Nutrition Science & Dietetics News
Falk College’s Unsung Hero Evan Weissman
When the 36th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee announced the 2021 Unsung Hero Award winners, Falk College was pleased to see that Evan Weissman was to be honored posthumously.
Weissman passed away on April 9, 2020, but his passion and work with social initiatives continues to serve as an inspiration for many.
The Unsung Hero awards are given to community members, students, faculty and staff who have made positive impacts on the lives of others but are not widely recognized for their contributions. The awards were created to honor Dr. King’s vision of creating positive change in a troubled world.
Weissman grew up in Syracuse and was passionate about his community. He joined the faculty of Falk College in 2012 and played a key role in creating the food studies program, for which he was the undergraduate director. He was also involved in Syracuse University’s Aging Studies Institute and the Maxwell School’s Department of Geography as an affiliated faculty member. Weissman put participatory learning and engagement at the forefront of his teaching and was also focused on equity, diversity and inclusion.
“As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished through his teachings and life example, Evan Weissman similarly challenged his students to create positive change, inspiring them and all who worked with him to create that change through his passionate and tireless leadership and example,” says Rick Welsh, professor and chair of the Falk College’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.
Weissman’s lasting impact on his community can be observed through his countless contributions to various organizations, movements and publications. He worked with My Lucky Tummy, WAER’s City Limits project, Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, and countless others as an expert on food justice. “A tireless advocate for equity in the food system, his local work continues to serve as a national best practices model for bringing food justice to communities across urban America,” says Welsh.
“Professor Weissman had an unwavering commitment to social justice and worked through both scholarship and practice to achieve more just local food systems. As a mentor, he imparted a strong belief that revolutionary food systems change is possible. I share the recurring question Dr. Weissman asked his students and himself: ‘How can we use food as a tool for social change?’” says Welsh.
The award winners will be recognized at the 36th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The event will be held online on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. featuring keynote speaker Ruby Bridges. Registration for the celebration is open to all and available on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration website. This years other Unsung Hereos include Bobbierre Heard, Dr. Frederick C. Gilbeaux, and Sameeha Saied ’21.
~ Adapted from a Syracuse University story by Whitney Welbaum ’23 published on Monday, January 25, 2021.
A Winning Connection
Throughout Eva Scott’s childhood, her family gathered in the evenings for dinner. On weekdays, it was her father who cooked; on weekends, her mother. From a young age, Scott and her two sisters helped with meal preparation and clean up.
Scott, now a senior majoring in nutrition science in Syracuse University’s Falk College, traces her interest in food back to this family tradition. “Food has always been associated in my mind with coming together, with community,” she says.
A Matter of Relationships
At Syracuse, Scott has expanded on this initial interest in food’s role in community to include the connection between food and health, and the intersection of human and environmental health. “What’s good for our bodies is also good for the Earth, and vice versa,” she says. “The two are interconnected, and one supports the other.”
Scott explores this relationship in the research she conducts as a Renée Crown University Honors Program scholar. Inspired by the work of scientists at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to develop a blight-tolerant line of the American chestnut tree, Scott studies uses of the chestnut as food. The return of American chestnut trees to the forests where they were once abundant would contribute to healthy forest ecosystems. And the nuts, which could be harvested with minimal environmental impact in many areas, can be used to produce a range of nutritious foods.
When it comes to environmental health, the actions of individuals do matter, says Scott, who recently became a vegetarian to reduce the negative environmental impact of her diet.
Team Spirit
Scott’s appreciation of the relationship between individuals and the larger collective extends to one of the most defining features of her life: running. “People think of running as an individual sport, but it’s really all about your team—it’s about that community and support,” she says.
Running has provided opportunities for transformative life lessons. Balancing responsibilities as a student-athlete fosters discipline and organization, and Scott has had to contend with a series of injuries as well. That, she says, has helped her learn about acceptance and taking the long view. “When I’m facing a challenge, I remind myself that this is my present. Though it may be tricky at the moment, it will be better later. What matters is where I go from here,” she says. And throughout the ups and downs of her running career, she says she has always had the steadfast support and friendship of her teammates.
When Scott considers where she might go beyond Syracuse, the future is full of possibilities—among them, pursuing a master’s degree in nutrition. Whatever opportunities she explores, Scott is committed to nurturing the interdependent health of individuals, communities and the environment. It’s a commitment rooted in the family she grew up in, and reinforced, solidified and supported by the family she found at Syracuse University.
—An SU Story by Sarah H. Griffin originally published on December 1, 2020.
News from Nutrition at Syracuse University!
Without a doubt, this past year is one we will never forget. The resilience and resolve of those around us make progress possible in the most challenging and difficult of times. What many have learned, but we have always known here in Falk College, is that essential workers truly are everyday heroes. Many of these heroes working tirelessly behind the scenes have connections to our nutrition program. As they have always done, our faculty, students, alumni, and staff continue to rise to the challenge under extraordinary circumstances.
Falk College is built on the values of social justice. Throughout the pages of Nutrition@Syracuse 2020, the annual newsletter of the nutrition programs at Syracuse University, you will read about social responsibility in action. As you read more about our program’s research, scholarship, news and more, we invite you to stay connected with us. From visiting campus, guest lecturing in a class, supervising an internship, or hiring our graduates, we always welcome your involvement. Thank you for your interest and support.
Read a text-based accessible version of the Fall 2020 Nutrition Newsletter.
Fall 2020 Nutrition Newsletter (PDF)
Practice Makes Perfect
This fall, more than a dozen recent graduates of Syracuse University’s nutrition dietetics program start work in postgraduate internship placements at prestigious hospitals and health care organizations across the U.S. From the beginning of their first year in the program, these students engaged in experiential learning and mentoring to qualify for competitive internships in their areas of interest. In 2020, each and every one of them was admitted to an internship of their choice.
The program’s 100% match rate this year compares to a national average of just 56%, highlighting its commitment to helping students achieve career goals. Based in Falk College, the nutrition dietetics program is a pathway for students who plan to become registered dietitian nutritionists.
The 1,200-hour guided postgraduate internship is required before students can sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registration exam to qualify as a registered professional. Candidates must complete a supervised Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-approved program at a health care facility, community agency or food service organization. In addition to an area of concentration or focus, each dietetic internship provides rotations in the three primary areas: clinical, food service and community.
Applications for dietetic internships are processed through a centralized match program, a computer-based method that aligns the preferences of applicants with those of program directors. Internship applications are due in February of senior year, but at Syracuse, students begin preparing on day one. The nutrition dietetics curriculum makes them eligible for practice programs, but ultimately, it’s what students choose to learn and do along the way that helps them stand out among fierce competition.
The Ultimate Testing Ground
“We tell students they should have completed at least 250 hours of related experience in all three areas by the time they apply for a postgraduate internship,” says program director Nancy Rindfuss. The more related experience—community service, part-time work, research with faculty members, study abroad, minors, leadership programs, honors coursework—the more sharply students can hone their fit for precisely the right match.
Syracuse University offers an incredible array of opportunities to do just that. For example, the Syracuse Abroad course Mediterranean Food and Culture: A Florence Experience takes students right to a source of this renowned cuisine to address the theory and concept of the diet and study models for sustainable food production in Italy. Through the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service, students can find volunteer or part-time work opportunities with local senior centers, food banks and other nonprofit organizations that address the importance of nutrition to health and well-being. Students also have the chance to participate in faculty research, and professional dietitians in the local community often seek students to “shadow” and assist them in clinical, research or private practice settings.
“Students are immersed in mentoring, advising and experiential learning because the last thing we want is for a student to think they want to go into a certain area of focus or field and then find out it’s not actually the right fit,” says Kay Stearns Bruening, director of Falk’s Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education Center and a program reviewer for ACEND. “The Syracuse program ensures they have an excellent testing ground.”
Aspiring Clinician Forges Her Own Path
After traversing this ground as an undergraduate student, Madeline Peck ’20 came full circle this summer working as a barista at a familiar café before starting an internship at New York Presbyterian Hospital in September. “I worked at this café a long time ago, when I was first getting interested in nutrition. It’s nice to be back, with so much new perspective,” Peck says. This experience—like numerous others she accumulated as a nutrition student at Syracuse—helped build the foundation for the career she has designed, and practiced, along the way.
Peck’s resume reads like a handbook for cocurricular involvement. Freshman year, she was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and participated in the competitive Orange Seeds leadership development program, followed by a summer internship with a food pantry in her hometown of Beverly, Massachusetts. As a sophomore, Peck garnered a spot as a teaching assistant for introductory courses in nutrition and culinary arts, where she tried out teaching and learned to appreciate the creativity of food preparation before landing a summer internship at Boston Children’s Hospital—her first foray into a clinical setting. During her junior year, Peck conducted independent study research at Ophelia’s Place, a support and education center in Syracuse for people struggling with eating disorders. She wrapped up her senior year as a shadow to a registered dietitian/nutritionist at SUNY Upstate University Medical Center and conducted a body image survey of Panhellenic women on campus. “My understanding of what I wanted to do changed greatly the more I learned and the more experiences I gained,” says Peck.
For internship applicants, this understanding culminates in a resume and portfolio, which they produce during a senior seminar led by Rindfuss. As part of their preparation, students practice their interviewing skills one-on-one with Falk career services staff. The personal statement portion of the application demonstrates students’ understanding and firsthand knowledge of their intended area of focus. To determine which internship opportunities align best with their interests and goals, students attend open houses and communicate with program directors. Applicants can be matched to just one program, and they usually apply to seven to 10. “It’s a tough application process, but the really hard part is choosing where to apply,” says Rindfuss.
Taking something from each of her experiences, Peck identified the primary characteristics she wanted to pursue. “I ended up knowing I wanted a clinical focus, and I wanted to be at a hospital that would challenge me, and also offer some autonomy,” she says. Peck is thrilled with her match to New York Presbyterian because she has always wanted to live in the Big Apple. During her 50-week assignment, she will complete rotations at the main campus of New York Presbyterian and at affiliated community health centers. She is doing a concentration in nutrition therapy, with the majority of rotations focusing on inpatient medical nutrition therapy.
“The Syracuse program itself prepared me well,” says Peck, noting that undergraduate research opportunities “around every corner” and a required course in nutritional biochemistry (rather than organic chemistry) help distinguish the program from others. “With all the experiences I was able to take advantage of,” Peck says, “I feel truly and fully prepared to work in the field.”
~ Betsey A. Brairton
Adapted from an SU story published on September 10, 2020.
Reining in High Sodium Diets by Raising Awareness
The prevalence of high blood pressure can be attributed to excess salt in the diets of Americans, beginning with what children eat in school, says chef William Collins, a culinary specialist with the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in Syracuse University’s Falk College. Collins has worked as an executive chef for 25 years and has taught introduction to culinary arts at Falk for the past 12 years.
Today, the average American consumes an estimated 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, more than one and a half times the recommended limit. Collins recently worked with the Onondaga County Health Department to host a workshop for a cross section of food service staff at schools and colleges in the county. The workshop (which took place before social distancing began) offered recipes, hands-on instruction and seminars for reducing the use of salt in meals served to children and young adults. “I’m a believer that our palates are somewhat trained, even at a young age, to eat what we’re accustomed to,” Collins says. “And if we’re used to having an abundance of salt in our food, that’s the way we’re going to eat for the rest of our lives.”
We reached out to Collins to ask how people can help limit their intake of salt while still producing delicious meals.
Why would you add salt to a dish?
There are two main flavor enhancers in the culinary world. One is salt, and the other is acid. I don’t ever want something to taste salty, and I don’t ever want something to taste sour. But the addition of either of those things to a dish can perk up the flavors that are already there.
Are cooks the source of the overabundance of sodium in the typical American diet?
It really isn’t what we’re putting in our food—it is what the manufacturers are putting in it. That’s where most of our sodium comes from: prepackaged foods and the manufacturing process. For example, look at canned tomatoes or diced tomatoes in water. The sodium content is excessive. Products that are labeled as “no salt added” contain one-tenth of the sodium.
What strategy can a home cook can use to reduce the sodium in a dish?
The addition method is when you add things that are lower in sodium to offset the sodium. For example, if you had a recipe for a marinara sauce that called for two cans of tomatoes, but instead you add some fresh tomatoes. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but by doing something as simple as that, you’ve taken the sodium content of those tomatoes and you’ve cut it in half by just adding fresh tomatoes.
Why is this especially a problem for institutions that are cooking for significant populations of children/students?
With institutional cooking, cooks are typically looking for how can they make the job efficient as possible. Opening cans and dumping them in and making sauces out of these canned products is often the best scenario. It is important for cooks to read the labels on products they are using. When I visited various kitchens in the Syracuse City School District, I discovered some easy changes that can be made. For instance, all of the butter they were using was salted. The question is: Why are you allowing a manufacturer to dictate how much sodium is going into your recipe just because you’re adding some butter? It is OK to eat butter occasionally, but why have sodium in it? Why shouldn’t you control the sodium? And something as simple as switching from salted to unsalted butter is a matter of awareness.
I think the hardest thing is convincing the actual workers who are preparing the food. They are worried that their job is just going to get harder. I can help them see—based on my experience—that not only can they reduce sodium, but they can make their lives easier at the same time. That is why this this workshop was successful for the Syracuse school district, which is working very hard to reduce sodium levels.
In the workshop, I modified one of my original sauces that I used to serve in restaurants. I just looked at it differently and was aware of what I was putting into it. I took a barbecue sauce and potentially reduced the sodium by 95 percent. I thought it was still delicious. The last seminar that I did was sort of a flavor burst looking at spices, concentrating on Southeast Asia. We were doing a lot of curries, and I was showing them how you can build flavors—using fresh herbs, using spice, using citrus—to make a dish really pop.
Could a shift in institutional cooking help influence a reduction of salt used in manufacturing?
The CDC’s aim in supporting these health department initiatives is to reduce sodium in food served to children and to inspire institutions to contact the representatives of these large manufacturers and say, “Can’t we get something that’s lower in sodium? Can’t we get something with no salt added?” And that is what you are starting to see. Ten years ago, you could not get no-salt-added ketchup in the grocery store, but it’s there now. It’s important to raise awareness of what is in these cans that we open and dump into things. And I think if everybody was a little bit more aware and demanded some changes from the manufacturers, they would give us what we want. We just need enough people to ask for it.
~ Brandon Dyer
A Syracuse University Story published on July 30, 2020.
Syracuse University presents “Dr. Sarah Short: Long on Life”
Syracuse University Libraries and Falk College have partnered to produce a vibrant audio documentary featuring Professor Emerita Sarah “Sally” Short.
Nutrition student Mackenzie Proud ’20 (left) is pictured interviewing Sarah “Sally” Short (right) in January 2020 for a new documentary featuring Sally’s 50-year teaching career at Syracuse University.
Syracuse University Libraries and Falk College have partnered to produce Dr. Sarah Short: Long on Life, a vibrant new audio documentary featuring Professor Emerita Sarah “Sally” Short, an academic trailblazer in nutrition and proud Orange alumna whose dedicated teaching career at Syracuse University spans more than 50 years. Dr. Sarah Short: Long on Life was made possible by the production talents of the team of Libraries staff and students who produce the SU Libraries’ SoundBeat, a daily, 90-second radio show highlighting SU’s world class music collections.
Featuring interviews with Sally, her family, and former students, this freely available online presentation explores her life, including her eccentric teaching that sparked student enthusiasm for the sciences and captured the attention of The New York Times, who in 1975 called her teaching methods “outlandish.”
Join Sally and pave the way for students
Please consider making a gift to jointly support Falk College and the Libraries by designating 50% of your gift to scholarship funds for nutrition students in Falk College in honor of Dr. Sarah “Sally” Short, and 50% to the Libraries’ innovation fund to support a range of student success services, collections, online resources, and partnerships such as this one.
Nutrition professor inspires students to expand research in nutrition
By Emma Henzes
Currently, Garay is working on a research project that investigates how a vegetarian diet might benefit female collegiate athletes. She says now that many collegiate programs and professional organizations have sports dietitians, she wanted to conduct research studies that will contribute evidence to help those practitioners identity and justify specific dietary recommendations. Just like Garay, Jezak had always been fascinated with how metabolic processes affect the body. Garay encouraged Jezak to apply for her own research grant to lead her own project. “Without her expertise and ‘nudging,’ I may not have even known to apply for my own grant,” Jezak explained.
With Garay as the project advisor, Jezak just recently was given funding from the SOURCE Academic Year grant from the honors program. She will be co-conducting a research project with Olivia Templeton, a dietetics major, that examines the effect on a 3-month vegetarian diet that includes milk and egg products on inflammation and diet quality. Garay says the idea for this study emerged out of a shared interest in documenting the possible health benefits of consuming a vegetarian diet. “There is a lack of clarity in the existing literature regarding exactly how long a person needs to adhere to a vegetarian diet in order to obtain health benefits,” Garay says.
Garay is also starting a project that will follow women through their pregnancy to determine the influence of diet, physical activity, and stress on adverse birth outcomes. “I hope that my future research will be used to educate health professionals on the importance of both diet and exercise for mom and baby,” Garay says. “And the need to encourage healthy eating and regular physical activity throughout pregnancy.”
During her doctoral studies, while investigating the phenomenon of fetal programming, Garay began to realize the lack of research in the areas of maternal physical activity and diet on offspring’s behavior and preferences. “Historically a lot of health and sports-related research was conducted on men, white men in particular. We are now seeing an increased diversity in research studies,” Garay says. “But there are still gaps, particularly around short- and long-term impacts of maternal behavior during pregnancy.”
Now with her work in nutrition and athletes, she hopes to add to this growing field. “My current projects are stepping stones toward larger studies, ideally interventions, that can be used to identify best practices for maximizing health outcomes and sports performance among females,” Garay says.
For more information about research in Falk College, visit the Falk College Office of Research Development.
Online June 10 symposium to address vulnerable populations during COVID-19
Falk College’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at Syracuse University will host an online symposium, “COVID-19-Vulnerable Populations and Food Access: A Food Justice and Human Rights Foundation for Community Food Security,” on June 10, 12:00-1:15 p.m.
The coronavirus pandemic has uncovered failings in our approach to emergency food programs such as subsidized school feeding. It has also revealed an alarming lack of support for underpaid, under-protected, and under-acknowledged food system workers, who are now labeled essential in the face of a crisis. A human rights-based approach to food justice recognizes both equality and compensation for social marginalization and discrimination. “By placing food access within a legal framework, governments can be held accountable for developing critical policies and processes focused on the rights, needs, and political participation of vulnerable populations,” says Professor Anne Bellows, one of the primary organizers of the event.
Moderator:
Rick Welsh
Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies
Area of Specialty: U.S. food and agriculture policy and rural economic and social development.
Panelists:
Anne C Bellows
Area of Specialty: Human rights-based approach to food and nutrition security.
Chaya Charles
Area of Specialty: Dietary intake and nutritional status in adults.
Rachel Murphy
Presenting: How the Syracuse City School District School Food Authority implemented emergency feeding services in the midst of an unprecedented situation by leveraging USDA flexibilities, community partnerships and food system changes.
Laura Anne Minkoff-Zern
Area of Specialty: Food and racial justice, labor movements, transnational environmental and agricultural policy.
Congratulations 2020 Falk Student Research Celebration Winners
The Falk Student Research Celebration is an annual event that takes place to highlight undergraduate and graduate student research projects Students submit posters for display and are judged by a committee of faculty, staff, and peers. Participants compete for educational funds to present their posters on a larger stage, to attend a conference to gain further insights into their respective fields, or for other educational endeavors. This year’s celebration took place virtually.
Undergraduate Winners
Sentiment Analysis and Video Assistance Referees (VAR) in Professional Soccer
Name: Dylan Blechner
Program/Major: Sport Analytics
Faculty Research Mentor: Rodney Paul
Insecticide Treated Nets and Insecticide Resistance on Malaria Prevention in sub-Saharan Africa
Name: Rachael Church and Dr. David Larsen
Program/Major: Biology Major with a Public Health Minor and Environment & Society Minor
Faculty Research Mentor: David Larsen
Examining Wealth Trends in Kombewa, Kenya
Name: Alizée McLorg, Dr. David Larsen, Dr. Andrea Shaw, Dr. Bhavneet Walia, Kennedy Omolo, and Peter Sifuna
Program/Major: Public Health
Faculty Research Mentor: David Larsen
Energy Availability in Female Collegiate Athletes: A Pilot Study
Name: Jessica Neidel and Dr. Jessica L. Garay
Program/Major: Nutrition Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Jessica L. Garay
Graduate Winners
The Role of Diet Quality and Micronutrient Content on Sleep Parameters in Children Aged 9-11
Name: Nicholas Marino and Dr. Margaret Voss
Program/Major: Nutrition Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Margaret Voss, Lynn Brann, and Brooks Gump
Father Involvement, Couple Relationship Quality, and Maternal Postpartum Depression: The Role of Ethnicity among Low-income Families
Name: Ying Zhang and Dr. Rachel Razza
Program/Major: Human Development and Family Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Rachel Razza
Congratulations Class of 2020
Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2020 from the students, faculty, staff, advisory boards, alumni and friends of Falk College! The courage and resiliency you have demonstrated in these challenging times prove you are prepared to respond to society’s greatest needs. Now more than ever, our world needs all you have to offer. We look forward to hearing about your achievements as our newest Falk alumni and eagerly await the future in-person celebration at Falk Convocation and Syracuse University Commencement.
The Dean’s video message to the Class of 2020 was recorded late last year when we were fully expecting our traditional campus celebrations to take place this spring. Since then, the global coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us in many difficult ways. We recognize how hard this has been for all of our students, and particularly the Class of 2020. While we will celebrate with you at distance for now, we look forward to celebrating together in person when it is safe to do so.
Join the Syracuse University community for the Class of 2020 Virtual Degree Conferral.
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