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2017 jc.2017-00360.

Kathryn Skzlany R.D. (M.A. 2011) is teaching as an adjunct for NSD at Syracuse University and has been hired as the new Food Services R.D. for SUNY Oswego.

Holly Sostock, M.B.A., R.D.N., L.D.N. (B.S. 2011) is a clinical dietitian at Prism Healthcare in the greater Chicago area.

Felicia (Hackett) Spence, M.B.A., R.D., L.D. (B.S. 2010) is a program manager at Hilton Head Health in South Carolina.

Danielle (Dehors) Sprague, R.D. (B.S. 2010) is a registered dietitian at CNYDDSO in Syracuse.

Robert Swanda (B.S. 2016) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Biomedical & Biological Sciences Program at Cornell. He was awarded the N.I.H. Chemical Biology Training Grant for two full years of funding and the guarantee to take a 10-week internship in industry.

Allison (Marco) Tepper, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2009) is owner of Allison Tepper Nutrition Consulting, Washington, D.C.

Sabrina Toledano, R.D., C.S.O., C.D.N. (B.S. 2009) is a clinical dietitian at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York.

Sarah Trist, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2004) is a nutritionist at Greater Pittsburg Community Food Bank in Pennsylvania.

Amanda Vecchi, C.P.-F.S. (B.S. 2014) is a dietetic technician at Neville Center at Fresh Pond, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Rachel Verdoliva, R.D. (M.A. 2015) is an Eat Smart New York/ SNAP -E.D. nutritionist for Cornell Cooperative Extension, Oswego County.

Shara (Greenspan) Wagowski, R.D. (B.S. 2007) is a registered dietitian with Brown and Medina Nutrition in New York.

Alex Zhaoxi Wang, (B.S. 2016) worked as a nutrition assistant for an R.D. in Flushing, New York, and assisted her in starting a satellite location in Hong Kong. Alex passed the Chinese certificate for Nutritionist, and will work at the Hong Kong University Hospital in Shenzhen China. He is applying to combined D.I. /masters programs for 18-19.

Rachel Watkins, (B.S. 2015) finished the M.S. at S.U. and is starting a dietetic internship at Duke University Hospital, North Carolina in fall.

Joanna Weinberg, R.D. (B.S. 2014) is a school food service manager at the New York City Department of Education.

Heather (Kanastab) Weissman, R.D., C.D.N., C.D.E. (B.S. 2010) is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at ProHealth Care Associates, L.L.C. in New York.

Marilyn (Bello) Werner, M.S., R.D. (B.S. 2002) is an independent nutrition and regulatory consultant in Texas.

Laura Williams, M.S., R.D., L.D. (B.S. 2011) is a home nutrition support clinician at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Allison (Becker) Wiseman, R.D., C.D.E., L.D. (B.S. 2006) is a pediatric pulmonary/cystic fibrosis dietitian at Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Wluka, R.D.N. (B.S. 2015) completed the Gatorade SNIP Fellowship at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is now the Director of Sports Nutrition at University of Connecticut.

Shichen Zhou (B.S. 2015) received offers from graduate programs at Northwestern, Columbia, and Tufts. He will be attending Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health for statistical genetics.

Catherine Zymaris, R.D.N., L.D.N. (M.S. 2014) is a clinical dietitian at New York Presbyterian and founder of Simply A (R.D. ) Foodie in New York.

SNEB meeting update.

Faculty and alumni presented and enjoyed some time together at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (S.N.E.B.) Association Meeting in Washington, D.C. in July.

Photos in this section include: Dr. Brann, Laura Dragon and Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Wilkins and Laura Brown, Dr. Horacek, and faculty and alumni in D.C. at S.N.E.B.

Please send us your news!

We love to hear from our graduates! Contact us at NSD@syr.edu. We are located at 550 White Hall, Falk College, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, (315) 443-5573.

We look forward to hearing from you.