Nutrition Science & Dietetics  News

As a non-traditional, first-generation undergraduate student at Syracuse University, Chandice Haste-Jackson excelled academically but always felt there was something missing in her pursuit of knowledge.

That missing piece? Connecting with others.

“Ultimately, I discovered that in connecting with others, I could expand my knowledge and understanding beyond anything I learned from textbooks,” Haste-Jackson says. “That set me on a career journey oriented toward human connection, holistic development, and service, whether that be in fields of teaching, counseling, leadership, or administration.”

This past summer, Haste-Jackson’s lifelong journey of connecting with others continued with her appointment as Associate Dean of the Office of Student Services in Falk College. An associate teaching professor in Falk’s Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), Haste-Jackson previously held several prominent HDFS positions and was chair of the Dean’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. In 2021-22, Haste-Jackson served as Syracuse University’s interim director of the First-Year Seminar course.

Before joining Syracuse University, Haste-Jackson was drawn to work that supported vulnerable populations. It was her job, she says, to help those populations expand their understanding, move from deficit toward sufficiency, and identify what wholeness, health, and stability meant to them and/or their families.

“Was this difficult work at times? Yes!” Haste-Jackson says. “But what I gained from these experiences is that our humanity connects us all, even those who are not like ourselves. We all want similar things–health, happiness, longevity, stability–and that makes us more interconnected than we think we are.”

To introduce Haste-Jackson to Falk students, we asked her to discuss her previous experience with students, the services offered by the Office of Student services, and questions that students might ask. Here’s that conversation:

What attracted you to your new job and why is it important that you’re helping Falk College students succeed?

After 20 years of working in nonprofit organizations and schools, rising through the ranks of direct service to executive leadership and administration, I spent a good deal of time teaching and training frontline employees and college student interns. In working with college student interns, I developed a desire to teach, mentor, and prepare the next generation of human service workers, a field that is very broad but one that involves human connection, holistic development, and service–tenets I live my life by!

Given the climate in which we live in today, college students are dealing with issues that may impact their ability to successfully engage in academic pursuits. The COVID-19 pandemic, mass racial violence, wars, and significant personal losses have impacted academic performance and emotional well-being. Helping students to navigate these challenges during their time with us in Falk College is what I endeavor to do, and I am committed to leading and supporting the professional staff in our office who have made that same commitment to student success.

I’m a first-year or transfer student who isn’t familiar with the Office of Student Services. What are the services you provide?

In your first year at Syracuse University, our office will provide academic counseling and advising around other areas in your life that you identify as being important to your growth as a student in Falk College. Additionally, our office supports career exploration and professional skill development, and offers opportunities for learning through career immersion experiences.

Every first-year and transfer student has an assigned academic counselor, and the Office of Student Services will be one of the first places that you connect with to learn more about your major and all the resources available at Syracuse University.

I’m a student struggling with my classes and I’m not sure if I’ve chosen the right major. How can you help?

This is common for students who are adjusting to the intensity of college-level work. We can help you identify the source/cause of the struggle with your classes and then locate campus resources that you might consider accessing for help.

Sometimes, making a change in how you study, how much time you give to studying, or even where you study is all that may be needed to alleviate the struggle. Sometimes, motivation is at the root of the struggle and subsequently causes you to consider if the major is right or not. We’ll help you to explore and develop a pathway to successful academic performance.

I’m a student having a hard time being away from home and I’ve got personal issues that are getting in the way of my sleep, classwork, and social life. Do I go to you or somewhere else?

You most certainly can meet with your academic counselor to discuss these personal issues. Our academic counselors will listen and help you find the resources that are right for you and meet your needs. You do not have to be alone in trying to address emotional, social, or academic well-being.

We also recommend that students contact the Barnes Center at The Arch and/or Hendricks Chapel for support with any personal issues that arise. We are well-connected to these two resources and support student engagement with their services.

Why is it important for students to see you if they have issues rather than trying to work them out on their own? Isn’t that what college is for, learning how to handle stress?

Absolutely! Learning how to handle stress is an expectation of a college student, yet many students are not prepared for the inherent stress that comes with transitioning to college. During the first year of study or even subsequent years, there are a series of social, emotional, and academic adjustments that must occur for you to be successful as a college student. There will be some new stressors, and some of your past ways of handling stress may not be as effective for you now.

Being proactive in seeking help before something becomes an issue is also something that college students are expected to learn early in their college career. We can help you to learn these skills and support you along the way as you employ them.

Help is Here

The Falk College Office of Student Services is in Suite 330 Barclay Hall. You can visit at any time or schedule an appointment by calling 315.443.3144 or emailing falkss@syr.edu. Visit the Office of Student Services webpage for more information and a complete list of services, important announcements, and staff directory.

About an hour north of the Syracuse University campus is a farm stand bursting with vibrant, colorful vegetables, where goats and chickens roam free and customers try their best downward dog at yoga classes in a hops field.

This is Forty Roots Farm Stand, a farm stand owned and operated by Chaya Lee Charles ’04, G’14, assistant professor of nutrition in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. Charles opened the farm stand in 2020 with her husband, Martin, a high school culinary arts teacher, and a friend who has a background in agricultural science.

“Getting students out of the classroom and sharing my experience at Forty Roots is crucial to getting them excited about working in the field and thinking about how they want to use their degree in the future,” says professor Charles.

The farm is a welcome counterbalance to the hustle and bustle of academic life, and it provides Charles with real-world lessons she shares with her students in the classroom. “My work on the farm has given me hands-on experience that I can share with my students. When I’m talking about food science, the nutritional quality of food, how soil health impacts that and all those things in my courses, I now have tangible experience of how that works,” Charles says.

The agricultural setting is not only perfect for growing organic vegetables, but for bringing some important lessons to her students and her community work.

Digging in the Dirt

Charles teaches nutrition education in Falk College, including courses on food science, nutrition education, weight management and disordered eating. “One of my goals as a teacher is to always bring real-life scenarios into the classroom so students can learn via hands-on experience,” Charles says.

Among the work she does in the community is with Parkinson’s disease management, an area she became interested in from working with older adults as a practicing dietitian in long-term care and assisted living facilities. She works with Empower Parkinson, an organization in Syracuse that helps people with the disease to maintain their functional abilities. “At Empower Parkinson, we provide alternative and combination therapies to help people manage their Parkinson’s disease symptoms,” Charles explains.

A group of students work with Charles and Empower Parkinson through a gardening program called Planting for Parkinson’s, a community garden that grows food that’s been linked to potential benefits for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

“At Empower Parkinson, we provide alternative and combination therapies to help people manage their Parkinson’s disease symptoms,” says Charles.”

Nutrition major Philip Farina ’23 has been working with Charles this summer in the garden. Though he began doing the work as part of a class project, he volunteered to continue with the program after the course ended and says the experience is personal as his grandmother had Parkinson’s disease.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Professor Charles this summer,” Farina says. “I’m learning about nutrition program planning, volunteer coordination, and I’ll be conducting education sessions too.” Farina plans on becoming a registered dietitian and says the planning and community education experience he’s gotten this summer are important skills he’ll be able to apply to that career.

Charles has multiple avenues for students to explore their food passions. She has led a student group in working with the Syracuse City School District, assisting their dietitian to create a fruits and vegetables campaign for the elementary schools in the district. “My main goal for students taking my classes is to leave with increased interest and curiosity on the topics we discuss, as well as an improved sense of how to apply acquired knowledge in settings within the field,” says Charles, now the advisor for the student group Slow Food, which focuses on supporting local food and traditional cooking.

Another group of students has worked with the Sustainability Management office to develop pamphlets on how to utilize the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry and created easy-to-follow recipes using fruits and vegetables from the University’s community garden. “Those are things that could be available at the campus food pantry to help students,” Charles explains.

Nutrition for the Next Generation

Charles is also involved with another community garden on campus, Pete’s Giving Garden, which harvests produce for the food pantry. Her involvement is fueled by her passion for gardening and nutrition in general. “Nutrition is so crucial for good health—more so than people understand.”

Her passion for the field and her interest in preventative nutrition was strengthened after the birth of her son, now 9 years old. Consuming fresh, whole, unprocessed, organic foods is especially important, says Charles, to avoid disease later in life.

“As a dietitian, I try to bring the nutrition component into what we’re growing and chose foods to grow that have the best nutritional profile for our customers, and then I provide them with nutrition information on the items and healthy recipes of how to use them,” says Charles.

Charles offers community-supported agriculture (CSA) through Forty Roots and the trio is working on opening a café at the farm stand, revitalizing the hops and will soon build a greenhouse for winter gardening. The property used to be a horse farm and then a hops farm before Charles and her business partners bought it. “There’s so much time and effort that goes into organic growing, so when you get a great end product it’s pretty satisfying,” Charles says. She also brings her nutrition expertise to the CSA boxes they provide. With each weekly box customers receive, Charles includes recipes, healthy tips and instructions on how to use the vegetables.

Though one of the greatest rewards, says Charles, is when her students come back and tell her that they’ve applied the knowledge they gained through her classes and experiences in their post-grad work. “Getting students out of the classroom and sharing my experience at Forty Roots is crucial to getting them excited about working in the field and thinking about how they want to use their degree in the future.”

A Syracuse University Story by Lisa Maresca originally published on September 6, 2022.

Their guiding principle, Santino explains, was that every aspect of the program be true to the goal of promoting social equity. This meant ensuring that those served by the program played a central role in shaping it, that every contributor was compensated, and that the curriculum centered the perspectives of food industry leaders from marginalized communities. The program highlighted the interconnectedness of social justice issues. “We formulated the curriculum around the injustices that overlap in the food and the prison systems, focusing on how to bring more options for healthy, culturally appropriate and affordable food into communities disproportionately affected by inequity,” they explain.

The project speaks to the essence of what drew Santino to the food studies graduate program: They sought an education that would help them work effectively at the intersection of food and social justice. And now, with a career that evolved directly from their master’s thesis, Santino leverages the insight and passion gained through years of working in the field into agency for change.

Empathy From Experience

The formative experience that set Santino on their path was the food insecurity they experienced as a youth. When Santino, who grew up just outside New Haven, Connecticut, was 11, their parents’ divorce precipitated abrupt changes that pushed Santino and their siblings and mother into poverty. And while Santino’s family gave up their car and lost their house to foreclosure, the change Santino felt most keenly was lack of food. “I grew up in an Italian American culture, and food was a central part of community. In my younger years it was always around and there was a lot of it. And then as I got older, there was significantly less.” For many years, school lunches provided their most stable and nutritious meal of the day.

Santino characterizes their middle and high school years as challenging, in part because they contended with then-undiagnosed ADHD, but they began to develop a sense of direction during their first year of community college. They took some culinary and hospitality courses and started working in restaurants. Affirmed in their interest, Santino transferred to Johnson and Wales University and earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and food service management.

The education Santino received through working in the culinary and hospitality field—in a range of roles throughout college and beyond—was equally formative. While they appreciated the independence gained through work, they were increasingly troubled by aspects of the industry that conflicted with their values. Particularly disturbing, they say, was the dehumanizing work environment of some corporate establishments and the stark socioeconomic disparities between some restaurant workers and clientele.

The Perfect Mix

Santino sought opportunities to work with organizations that addressed issues at the intersection of food and social justice. Their first such position was at a women’s shelter where both the food and the culture aimed to promote health, community and a sense of dignity for all involved. They also worked at a nonprofit that provided a bakery training program for formerly incarcerated people. The emphasis on culinary arts as a means to financial security resonated with Santino, and the role provided an eye-opening education into the incarceration system. “Having candid conversations with the returning citizens and hearing their stories helped me understand how people who have contact with the prison system get completely disregarded by society,” Santino says.

Santino discovered the food studies program at Syracuse University by chance, after accompanying a friend to a career fair. They found the program deeply compelling, characterizing it as a “perfect mix of food and social science—with a little bit of public health thrown in.” Although at that point Santino had written off the possibility of graduate school, assuming it would be financially beyond reach, they applied.

During an exploratory visit to campus, Santino met food studies and nutrition professor Evan Weissman, and the positive experience confirmed their decision to enroll. “I visited in April, and it was typical Syracuse weather—65 degrees one day and snowing the next,” Santino remembers. “I was thinking, ‘I don’t know about this,’ but when Professor Weissman showed me the food study suite and I saw the different things happening there, I knew that this was exactly where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do.”

Weissman became a mentor whose own work Santino could build on, and he served as their advisor until he died unexpectedly in 2020. “I wanted to create participatory programs, centered around food, with people who are most affected by issues of income and racial inequality. The food studies program and Professor Weissman helped me put my ideas on paper and start to imagine how to execute them.”

From Capstone to Career

Among the many agencies Santino worked with to develop the educational program that served as their master’s thesis was City Seed—a nonprofit in New Haven focusing on sustainable agriculture, community and economic development. That connection led to accepting a position as manager of City Seed’s emergent food entrepreneurship program and working with early-stage entrepreneurs—many of whom are women, recent immigrants and people of color—to help them launch their food businesses.

It’s a role Santino is imminently equipped to handle. “All my life I’ve had to hustle and put out fires. Then I had the chance to study the interconnectedness of social issues in the food program. Now I’m drawing on both those experiences to support people in launching their food businesses—it’s a perfect culmination.”

A Syracuse University Story by Sarah H. Griffin originally published on June 14, 2022

325 undergraduates;
131 masters candidates;
24 students earning certificates of advanced study, and;
4 Ph.D. students.

Through the month of May, departments across Falk College honored student achievements and celebrated the graduating Class of 2022, which are detailed on individual department websites.

Falk College Convocation was held Saturday, May 14 at Manley Field House. Falk College Convocation, other college convocations, and the May 15 Syracuse University Commencement ceremony, were recorded and are available to view on the Syracuse University commencement website and is also included below.

Falk College Convocation | Saturday, May 14 | 4:30 p.m. ET

Falk College Convocation Photos

Matthew Mulvaney, an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and chair of the Faculty Council, thanked all faculty members who submitted nominations and the nominees who provided documentary support for the council’s consideration.

“This is both one of the most rewarding and one of the challenge parts of serving on the Faculty Council,” Mulvaney said. “We had a large number of nominations that came in, all of them were excellent, and all (faculty members) are making very important contributions to the college. It’s always a hard decision and this year was no exception.”

Here’s a look at the 2022 honorees with comments from their award presenters:

Kenneth Marfilius

Director of Online and Distance Education and assistant teaching professor in the School of Social Work
Falk Faculty of the Year Award for Excellence in Service

From presenter Yvonne Smith, associate professor in the School of Social Work:

“In 2021 Dr. Marfilius simultaneously served as director of the Undergraduate Social Work Program and the Online Master of Social Work Program, roles which, in their own right, require extraordinary vision, dedication, organization, and time. In light of his exemplary service, he was named Director of Online and Distance Education. This new position—a first for Falk College—puts him at the helm of five rapidly growing online programs that make Falk College’s graduate curricula increasingly accessible to students across the nation and around the world.

“The significant challenge of designing, staffing, and managing these nascent programs is hard to overestimate. Dr. Marfilius, a veteran of the United States Air Force, has proven to be a steady, competent pilot who can, as we often say at Falk College, ‘build the plane as we fly it.’ In 2021, Dr. Marfilius’ exemplary service was recognized with the Syracuse University Center for Disability Resources 2021 Faculty Recognition Award and the Syracuse University One University Assessment Award for best use of results.

“But his achievements in college and departmental leadership roles are only some of the ways Dr. Marfilius has served our community. He routinely mentors students and serves as a liaison to the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Notably, Dr. Marfilius has emerged as a leading public voice on the mental health needs of returning veterans and their families. He has done all of this while teaching graduates and undergraduates and serving as PI (principal investigator) or co-PI on multiple research and training grants.”

David Meluni

Assistant teaching professor in the Department of Sport Management
Evan Weissman Memorial Faculty of the Year Award for Teaching Excellence

From presenter Jane Burrell, associate teaching professor in the Nutrition Science and Dietetics program:

“Dave Meluni is a teacher who consistently receives excellent student evaluations. He is at the forefront of innovations in teaching, both in terms of classroom practices and course development, to meet emerging trends in the field. He also is exceptionally strong at developing collaborations with high-profile industry leaders to complement course content and provide students with real-world engagement opportunities.”

“In 2021 Dave taught seven courses. As his nomination letter highlights, Dave is an exceptional teacher ‘specializing in courses that are challenging to find qualified faculty to teach.’ Dave teaches students to connect to real-world experiences in sales and marketing that prepare graduates to obtain highly competitive and lucrative employment opportunities. Dave is ahead of the curve in teaching and innovation. A prime example includes the rapid development of a new course, Name, Image, and Likeness, which he created in response to the NCAA’s 2021 ruling that enables student-athletes to monetize their name. This was the first and only such course in the country that provides guidance and tangible skills that will prepare student athletes and their advocates to benefit from their name and talents.

“Dave also brings his expertise to bear outside of the classroom by overseeing the sales club, which was very successful in the National Collegiate Sales Competition. As a teaching professor, preparing highly qualified students and graduates is essential. Dave’s experience in the profession, his infectious enthusiasm, and his willingness to help his students grow and interact with industry make him an exceptional teacher.”

Latha Ramalingam

Assistant professor in the Nutrition Science and Dietetics program
Falk Faculty of the Year Award for Excellence in Research

From presenter Patrick Walsh, associate professor in the Department of Sport Management:

“Dr. Ramalingam, who is in her second year in Falk College, had an extremely productive 2021. She published eight peer-reviewed articles, several of which are in top-tiered journals in nutrition and one in a highly respected journal in the field of cardiovascular sciences. In addition, she co-authored five conference presentations and was invited by Syracuse University’s Department of Biology to give a research talk titled ‘Early life programming of obesity.’ On top of the publications and presentations, Dr. Ramalingam submitted five internal research grants as PI (principal investigator) totaling $48,000, all of which were funded, and submitted an impressive eight external research grants totaling over $1 million.

“Her commitment to research is also evident through the mentoring of students. Her mentorship as advisor to two master’s students in Nutrition Science and nine undergraduate students in her research lab has led to student publications, SOURCE grant funding, and a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship award from the American Society of Nutrition–the first time a Nutrition Science student at Syracuse University has received this honor.

“Dr. Ramalingam notes that her work ‘focuses on the role of bioactives, specifically fish oil, in preventing maternal and paternal obesity. Approximately 30% of the women of reproductive age suffer from obesity. Dietary intervention during this critical fetal developmental window might provide opportunities to decrease the burden of metabolic disease later in life.’ It is Dr. Ramalingam’s research goal is to provide additional scientific evidence to reduce/prevent obesity using non-pharmacological approaches.”

Thirteen members of the Class of 2022 have been named Falk College Scholars. Falk Scholars represent undergraduate students who display academic excellence, exceptional campus and community engagement, independent research and creative work, innovation in their disciplinary field, and personal integrity. Designation as a Falk Scholar is the highest academic award conferred by Falk College on graduating seniors.

We asked the Class of 2022 Falk Scholars to describe their most meaningful experiences at Syracuse University and here’s what they wrote:

Drew Disanto, Sport Analytics

Syracuse has brought me numerous opportunities, memories, and experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My most important experience was through the Syracuse Soccer Analytics Club. My peers and I started the club during my freshman year, despite knowing very little about analytics or programming. As its vice president, this club was extremely helpful in giving me first-hand experience with data, programming, and data analysis.

Even more memorable was the aftermath of the club. Submitting our club work to various conferences and competitions was exhilarating enough. When our paper started to win and place at these competitions, I was ecstatic. It was validating to see our hard work being recognized and praised by several industry professionals. This club was exceedingly beneficial to my career here at Syracuse, and I do not think I’d be where I am today without everything I learned through it.

Samantha Jezak, Nutrition Science and Dietetics

Falk College has been a close community for me over the past exciting, rigorous, and innovative 4 years of my life. I quickly became involved in nutrition research my freshman year. It wasn’t necessarily what I had formulated in my head (white lab coat, goggles, combustion); it was literature review, consisting of PubMed readings after readings and discussions with my research advisor, Dr. (Jessica) Garay. Little did I know these readings would lead to the research project that has ultimately defined my career path.

It sounds glamorous to be a “scientist,” but nobody tells you about the tedious work that must be done behind the scenes to bring a project to life. As demanding as it was, I am so fortunate to have the experience of writing, applying, and conducting my own research project, especially alongside one of my most well-respected peers, Olivia Templeton. This research experience has taught me things that can’t be taught in the classroom. I am honored to say that Falk College has molded me into a well-prepared individual for pursuing a career I am truly passionate about. I look forward to continuing to explore nutrition research through a graduate program in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition at Tufts University.

Preston Klaus, Sport Analytics

Syracuse University has provided me with a multitude of experiences including, but not limited to, a negotiation class in the law school and the first ever Name, Image, and Likeness course in the country (in the Department of Sport Management). However, my most rewarding one has come this year leading the Basketball Analytics Club.

The club introduces basketball analytics in a fun way to a new audience and connects people through sport. I have seen the club transform from a small group of students without structure to a true university community that can carry the club forward. It has been incredibly rewarding to give back to the younger students who want to follow a similar path. Leading this club has transformed my presentational skills and Syracuse University has helped me mature into the person I am today.

Mackenzie Mangos, Sport Analytics

The most influential experience has been my founding/serving as president of the Sport Analytics Women (SAW) Club. After my freshman year, I saw a need for this club – we only had three females in the entire major! Not only is this a problem in the program, but in the industry as well.

The club serves as a positive advocate for women in sport analytics. It is very rewarding to see the club making a difference and it allows the female underclassmen to have supportive upperclassmen to look up to, something I wish I had when I was a freshman. Syracuse University has helped me to grow as a person and as a leader.

Nathan Redmond, Exercise Science

One of the most important experiences I have had at Syracuse University is the time I have spent with Syracuse University Ambulance (SUA). I became a member of SUA my freshman year and since then I have been responsible for providing emergency medical care to the Syracuse University campus and the surrounding communities. Within SUA I have held many positions, including mentor to the incoming members. I am responsible for teaching and training new members in the basic skills and assessment strategies necessary for their role on the ambulance.

SUA has been a place of support, community, family, loyalty, and genuine care during my tenure at Syracuse University. Additionally, I have worked as a crew chief, driver, trainer, and special event supervisor, which has been extremely impactful on my development as an EMS provider but more importantly helped to develop my leadership, teaching, personal growth, and public speaking skills. In general, SUA has reinforced my commitment and passion to becoming a physician.

Dominic Samangy, Sport Analytics

Over the past four years at Syracuse, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to spend each one with the men’s basketball team as a student manager. Being able to work closely with Coach (Jim) Boeheim and his accomplished coaching staff has been an eye-opening experience and has certainly guided me in my development as a basketball professional.

I’ve also spent the past few years collaborating with my classmates and professors on research studies covering basketball and soccer topics. Through such efforts, I’ve had to opportunity to present work at prestigious conferences such as the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Conference, and I’ll travel to London this May to represent SU and Falk College at the 8th Western Conference on Football and Finance. Outside of my time on campus, I’ve also utilized my Falk-driven skillset to serve as a consultant for NBA agencies over the past two NBA Draft classes. All in all, my time at Falk College at Syracuse University has not only prepared me for my future in sports but has provided a family and support system that I am truly grateful for.

Cooper Shawver, Sport Analytics

The most important experience I had during my time at Syracuse University and Falk College was joining the Baseball Sabermetrics Club. The club inspired my desire to pursue both baseball competitions and research. For example, myself and four other students won the Arizona Sabermetrics Case Competition for our work researching pitchers’ effectiveness for the third time through a batting order.

Also, I am currently finishing my senior thesis on Major League Baseball player valuation. Despite all my experiences at Falk being memorable, the Baseball Sabermetrics Club had the greatest influence on my career at Syracuse University.

Choyang Lorane Sherpa, Social Work

Throughout my four years at Syracuse University, one of the most influential experiences was becoming involved in Kesem. Kesem is a student-led, nonprofit organization that provides a week-long, free summer camp, in addition to a year-long support system, for children affected by a parent or guardian’s cancer.

Joining this organization my freshman year has granted me the opportunity to grow and develop my skills as a leader. It has undoubtedly influenced who I am as a person, my career goals, friendships, and connections I have made with the community and the families in the Syracuse area.

Dorbor Tarley, Human Development and Family Science

In my sophomore year, I began an independent research study under Dr. Matthew Mulvaney that explored bias against Black maternal patients. My research focused on investigating the interpersonal factors that might underlie the insensitivity toward Black women in medical spaces. My research experience has led to my involvement with SOURCE (Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement) as a student research mentor, my involvement as a McNair scholar, and my current role as a peer health advocate at Planned Parenthood.

Given the significance of my research findings, I worked with the McNair Scholars Program and SOURCE to present my research locally and nationally. With my research, I was able to funnel my passions into a critically engaged study that might impact medicine’s understanding of the Black maternal health crisis. Overall, my experiences at Syracuse engaging in research and civic engagement developed into a passion for health equity. This passion catalyzed my desire to study public health and get my Master of Science in Public Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Olivia Templeton, Nutrition Science and Dietetics

The most important experience I have gained at Syracuse University was piloting my own research study analyzing how diet quality changes when converting from an omnivore (meat-eating) diet to a vegetarian diet. Through SOURCE (Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement), I was able to receive grants to fund the research, which allowed participants to visit the ACE Center (Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education) within Falk College for lab visits. Participating in research was one of the reasons I chose to attend Syracuse University, and I am grateful this came to fruition.

Cathryn Willing, Public Health

As a first-year public health student, I enrolled in the Healthy You Practicum course taught by Dr. Luvenia Cowart. I quickly came to love writing and talking about health issues and found the formula and publication process extremely interesting. After my first semester, in which I was published twice, I reached out to Dr. Cowart to see if I could continue writing for the magazine and the following summer, Dr. Cowart reached out to me asking if I would be interested in a copy editor position.

I attribute much of my successes to the magazine and Dr. Cowart. She trusted me to lead the program, which naturally helped me grow as writer and editor. In my last few semesters working with the magazine, we expanded the magazine’s production team and I was promoted to managing editor. I wrote an article about a new–at the time–faculty member, Dr. Bernard Appiah, and we later became colleagues on a research project funded by SOURCE (Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement). I truly think of Falk College and my public health experience in terms of the magazine and the five publications I was able to oversee from an editorial position. Given the freedom to expand my creativity through writing, editing, and leading is something I will forever be grateful for.

Megan Willkens, Public Health

The most rewarding experience throughout my time at Falk College was becoming involved with undergraduate research. In collaboration with Dr. David Larsen, I completed a project assessing the association between indoor residual spray for malaria control and child cognitive development in sub-Saharan Africa.

This research led to other opportunities, including my contribution to conduct a survey that assessed the capacity of New York State wastewater treatment plants to support wastewater surveillance for COVID-19, and data analysis with the New York State Health Department to expand the NYS wastewater surveillance program. In combination, these experiences have allowed me to develop skills in research and grow personally and professionally.

Sewina Yu, Exercise Science

It is difficult to choose just one experience that has been the most important or impactful on me. However, being in Dr. Joon Young Kim’s Clinical Research Lab in the Department of Exercise Science has taught me invaluable analytical and research skills. I was able to present two research critiques at an international conference, submit a proposal for an undergraduate SOURCE (Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement) grant, learn about IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval, and submit a poster for Falk Research Day.

I am so grateful to have had these opportunities and experiences in Dr. Kim’s lab. Along with this experience, working at the Barnes Center as a personal trainer has also helped me apply what I have learned in my exercise science classes to guide clients toward their fitness and health goals. These two experiences taught me skills that will undoubtedly help me succeed at physical therapy school.