Food Studies  News

The Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University is pleased to welcome Laura Moretti Reece, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, as the featured speaker of the Eighth Annual Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series. Her lecture, “Nourishing an Athlete with an Eating Disorder: A Sport Dietitian’s Perspective,” will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, in 200 MacNaughton Hall at Falk College. The event is free and open to the public.

As a certified specialist in sports dietetics, Reece specializes in sports performance-based nutrition, as well as treating Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), disordered eating, and eating disorders in athletes. She has extensive experience in consulting and collaborating with Olympic and professional athletes, local colleges and universities, and professional sport and dance facilities.

“We are thrilled to have Laura Moretti Reece as the featured speaker this year,” says Lynn Brann, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at Falk. “Laura’s work in sports dietetics and eating disorder treatment strongly align with the legacy of Ann Selkowitz Litt and with student interests in Nutrition, Falk College, and Athletics. Her work extends across a variety of athletes and focuses on fueling for health and optimal performance.”

Reece currently serves as a clinical nutrition specialist for Sports Medicine, Orthopedics, and the Female Athlete Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is also the consulting dietitian for U.S. Rowing and the Boston Ballet Company and Schools. She was recently appointed to the RED-S Expert Advisory Panel for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic committees. Previously, she served as co-chair of the International Academy of Eating Disorders Sport and Exercise Special Interest Group and co-chair of the 2019 Female Athlete Conference.

Reece is the owner of a Boston-based nutrition private practice group, Laura Moretti Nutrition. She earned a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University.

For information about the Ann Litt Lecture and accommodations or parking requests, please contact Mackenzie Kelly at mkelly47@syr.edu or 315.443.2027.

About the Ann Selkowitz Litt Distinguished Speaker Series

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 NFL’s Washington Commanders 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.

Katherine (Katie) McDonald, Ph.D., has been appointed Senior Associate Dean for Research and Administration in Falk College. As Senior Associate Dean, McDonald is responsible for the oversight of research, administration, and support for faculty; the supervision of the Falk College Office of Research Development; the development and implementation of Falk strategic initiatives; and representing Falk College on University-level committees as appropriate. The office reports directly to Falk College Dean Jeremy Jordan.

“Falk College research spans a wide range of disciplines with impactful, practical applications in individual health and community wellbeing,” Jordan says. “Thanks to Dr. McDonald’s leadership and her team in the Falk College Office of Research Development, the College has experienced steady growth in research activity by every measure, including grant funding, publishing, interdisciplinary collaborations, and student engagement. I am eager to see her influence expand as Senior Associate Dean for Research and Administration.”

McDonald’s new appointment follows a three-year appointment as Associate Dean of Research. During her tenure, McDonald worked collaboratively to establish programming to nurture faculty research, enhance connections on campus to fuel interdisciplinary research, and develop policy to foster research success.

“I am delighted to continue to serve Falk College in this new role,” says McDonald. “Falk College is home to students, staff, and faculty committed to creating and leveraging scientific discoveries to enhance human thriving. It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with so many talented people to co-chart our future.”

McDonald is a professor in the Falk College Department of Public Health, where she also served as chair from 2018 to 2020. She is a fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, chair of Syracuse University’s Institutional Review Board, and a member of the Editorial Board for Autism in Adulthood. At Syracuse University, she holds faculty affiliations in the Aging Studies Institute, the Burton Blatt Institute, the Consortium for Culture and Medicine, and the Disability Studies program.

As a scholar, McDonald uses socioecological theory and community-engaged research to understand and promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. She has made significant contributions to research in disability, health disparities, community-engaged research, and ethical, legal, and social issues in research. Her research has been supported by grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, Rehabilitation Research, and the Patient Centered Outcomes Institute, among others. She is published in leading journals such as the Disability and Health Journal, American Journal of Bioethics, and the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

She received a B.S. with distinction in human development and family studies with a minor in French from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in community and prevention research psychology with a minor in statistics, methods, and measurements from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

AAG recognized 17 geographers in a variety of practice areas for their contributions to geographic research and advancement of practice, and careers devoted to strengthening the field of geography, including teaching and mentoring. The honorary title of AAG Fellow is conferred for life.

Minkoff-Zern is an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Geography and the Environment in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; Department of Women’s and Gender Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences; Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion in Maxwell; and the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration in Maxwell.

“It’s a huge honor to be recognized for my work in my home discipline of geography,” Minkoff-Zern says. “As an interdisciplinary scholar, I work across academic fields, looking at food systems with a geographic perspective, focusing on the migration of people and their agrarian knowledge and practices. This honor acknowledges not only my work, but the growing impact of food systems research on the broader discipline.”

AAG Fellows serve the AAG as a distinguished body to address, contribute to, and at times create initiatives to advance the discipline. Fellows also advise AAG on strategic directions and challenges, and mentor early- and mid-career faculty.

“Being named an AAG Fellow means I will join others in setting strategic initiatives and decisions for the organization, including taking part in committees, helping with broadening services and membership, and mentoring early-career geographers,” Minkoff-Zern says. “In recent years, the AAG has been strengthening its focus on accessibility and equity in the discipline through teaching and mentorship and advancing climate change research through interdisciplinary approaches. I hope to engage in reinforcing these efforts.”

The AAG Fellows Selection Committee chose the 2024 class of Fellows. The complete list of Fellows with their citations is available on the AAG website.

“The breadth and depth of experience among this year’s AAG Fellows is a tribute to their commitment and to the breadth of the discipline of geography,” said Gary Langham, executive director of AAG. “We are grateful for their insights and leadership in advancing AAG and the field.”

With her faculty affiliations in Falk College and the Maxwell School, Minkoff-Zern is at the forefront of bridging the disciplines of food studies and geography and has emerged as “a leader in a growing group of geographers who focus on issues of labor, race, and class within agriculture and food systems,” according to an AAG news release announcing the 2024 Fellows.

Minkoff-Zern is currently working on a funded research project sponsored through the Lender Center for Social Justice with Associate Professor of Geography Jonnell Robinson called “Food Policy Councils as a Vehicle to Address the Racial Wealth Gap in Food System.”

“This project looks at the role of Food Policy Councils in advancing labor justice for front line workers across the food chain, including living wage initiatives, support for unionization, and improved health and safety standards and enforcement,” Minkoff-Zern says.

Beyond her notable research, Minkoff-Zern is a leader in the subfield of food and agriculture, having served as chair and in many other roles in the AAG Geographies of Food and Agriculture Specialty Group. In this position, she helped steward the group toward new programs such as a scholarship for community food and agriculture partnership research.

Minkoff-Zern is the author of two books. “The New American Farmer: Immigration, Race, and the Struggle for Sustainability” tells the story of Mexican and Central American immigrants who are reshaping American farming by drawing on agricultural knowledge and practices from their home countries. Her second book, “Will Work for Food: Labor Across the Food Chain,” co-authoried with Teresa Mares, looks at labor across the food chain from farms to food processing and into the home, and explores the intersections between sustainability movements and labor organizing. This book will be published with the University of California Press in 2025.

About the AAG

For more than 100 years, The American Association of Geographers (AAG) has contributed to the advancement of geography. Members from nearly 100 countries share interests in the theory, methods, and practice of geography, which they cultivate through the AAG’s Annual Meeting and scholarly journals (Annals of the American Association of Geographers, The Professional Geographer, the AAG Review of Books and GeoHumanities). The AAG is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1904.

Mary E. Graham, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Sport Management, has been named Falk College Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs effective Jan. 2, 2024. This newly created leadership position reports to Falk College Dean Jeremy Jordan and is dedicated to faculty development and success. In this role, Graham will guide all Falk College efforts related to faculty development—from hiring to retirement—and work closely with university offices and leadership in Academic Affairs, University Counsel, Equal Opportunity Compliance, Human Resources, and Office of Research.

“I am excited to appoint Dr. Graham to this new role for Falk College,” says Jeremy S. Jordan, Dean of Falk College. “I am very confident that she will be able to further the support and development of our faculty based on her wealth of professional experiences and academic expertise.”

As Falk College Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Graham will work with department chairs to develop strategic hiring plans for faculty and oversee the successful execution of faculty searches. She will participate in faculty review processes, including recommendations for contract renewals and promotion and tenure, and manage operational aspects of faculty affairs. Together with Falk College leadership, Graham will steer the college towards enhanced faculty research and teaching excellence.

“Falk College has an exceptionally talented, diverse faculty with unparalleled dedication to the student experience and the creation of new knowledge,” says Graham. “I am honored to serve as Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in service to my faculty colleagues and the linked missions of Falk College and Syracuse University. I look forward to collaborating with our visionary Dean, Jeremy Jordan, and his leadership team on strategic and operational faculty matters.”

Graham joined the Falk College faculty in 2012 and is also affiliated faculty in the Whitman School of Management. She teaches applied courses in organizational behavior and strategic human resource management, as well as diversity in sport organizations at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. An expert in gender disparities in employment, she has conducted numerous American Association of University Women salary negotiations workshops for students since 2009.

In 2022, Graham was named Syracuse University’s faculty athletics representative (FAR) to the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In this capacity she serves as a key advisor to Chancellor Kent Syverud and Provost Gretchen Ritter on policy proposals and issues affecting student-athletes’ academic and overall wellbeing, working closely with Tommy Powell, Assistant Provost for Student-Athlete Academic Development; Athletic Director John Wildhack; and their teams of professionals. Graham chairs the Faculty Oversight Committee on Athletics, which reviews student-athlete academic data and conducts exit interviews of departing student-athletes.

She previously served as a Syracuse University Provost Faculty Fellow from 2018 to 2020, where she worked with the Provost and University Senate to develop and implement campus-wide shared competencies for undergraduate students. Graham has been a University Senator since 2018, and she currently serves on the Senate Committee on Athletic Policy.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Graham held faculty positions in business schools at Clarkson University, George Washington University, and Georgia State University. She has served as a visiting scholar at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Central University in Taiwan, and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She also has prior work experience with several members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Graham has published extensively and has been widely cited in the areas of human resource management (HRM), public policy and employment discrimination, gender in employment and HRM in supply chains. She is currently studying the equal employment opportunity transparency among professional sport teams, and the impact of concussions on player misconduct.

Graham is on the Editorial Board of the journal Human Resource Management (Wiley), where she previously served as an associate editor. Her professional memberships include the Society for Human Resource Management; and the Academy of Management, where she serves on the executive committee of the Research Methods Division.

A former CPA, Graham has a B.S. in Accounting from Le Moyne College and work experience in public accounting and human resource management. Graham earned both her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, specializing in human resource management, organizational behavior, and gender studies.

This past spring, Falk College nutrition students in the Mediterranean Food and Culture Class had the unique opportunity to cook in the Tuscany home of renowned Italian Chef Jacopo Tendi. And in late October, Chef Tendi had his first opportunity to visit Syracuse as Falk College returned the favor.

Or, to be more precise, returned the flavor.

Tendi was the featured speaker for the Oct. 24 Joan Christy Lecture Series on Food and Culture at Falk College. The lecture series is made possible by the Christy Food and Culture Fund, which was established in 2005 through the generosity of Syracuse University nutrition alumna Joan Christy ’78, G’81 to provide support for a lecture series in the nutrition program.

For about five hours that morning, Tendi cooked with students from Chef Mary Kiernan’s Nutrition Science and Dietetics (NSD) 216 class in the Susan R. Klenk Learning Café and Kitchens at Falk. Tendi and the students created a Tuscan menu of chicken cacciatore, fresh seasonal vegetables, potatoes gnocchi with a pumpkin sauce, four different kinds of crostini, and biscotti that’s made to be dipped in a Tuscan dessert wine.

“But today,” Tendi said, smiling, “we’re not going to dip in.”

During his Christy Lecture demonstration that night, Tendi showed how to make the chicken, gnocchi, and biscotti, and the food made earlier in the day and at night was served to the guests. Tendi was joined at the demonstration by his 19-year-old son, Riccardo, who recently finished culinary school in Italy and like his father was visiting the United States for the first time.

For Tendi, there were other familiar faces in the audience: Nutrition majors Mara Baker, Tess Palin, and Alyssa Quinn, all of whom had cooked with Chef Tendi in his home in Tuscany in May.

“Reconnecting with Chef Tendi was a wonderful experience. He remembered all our names and welcomed us with the same warmth as at home in Italy,” said Quinn, a senior from Cicero, New York. “In his demonstration (at Falk), I wasn’t aware that bruschetta (for the crostini) could be made with cabbage –it never occurred to me.

“Chef Tendi once again expressed his innovative abilities with his recipes, and they were delicious,” Quinn added. “I still can’t stop thinking about how good the chicken cacciatore he prepared with the NSD 216 students was.”

Teaching Nutrition and Sustainability

NSD 452/652 is the “Mediterranean Food and Culture: A Florence Experience” class taught by Nutrition and Food Studies Associate Teaching Professor Jane Burrell in the Spring semester. The class explores Mediterranean culture, lifestyle, and cuisine through lectures, readings, and discussions that prepare students for a 12-day immersion trip to Italy.

While in Italy, students travel through the countryside to tour farms, observe olive oil, pasta, cheese, and wine productions; cook with Italian chefs; and enjoy farm-to-table meals. The trip ends in the heart of picturesque Tuscany–the home of Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence–and includes visits to Tendi’s home, where fresh ingredients are readily available from his vegetable garden, fruit trees, and olive trees.

Tendi spent more than 20 years teaching at Syracuse University Florence and now hosts students at his home for cooking demonstrations and takes them on visits to organic and biodynamic farms near his home. Tendi says he enjoys teaching students and he often talks to them about sustainability and how it applies to cooking your own food.

“To make a pasta dish, you need no more than five or six ingredients,” Tendi said. “If you buy a premade past dish and look at how many ingredients are in it, you can imagine that it’s not something you want to eat. It’s mainly preservatives and flavors and colors to make it look good.

“With good ingredients, you don’t need to do that; the force of the ingredients come out,” he continued. “This is what I like teaching to young people because they’re our future generation and maybe they’re the ones that will change how we feed ourselves.”

Jacopo and his wife, Anna, founded a non-profit organization, Salati Bene, which promotes educational programs regarding nutrition and sustainability for Italian and American students.

“It was a surreal experience to cook in Chef Tendi’s home this May with the guidance of him, his wife, and his daughter,” said Palin, a senior from New Hampshire. “My biggest takeaway from that experience was that you do not need loads of ingredients to make something delicious. You just need local food cooked well to make a spectacular dish.”

Baker said what she learned most from cooking with Tendi was how to cook and improvise with fresh ingredients.

“As someone from North America who loves to cook, being able to cook in Italy and experience the cultural differences firsthand was extremely valuable,” said Baker, a senior from Toronto. “Ever since my return from Italy, I have made more of an effort to make my meals completely from scratch when possible.”

Feeding Your Body and Heart

The Syracuse students who had an opportunity to cook with Tendi and his family in Tuscany were excited to see him at Falk and came away from the demonstration with an even better understanding of his methods and philosophies.

Palin says she learned about different cooking mediums and their uses, particularly pairing the right pans with the type of stove in your home. By being able to observe Tendi in his home and then in an unfamiliar kitchen, Baker said she realized that “it’s not just the ingredients that make the dish, but it’s the atmosphere.”

“While Syracuse has state-of-the-art kitchens, Chef Tendi had a harder time navigating the kitchen as he’s used to his cooking methods and his own kitchen at his home in Tuscany,” Baker said. “Establishing a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen is important as it adds to that sense of comfort and joy that comes with food.”

The emphasis on cooking with joy–and cooking with your family–was at the heart of Tendi’s lecture and demonstration at Falk.

“It’s important that parents cook with their children because that’s the way to infuse in children the joy of cooking,” Tendi said. “Cooking is with love, passion, and joy; it doesn’t have to be a competition or war like with the TV shows. You don’t have to win anything, just enjoy. And if you’re spending time with your relatives or friends, you feed your heart, too.”

For the students who were in Tuscany to witness Tendi in the kitchen and with his family, those lessons will always be an ingredient in their meals.

“Cooking with him in his kitchen was a stress-free, relaxing experience, and coupled with the wonderful dining experience in his backyard is something I have taken home and implemented in my own house,” Palin says. “I prioritize cooking and eating with my roommates, even on busy days as that’s the time to relax and bond with my roommates.”

“Cooking with Chef Tendi reignited my passion for cooking at home again,” Quinn said. “Cooking is a time to let the creative juices get to work, and I take that into consideration every night when I cook at home. I’ve begun experiencing new ways of cooking a variety of produce since my experience with Chef Tendi, and plan to continue to do so.”

Visit the Nutrition Science and Dietetics and Food Studies homepages to learn more about these programs at Falk College.

What five words best describe you?

Well, this is what I would hope for: Kind, empathetic, fun(ish), focused, humble.

Three fun facts about yourself that others may not know?

I have run 12 marathons and 25 half-marathons. I love live music and try to go to as many concerts as a I can. One of my favorite places to visit is Japan—I love the people and the culture.

Do you play a sport or follow a sports team?

During COVID I bought a Peloton bike, so now I spend a lot of time riding a bike that goes nowhere. After living in Philadelphia for 15 years, I tend to root for the Phillies and Eagles.

Favorite band?

Pearl Jam, I am old.

Favorite podcast, book, movie or hobby you’ve enjoyed recently?

I have been reading Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. It is a unique book that I have enjoyed quite a bit. Fun that he is a faculty member at Syracuse.

Most interesting travel experience you’ve had?

I love to travel abroad and experience all that is available at the destination, especially the food. The most epic travel day I have had was in Tokyo. The day started with a bike tour through the city where we stumbled upon one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations I have seen (it was in May by the way). The day ended with some amazing street food and a visit to the robot bar. I got to share this day with my spouse, Laurel, and a good friend, which made it even more special.

Best advice you’ve received?

Listen more, talk less.

What most appeals to you about living in Central New York?

I have really enjoyed learning about all the different outdoor activities and festivals.

How do you bring out the best in your students?

Understanding their academic and career aspirations and making sure we provide the necessary support and resources for them to be successful. We work collaboratively with our students to help them achieve their goals.

What do you look most forward to in your role as dean?

Working with the faculty and staff to provide a transformational experience for our students. We will tell the story of Falk, in part, through the outcomes of our students.

An SU Story by Maren Powell originally published on November 3, 2023.

Laura-Anne Minkoff Zern, associate professor of Food Studies in Falk College, is one of the panelists for “The Lender Conversation: Interrogating the Racial Wealth Gap” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The event is sponsored by Syracuse University’s Lender Center for Social Justice and the MetLife Foundation.

Minkoff-Zern is on a panel of researchers from Syracuse University and other academic institutions who will discuss how housing availability and costs, transportation, and labor issues exacerbate the racial wealth gap. They will also offer solutions to help offset its negative economic effects.

Minkoff-Zern’s research and teaching broadly explore the interactions between food and racial justice, labor movements, and transnational environmental and agricultural policy. In her 2019 book, “The New American Farmer: Immigration, Race, and the Struggle for Sustainability,” she explores the experiences of Latino/immigrant farmers as they transition from farmworkers to farm owners, offering a new perspective on racial inequity and sustainable farming.

Visit Syracuse University News for more information about the free event, including how to register, and for a Q&A about the event with Marcelle Haddix, Syracuse University’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and Lender Center for Social Justice co-founder.