Food Studies News
Congratulations Class of 2015!
Falk College will celebrate the Class of 2015 and its accomplishments on Saturday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m., Manley Field House. Falk College’s Class of 2015 includes 312 undergraduates, 142 master’s candidates and 27 students earning Certificates of Advanced Study. Four Ph.D. students will receive their hoods symbolizing the highest level of degree achievement. A baccalaureate degree in public health will be awarded posthumously to Sabrina Cammock.
Falk College Marshals
Sam Rodgers, Nutrition
Aziza Mustefa, Public Health
Undergraduate Department Marshals
Francheska Bravo, Child & Family Studies
Mary Briggman, Nutrition
Will Fancher, Nutrition Science
Lisa Cianciotta, Public Health
Leah Elsbeck, Social Work
Scott Kevy, Sport Management
Graduate Department Marshals
Rachel Linsner, Child & Family Studies
Codina Haselmayer, Marriage & Family Therapy
Anna Riverso, Nutrition Science
Nicole Schwartz, Public Health
Ethan Lewis, Social Work
Justin Brown, Sport Management
Falk College Settles into New Home
Within hours of the opening of a student lounge—one of several community spaces—in the new Falk Complex earlier this semester, students were making it their own.
“The students went in there and they started moving around the furniture, making areas for collaboration,” recalls Falk College Dean Diane Lyden Murphy. “Every time you go down there the furniture is placed in different ways as they need them.”
They’ve been making it their home.
Students, along with faculty and staff, are settling in to the new site of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in the Falk Complex at MacNaughton and White halls, which formerly housed the College of Law.
Public health and nutrition major Aziza Mustefa ’15 appreciates how the new complex is bringing together students from the various disciplines.
“I love the Falk Complex! It brings unity among all the majors in the college, and creates a community,” she says. “The student lounges allow students to congregate and build meaningful relationships throughout our college career. It’s convenient and easily accessible to our classes, professors and Falk Student Services.”
All together for the first time
This is the first time all the college’s disciplines will be in one location—“so it is the big coming home,” Dean Murphy says. The central administration offices had previously been housed at 119 Euclid Ave., so that had been the centralized location for many gatherings, while the various departments had sites across campus.
The transition to move the various departments and administrative offices began over Winter Break and continues into the fall as the renovations wrap up.
The new centralized location allows faculty members to have more impromptu “watercooler conversations,” visits in the hallways and additional opportunities for inspired collaboration.
“Faculty members have come together over the years to do interdisciplinary work, especially through the work of the College Research Center, but this does make it more convenient and maybe more spontaneous,” Dean Murphy says. “I’ve heard the faculty saying—and I feel the same way—it’s just nice to run into colleagues in the halls, and not have to go outside or drive.”
The new community spaces in the Falk Complex have expanded those opportunities for faculty in the various disciplines to be engaged with each other.
Three years of planning
It’s those types of ideas that went into more than three years of planning for the convergence of Falk College’s five academic departments and its administrative offices.
Surveys were done with students, faculty and staff to help understand what the needs were and what could be included within the budget. Plans were developed through the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, project architect Ashley McGraw and design partner Gilbert Displays.
“We studied the building and then we figured out the spaces with the various department chairs,” Dean Murphy says.
Each academic unit has an office with the department chair, graduate and undergraduate studies directors, and administrative assistants. Faculty members are assigned nearby offices.
In January, the move included the Office of the Dean, admissions, advancement, the college’s information technology office, the Department of Child and Family Studies, Public Health and the School of Social Work. In March, the Office of Student Services was set up.
The first move in January involved transferring the spaces for 94 people, with 5,169 boxes transferred in a day and a half by the movers, according to Dianne Seeley, Falk College’s senior administrator of operations, space and facilities, who has been part of the renovation process and has overseen the moving. Four hundred computers were also set up by informational technology staff members in five days.
Making the move
This month, the Department of Sport Management and the College Research Center will be moved into their new spaces. Throughout the summer and into the fall, the food studies and nutrition programs, will make the move, which includes reconstruction of the fifth floor for the commercial and experiential kitchens.
The Nutrition Science and Dietetics Program will also have a new nutrition assessment lab, where they will examine the nutrients in food. The lab will be finished this summer.
Additionally, the commercial kitchens and teaching kitchens, along with a multipurpose teaching café/classroom, will be moving in and built up through late August and finished in early fall. The kitchens will offer a state-of-the-art learning facility with technology and kitchen equipment. The kitchen and café/classroom will support the academic programs of nutrition and food studies.
For the Department of Sport Management, a new lab will teach the technology of sports and events operations. There will also be a ticketing classroom with associated technology to learn about ticketing for large sports facilities. This will also include a business arrangement with the Carrier Dome to allow students to be hired and assist in ticketing.
Along with the various departments, the Falk Complex has three computer labs and a Mac lab, which is new for the college. Other renovations have included technology upgrades to many classrooms, along with new carpeting, paint and signage.
“We now have a showpiece, an extraordinary learning environment serving all our academic degrees. Everybody feels lifted coming in the front door,” Murphy says.
A grand opening of the new Falk Complex is planned for September.
“I am excited for future students to come and enjoy the Falk Complex. Dr. Murphy has exciting plans for the college, like the cafe on the second floor. She wants the best for Falk students,” Mustefa says. “Although I am graduating, I am excited that Falk continues to grow every year.”
Aziza Mustefa College Marshal Reflection
Good afternoon and congratulations to the Falk College Class of 2015. I want you all to know how honored I am to be standing here. Thank you to my family, my classmates, my friends, and the esteemed faculty and administration for joining us on this joyous day.
I can’t begin my speech without remembering our classmate Sabrina Cammock. Sabrina was one of my dearest friends, a stellar track runner, a brilliant student, and a woman who used her gifts for the greater good. Even though she is not with us today, she is in our hearts and I hope we can keep Sabrina’s memory alive.
Today we celebrate the triumph of completing our college education. Graduating from the David B Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics means that we will be using our education to give back to our communities. In a couple of days, we all are returning to our communities or joining new ones. As Falk graduates, I encourage you all to act on the vision of David and Rhonda Falk. To quote Mr. Falk,
“Global concerns for critical societal issues like childhood obesity, substance abuse, elder care, and malnutrition are at an all-time high. We need dedicated professionals who are committed and willing to give of their time and of themselves. The Falk College’s unique combination that pairs social responsibility and service with experiential learning means students will be well trained to address society’s most pressing issues, finding themselves both where the jobs are—and where they are most needed.”
Now we are the dedicated professionals moving into society to make a difference because, throughout our college careers, social responsibility and community service have been instilled in us. And, we have the tools and knowledge to make a difference. We all embody Scholarship in Action because we know that one person can change lives, neighborhoods and the world.
As we close this chapter in our lives, a new one begins. Before you leave here today, I want you all to recall your fondest memories and experiences at SU. Remember those who were there for you, remember the support from Falk College, and remember how special you are. We all have this bond that unites us.
I encourage you all to dare to dream big, and most importantly don’t shy away from using your gifts. You and I have the power to create positive change in the world and we will.
Food Studies assistant professor Evan Weissman receives 2015 Meredith Teaching Recognition Award
FST 402 recognized with 2015 Chancellor’s Award for Public Engagement and Service
In recognition of teaching excellence, Evan Weissman, Ph.D., assistant professor of food studies, was honored with the 2015 Teaching Recognition Award as part of the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship Program.
Professor Weissman joined Falk College’s Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition in 2012 and was instrumental in working as part of the collaborative team that successfully launched a bachelor of science in food studies in 2014 as well as a minor in it the previous year. He took the lead on developing five core courses in the food studies program, several of which he teaches, including FST 102: Food Fights: Contemporary Food Issues and FST 304—Farm to Fork, which engages current debates on alternative food systems, the various efforts of consumers, producers, and other food system actors to build networks that embody alternatives to the conventional food system. In this course, students participate in a community supported agriculture program as consumers.
Of Professor Weissman’s teaching, one current student noted he consistently pushes students to think critically. “He has a passion for encouraging students to become engaged members of their community. He has the ability to make you think critically, engages the mind and pushes you to dig deeper and educate yourself on food studies issues to improve the future.”
Later in April, the students in Weissman’s course, FST 402: Feeding the City, will receive a 2015 Chancellor’s Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship. This award is given annually to Syracuse University students and groups whose work in partnership with organizations and citizens in the community exemplifies meaningful and sustained engagement.
Dr. Weissman’s teaching serves as a foundation for student engagement beyond the classroom. Earlier this year, his students participated in a dinner hosted by My Lucky Tummy, a pop-up food court celebrating the refugee and New American community in Syracuse. With Weissman’s leadership and mentorship, Falk College students worked side-by-side with chefs from Eritrea, Japan, South Sudan, Iraq and Bhutan, learning about different cultural foodways and developing cultural competencies. According to professor of food studies, Rick Welsh, chair of the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, “students deep interest in this particular learning opportunity, and the many hours they volunteered for no pay or credit of any sort, exemplifies the commitment to learning Evan fosters in his students.”
Weissman completed his Ph.D. in geography at Syracuse University. His dissertation, “Cultivating the City: Urban Agriculture and Agrarian Questions in Brooklyn, NY,” explored the tensions between the stated goals and outcomes of urban cultivation. He is a founding member and currently serves on the board of Syracuse Grows, a food justice network promoting urban agriculture and community gardening (see www.syracusegrows.org). His professional affiliations include the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society, the American Community Gardening Association, and the Association of American Geographers.
Food studies learning assistant returns as suite chef at 2015 Master Golf Tournament
Food studies learning assistant and Syracuse University graduate student, Cody Allen Dedischew, was the suite chef for the UPS and Rolex suites during the 2015 Master Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. In his senior year of college at Johnson and Wales University, he had the opportunity to go with a group of students to work the Master. He had to interview with the Augusta National HR staff and chef. He was chosen to work as a cook that first year.
By the end of the tournament that year, he was asked to return as a sous chef and has continued to work the Tournament every year since. This year (2015), as last, he worked as the suite Chef for the UPS and Rolex suites. In total, he is responsible for $100 million worth of accounts. According to Dedischew, “one of the best quotes I have heard is from one of the founders of the Master, Clifford Roberts who said ‘everything about the Master has to be the best, and if it’s not we will continue to improve it every year until it is.’ And it is a motto that is alive and well today. There is a high expectation on every aspect of this sporting event, as it is the hardest ticket in sports to get. I truly love my work at the Master. It is a great experience to work alongside the very best in the industry, and learn from master of their respective trades.”
FST 300 students host luau as part of hands-on workshop
Sixteen students in Chef Chris Uyehara’s Pacific Island Fusion Cuisine hosted a luau on April 19 during a course-required workshop at the Lyman Hall Café and teaching kitchens. “Students learn about this culture by preparing and eating its foods,” Uyehara notes. During the course, students learn from Uyehara and from one another. At the end of each prepared meal, the students and instructor share it together. “It is the best way to learn about community and how to teach the next generation,” says Uyehara.
Falk College honored with 2015 Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement & Scholarship
Students and their faculty-staff advisors in Falk College were recognized with three 2015 Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement and Scholarship during a ceremony April 22. The Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement and Scholarship are given each year to Syracuse University students and groups who exemplify the highest ideal of sustained, quality engagement with citizens in our community. Falk College honorees include:
Student Organization—Sport Management Club
Innovation in Academic Engagement—FST 402: Feeding the City
Legacy Award for Academic Engagement—SWK 435, 445, 671, 672, 771, 772/BSSW seniors, MSW graduate students
Read more about the award’s ceremony
Food Studies program co-sponsors Food Chains: A Revolution in America's Fields
In April, the Food Studies program co-sponsored a screening of the documentary, Food Chains: A Revolution in America’s Fields with The Labor Studies Working Group (an interdisciplinary group of scholars from across campus) and the Workers Center of Central New York, to highlight labor issues in the food system. Over 70 people came to the event, which included a discussion with local farmworkers in the CNY region. According to assistant professor of food studies, Dr. Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, “the film opened many people’s eyes to the ways that immigrant workers are both exploited by and resisting our industrial food system.” The film focused on changes motived by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers movement for Fair Food, a program where big buyers of tomatoes, such as Taco Bell and Wal-Mart, have agreed to pay a penny more per pound that goes directly to the workers. Although the film takes place in Florida, our guest speakers discussed their experiences, which reflected those in the film.
Students active in the new Food Studies club, Brainfeeders, announced they will also be working on farmworker issues, and collected names of other involved in taking action.
Seth Goldman, co-founder and TeaEO of Honest Tea, visits Falk College April 13
The Food Studies program, along with Falk College, is pleased to welcome Seth Goldman, co-founder and TeaEO of Honest Tea— the mission-driven entrepreneur who Beverage World magazine just placed at the top of its “50 Disruptors in the Beverage Industry” list. Goldman is the featured speaker at the Christy Lecture Series in Nutrition presented by Falk College April 13, 10:15-11:30am, 312 Lyman Hall.
Goldman’s presentation is entitled, “Scaling an Authentic Brand While Keeping it Honest” and will highlight how he co-founded the company out of his home in 1998 with Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management. Scaling a mission-driven enterprise requires many ingredients including resilience, determination, transparency and loyal partners. Goldman will share how those ingredients along with his entrepreneurial vision and commitment to innovation continue to guide the company to new levels of growth.
Honest Tea, which creates organic fair trade beverages using less sugar, was acquired by Coca-Cola in 2011. Under Goldman’s leadership, the company has expanded into over 100,000 outlets across the U.S. The company continues to deepen its relationships with Fair Trade-certified suppliers in India, Paraguay, China, and South Africa, and create innovative partnerships with organizations such as IndoSole, FoodCorps and National Parks Foundation. In 2014, Seth was recognized by the United States Healthful Food Council with a REAL Food Innovator Award for helping change the food landscape by providing options that are healthier for both the body and the planet. Honest Tea was also recently named as one of Greater Washington’s Healthiest Employers of 2014 by the Washington Business Journal.
Goldman is the author of Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently – and Succeeding, an accessible business book told in comic form that presents the story of how the co-founders of Honest Tea built their mission-driven business. With many failures and some success, the audience will gain entrepreneurial insights and advice about the importance of passion, perseverance, and creative problem-solving.
The Christy Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from nutrition alumna Joan Christy ’78, G’81.
Food studies students work with international chefs to expand cultural competencies, give back to local community
Falk College food studies students, led by assistant professor Evan Weissman, recently hosted chefs from Burma, Eritrea, Japan, South Sudan, and Somalia in the Falk College teaching kitchens in preparation for a recent My Lucky Tummy community dinner, which celebrates the local refugee and new American communities in Syracuse through food. Falk food studies students volunteered in advance of the community dinner, and at the event, working alongside the chefs, who are now local to the Syracuse area, to support their needs. “Food provides a really important vehicle to learn about other cultures,” says Weissman. My Lucky Tummy was started in April 2013 by Adam Sudmann who joined forces with members of the local refugee community to showcase homestyle cooking from around the world. Through his leadership work with Syracuse Grows, a grassroots coalition of individuals, gardens, and community collaborators working to cultivate a just foodscape in the City of Syracuse, Weissman and Sudmann have worked closely on numerous community initiatives. Sudmann has been a featured guest lecture in several food studies courses this semester. Falk College offers a major and minor in food studies.
Page 17 of 20