Nutrition Science & Dietetics News
Falk College honors faculty excellence in teaching, research, service
Three faculty members from Falk College’s Departments of Nutrition and Food Studies and Public Health and the School of Social Work were honored for excellence in teaching, research, and service with 2021 Falk College Faculty of the Year Awards. The honorees, who are nominated by their peers for outstanding teaching, scholarship, and internal and professional service contributions, were recognized by the Falk Faculty Council with awards at the end of the Spring 2021 semester.
Kay Stearns Bruening
Dr. Stearns Bruening is an associate professor of Nutrition and Food Studies, and director of the Nutrition Assessment, Consultation and Education Center. She was honored with the Evan Weissman Memorial Faculty of the Year Award for Teaching Excellence. By attending numerous training sessions and mastering new technologies, she reworked courses to meet distanced and hybrid learning demands due to the pandemic. To provide formats that best met student learning needs and outcomes, she recorded 76 short lecture videos for the Medical Nutrition Therapy course she taught in the fall semester.
Professor Stearns Bruening is a leader in dietetics education and accreditation, sharing new ideas and pedagogical advances with colleagues regularly. She is an active community collaborator, including ongoing efforts with Upstate University Medical College where she co-taught a Food as Medicine Course, creatively delivering the culinary medicine cooking event and demonstration from her own home kitchen.
The inaugural Evan Weissman Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence honors the lifetime commitment of the late associate professor of food studies who engaged students in community-based work to advance social change. Professor Weissman received this same award for teaching excellence in 2016 in addition to numerous other teaching awards.
Xiafei Wang
Dr. Wang is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work. She received the Faculty of the Year Award for Excellence in Research. In 2020, she published seven peer-reviewed journal articles, submitted two book chapters and three articles, and presented two posters and one paper. One of her co-authored papers, “Measuring the predictability of life outcomes with a scientific mass collaboration,” was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The research findings, which demonstrate her significant commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, reveal the complexities of child development and encourage researchers to rethink computational predictions’ effectiveness. An active grant writer, Professor Wang received funding through several external grants. She is dedicated to mentoring students to embrace research, creating two undergraduate research positions through the SOURCE RA program. Thanks to her mentorship, the students secured $5,000 SOURCE grant funding.
Brittany Kmush
Dr. Kmush is an assistant professor of Public Health. She received the Faculty of the Year Award for Excellence in Service. Since the start of the pandemic, she continues to apply her understanding of infectious disease epidemiology to benefit the Syracuse University pandemic response as a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Public Health Advisory Council. She coordinated the University’s mass testing efforts instrumental in the fall reopening plan, creating and overseeing the pooling lab with students and other volunteers. She oversaw the information and technology needs of the mass testing operations, working with colleagues from institutional research to ensure a data collection and test reporting system that followed students’ tests from collection, through pooling, and onto the result. An often-sought after expert for media interviews, Professor Kmush continues to be a source of insight into infectious disease dynamics, and strategies needed to undertake them.
Falk students, faculty, staff honored at One University celebration
The One University Awards event is a daylong celebration of excellence by members of the Syracuse University community in academics, scholarship, creative work, leadership, and dedicated service. It was held on May 7, 2021. View the ceremony.
Several members of the Falk College community were recognized for excellence, including Professor Margaret Voss who was named a 2021-24 Meredith Professor. Learn more about her project. Professors Brooks Gump and Merril Silverstein received the Chancellor’s Citation for Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction. Dean Diane Lyden Murphy received the Forever Orange Award that honors individuals who embody the spirit of Syracuse University through academic excellence, exemplary leadership, and selfless service to the entire Orange community, on campus and beyond. Claire Cooke ’21, human development and family science major and a member of the field hockey team received the Student-Athlete Scholar Award, and; public health graduate student Pruthvi Kilaru ’18, G’20 and Professors Brittany Kmush and David Larsen, along with other members of the Public Health Team, received the Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Group Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives
Also recognized from Falk College were emeriti faculty, faculty and staff with years of service milestones, University Scholars, Class and School and College Marshals and Remembrance Scholars. Read the full list of honorees and details about these awards.
Watch Falk College’s Commencement and Convocation Ceremonies
Chancellor Syverud addressed students in the School of Architecture; College of Arts and Sciences; Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics; School of Education; and University College during the ceremony Saturday, May 22.
During the commencement ceremony professor’s David Larsen and Brittany Kmush in Falk College’s Department of Public Health both received the Chancellor’s medal for their work helping Syracuse University to successfully navigate the COVID-19 crisis. Their expertise in endemiology and public health ensured that the University’s policies were informed by data and aligned with best practices. The Chancellor’s Medal is the highest honor Syracuse University offers and is rarely given. Both had also received the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence during this year’s One University Awards for their invaluable contributions, extraordinary work and selfless efforts to ensure a safe, healthy and rewarding residential experience for our students, faculty and staff in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Falk College also presented a live virtual Convocation at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 22. Watch the recording below.
Nutrition Student Awards 2021
The Nutrition Science and Dietetics in Falk College is pleased to recognize the outstanding work of its undergraduate and graduate students for excellence.
Cassie Graves, CAS ‘21
Outstanding Dietetic Intern – Director’s Award
The Outstanding Dietetic Intern – Director’s Award is given to a Dietetic Intern for outstanding accomplishments in the Dietetic Internship Program. This year’s awardee is deserving of this award for her assertiveness and relentless optimism. Cassie goes above and beyond to take advantage of opportunities to enrich her learning experience, works ahead of deadlines, and always follows through on responsibilities. She has taken the challenges of an internship during a pandemic with grace, making the most in every situation while smiling and sharing gratitude every step of the way!
April Pelkey, MA ‘21
Outstanding Graduate Assistant in Nutrition Science Award
The Outstanding Graduate Assistant in Nutrition Science Award is given to a graduate assistant who has provided exceptional service to the faculty. Faculty nominate worthy teaching or research candidates. This year’s awardee has worked with many faculty members in the Nutrition Science and Dietetics program during her undergraduate and graduate career. She is always willing to help and very approachable. As a teaching assistant, students often reach out to April with questions. She has also been a very diligent research assistant, working with Dr. Jessica Garay on several projects.
Grace Cesarini, MA ‘21
Outstanding Graduate Student in Nutrition Science Award
The Outstanding Graduate Student in Nutrition Science Award is given to a graduate student for outstanding accomplishment in leadership, citizenship, work ethic and professional promise. Faculty nominate a graduate student for this award considering their scholarship, citizenship, work ethic and professional promise. This year’s awardee has excelled academically, has demonstrated a passion for the field of nutrition inside and outside of the classroom, and has been a leader among the graduate students. Grace will be completing her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in the fall. Grace was also selected to represent her graduate class as the Nutrition Science Graduate Marshal.
Mackenzie Swanson, BS ‘21
Faculty Award for Excellence in Nutrition Science
The Faculty Award for Excellence in Nutrition Science is given to a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of Nutrition Science. This year’s awardee had the highest GPA in the Nutrition Science Program, has completed publication quality research on Vitamin B12 in Dr. Robert Doyle’s biochemistry lab, was selected as a Falk scholar, and has been accepted to medical School at the University of Buffalo.
Jessica Neidel, BS ‘21
Nutrition Science and Dietetics Research Award – Undergraduate
The Nutrition Science and Dietetics Research Award – Undergraduate is given to an undergraduate student for outstanding accomplishments in research. Undergraduate students in nutrition submit a one-page description of their research, an example of their research, an abstract and a letter of recommendation from their advisor. This year’s awardee has been working with Dr. Jessica Garay on research activities since her junior year. She assisted in data collection and analysis on a project involving collegiate female athletes, which led to presenting a poster abstract at a national nutrition conference. This year she received a grant from SOURCE to conduct her own study. Jessica’s research involves measuring energy availability among female adolescent gymnasts. Jessica has been accepted to PA school in Boston for next year.
Nicole Brennan, BS ‘21
Selleck Award
The Selleck Award is given to a senior with exceptional personal qualities, significant service to the University and highest academic average for freshman, sophomore, and junior years. This year’s awardee has an exceptional work ethic, has excelled academically, is the President of the Nutrition Education and Promotion Association (NEPA), and will be pursuing physical therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital after graduation.
Felicia Showers, BS ‘21
Susan J Crockett Prize for Student Leadership
The Susan J Crockett Prize for Student Leadership is given to a student who has shown outstanding leadership qualities during their academic career. This year’s awardee serves our nation and SU’s ROTC program as a leader, in addition to her excellent academic work.
Caitlin Murphy, BS ’21 and Mackenzie Swanson, BS ‘21
Falk Scholar
Falk College Scholars represent undergraduate students in Falk College who display academic excellence, exceptional campus and community engagement, and personal integrity. Both young women are at the top of their graduating cohort of nutrition science students, serve on the SU Ambulance corps as EMTs, and are accepted to their first-choice medical schools (Boston University and University of Buffalo, respectively) in the Fall of 2021.
Akriti Shrestha, MS ‘22
Nutrition Science and Dietetics Research Award – Graduate
The Nutrition Science and Dietetics Research Award – Graduate is given to a graduate student for outstanding accomplishments in research. Graduate students in nutrition submit a one-page description of their research, an example of their research, an abstract and a letter of recommendation from their advisor. This year’s awardee works with Dr Latha Ramalingam and investigates the role of fish oil in paternal obesity using animal models. For being a first-year master’s student, she has already submitted a grant to the American Society of Nutrition and developed a research project by herself. She is extremely hard working and juggles research and classes very well.
Matthew Thornton, BS ‘23
Elizabeth L Reid Memorial Award
The Elizabeth L Reid Memorial Award was established by the New York State Federation of Home Bureaus in honor of Elizabeth L. Reid. It is presented to a student in Nutrition Science and Dietetics based on scholarship and need. To be eligible to receive this award a student must be full-time, planning to return to the program in the fall, with a minimum GPA of 2.85. The student must also be a resident of NYS within an organized county of Home Bureau. This year’s awardee is a non-traditional student who is motivated to improve the health outcomes in adults. He has excellent critical thinking skills and contributes to class discussion in interesting and practical ways.
Julia Langer, BS ‘23
Emily Gere Coon Award
The Emily Gere Coon Award was established in 1952 by Harold Coon in memory of his wife, a faculty member in the College for Human Development, who was also a member of the first graduating class in 1922. The award is presented to the sophomore with the highest academic average in Nutrition in their freshman year. This year’s awardee is completing 2 minors, Exercise Science and Public Communication Studies, and will a Shaw Center Intern next year. She is also the Volunteer Coordinator for NEPA and recently completed an education session for the Cicero Fire Department.
Yael Larios, BS ‘22
Marjorie V Dibble Scholarship Award
The Marjorie V Dibble Scholarship Award was established in 1977 in recognition of Professor Dibble’s 25th Anniversary with the College for Human Development. The award provides scholarship to a full-time sophomore or junior in the Nutrition Science and Dietetics program, with good academic standing, who is interested in a career in this field. This year’s awardee is completing a Minor in Public Health and plans to apply to dietetics internships next year to eventually become a registered dietitian.
Samantha Jezak, BS ‘22
Peer Leader in Nutrition Science and Dietetics Award
The Peer Leader in Nutrition Science and Dietetics Award is given in recognition of leadership. The recipient is nominated by their peers. This year’s awardee has emerged as a leader in our program. Sam is currently the President of Slow Food SU, a student organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable and local foods. Through Sam’s efforts, Slow Food organized a CSA drop-off on campus this past fall semester to support a local farm. Sam is a strong student in Nutrition Science and the Honors Program and is currently conducting a SOURCE grant-funded study involving a 3-month vegetarian diet intervention.
Taylor Fein, BS ‘22
Ruth Tolley Award
The Ruth Tolley Award was established by the Women of the University Community in honor of Ruth Tolley. It is presented to a female student, completing their junior year, who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and clearly stated career goals consistent with the field of Nutrition. This year’s awardee is in the Renee Crown Honors Program and is completing pre-med requirements and a minor in Psychology.
Olivia Templeton, BS’ 22
Vershann Icem-Wright Professional Promise in Nutrition Science and Dietetics Award
The Vershann Icem-Wright Professional Promise in Nutrition Science and Dietetics Award is given to a student who has a well-rounded record of contribution toward the field of nutrition and exhibited personal development as a future professional. This year’s awardee is very well-rounded. Olivia is a junior Nutrition major who is also in the Honors Program, serves as Vice-President of Slow Food SU, and has received a SOURCE grant for a research study on benefits of a 3-month vegetarian diet intervention. Olivia is completing a Minor in Sustainable Food Enterprises and plans to pursue a dietetic internship after graduation.
Julia Fickenscher, BS ‘22
Victoria F Thiele Scholarship Award
The Victoria F Thiele Scholarship Award was established in 1981 in memory of Dr. Victoria F Thiele, in recognition of her contributions to the College for Human Development. The award is presented to full-time sophomore or junior students majoring in Nutrition. This year’s awardee shows great promise in the field of nutrition. She is an Honors student and will be conducting research in the areas of diet culture and body positivity within the Greek Community.
Hailey Bitters, BS ‘23
Victoria F Thiele Scholarship Award
The Victoria F Thiele Scholarship Award was established in 1981 in memory of Dr. Victoria F Thiele, in recognition of her contributions to the College for Human Development. The award is presented to full-time sophomore or junior students majoring in Nutrition. This year’s awardee is an exceptional student and student athlete. As a member of the field hockey team, she has a busy travel schedule yet manages to be fully engaged in class, produce high quality work, and earn the highest exam and quiz grades.
Madison Baker, BS ‘22
Victoria Li Scholarship Award
The Victoria Li Scholarship Award is given to a junior or senior Nutrition major, a pillar and leader, working with the community to improve an individual’s or groups’ nutrition knowledge and/or dietary intake. The award recipient exemplifies some of Tori’s best qualities: compassion (generous with time and energy), positivity and humility. This year’s awardee displays exceptional leadership potential through her work on campus and in the Syracuse community. Over the past year, she has worked diligently with the Shaw Center transitioning nutrition education content to virtual for the Syracuse City School District and is currently developing a new nutrition program to be implemented through the Shaw Center for her Honors Thesis project. Maddy is a Falk College Admissions Ambassador, and she serves as the Treasurer for the Nutrition Education and Promotion Association (NEPA).
Congratulations Class of 2021!
Along with Dean Murphy, the entire Falk College community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners and friends, congratulates the Class of 2021! Over the past several weeks, departments across Falk College honored student achievements and celebrated the graduating Class of 2021, which are detailed on individual department websites.
Graduates and families should visit the main page on the Commencement website on Saturday, May 22 at 11 a.m. EST to view the virtual school and college convocations, including the Falk Convocation, and livestream of all Commencement ceremonies. Recordings of virtual convocations will be posted online so that graduates and their families can view them at a later date.
Details about Syracuse University Commencement weekend, May 22-23 are available, including specific information about safety protocols for those attending in person.
“To the Class of 2021, as the newest Falk alumni, you join an accomplished community of socially responsible citizens who can and who must lead change,” notes Diane Lyden Murphy, dean, Falk College.
We know you will lead the way! Congratulations, and best wishes!
Falk College announces the Evan Weissman Scholarship Fund
Professor Evan L. Weissman was a tireless advocate for equity in the food system. A highly approachable, committed teacher who engaged students in community-based work to advance social change, his efforts provided the foundation for many communities regionally, nationally, and beyond for grassroots food justice initiatives.
He passed away unexpectedly while at home with his family on April 9, 2020. To honor his legacy and to continue the work he believed in so deeply, his family has created the Evan Weissman Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will defray tuition costs for food studies graduate students.
As an educator, mentor, scholar, and friend, Professor Weissman was committed to the human condition. He taught and inspired students and colleagues alike by rolling up his sleeves, working side-by-side with them in grassroots efforts, most of which he envisioned and ultimately led, to address food disparities in the Syracuse community. His work continues to serve as a national best practices model for bringing food justice to communities across urban America.
“We know how much Evan loved his students: he was so delighted to see them not only learning in the classroom but also learning in and from the community. He firmly believed that food justice was both a human rights and civil rights issue,” says Marsha Weissman, Professor Weissman’s mother. “In creating this scholarship, we are keeping Evan’s spirit alive.”
Those who would like to make a gift to the Evan Weissman Scholarship Fund can make a secure gift online. To make a gift by check, please make it out to Syracuse University and mail to Falk College Advancement, 427 White Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244. If you have any questions, please contact David Salanger, Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Relations at 315.443.4588 or dasalang@syr.edu, or Megan Myers, Assistant Director of Development at 315.443.1817 or mmyers01@syr.edu.
“Professor Weissman was a dedicated educator and mentor who engaged students by connecting them to real-world experiences, including involvement in his own scholarship, advocacy, and community work to build a more equitable food system. By bringing students out of the classroom and into the world, Professor Weissman’s students became active change-makers for social justice, learning values and skills that will serve them well as leaders of tomorrow,” says Diane Lyden Murphy, Dean of Falk College. “We are deeply grateful to the Weissman family for their meaningful gift. The Evan Weissman Scholarship Fund honors Evan’s legacy and his deep commitment to his students.”
Professor Weissman joined Falk College in 2012 and played an instrumental role on the collaborative team that successfully launched a bachelor of science in food studies in 2014 and additional academic programs since that time. In addition to his service as undergraduate director of the Falk food studies program, Professor Weissman was an affiliated faculty member in Syracuse University’s Aging Studies Institute and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ Department of Geography. He was an active research collaborator at Syracuse, SUNY ESF, and beyond.
He was a founding member and served on the board of Syracuse Grows and served on the Onondaga County Agricultural Council. He was also involved with the Syracuse Hunger Project. His unwavering dedication to these causes also helped launch the newly-formed Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA), a multi-sector coalition of stakeholders from across the food system in Onondaga County.
His scholarship was directly and consistently focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion through community-engaged, participatory teaching. Shortly before he passed, Professor Weissman was awarded Syracuse University’s Lender Faculty Fellowship. This project continues with the leadership of his colleague and friend, Maxwell School Professor Jonnell Robinson and student fellows focused on creating a local food system that prioritizes access, sustainability and resiliency.
The newly created scholarship honoring Professor Weissman will support current and future students in advancing his life-long commitment to food justice and using food as a tool for social change.
Margaret Voss Recieves Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence
Margaret Voss, Ph.D., Falk College associate professor in the nutrition science and dietetics program, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, is the recipient of the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence in recognition of her teaching excellence and scholarship. Voss’ accomplishments will be honored during the 2021 One University Awards Ceremony scheduled for Friday, April 23 at 2 p.m.
Voss has served on the Falk faculty since 2012, dedicating her career to student-focused teaching and research excellence. She instills in her students an intellectual curiosity and appreciation for science while making a complex subject like biochemistry accessible to all regardless of academic background. At the heart of her teaching philosophy is her belief that strong research informs excellent teaching. In 2018, she was selected by her peers as Falk College’s Outstanding Faculty for Teaching Excellence. Syracuse University is a better place thanks to her teaching, mentorship, and example. Together the Falk College community is proud to recognize and celebrate Voss’ commitment to exceptional community-engaged teaching excellence at Syracuse University and beyond.
Voss teaches courses in nutritional biochemistry and metabolism. She received her Ph.D. from Syracuse University for doctoral work in comparative physiology (foraging behavior, energetics, and reproductive physiology). Her research focus is on vertebrate metabolism and incorporates the study of feeding behavior and energy balance. She works collaboratively as part of a large multi-university project to identify physiological mechanisms underlying latitudinal variation in vertebrate metabolic rates (parental and embryonic).
Senior nutrition science major connects food and medicine for career in dentistry
Alexandra Borza ’21, a senior nutrition science major on a pre-dental track, is a firm believer that food is the best medicine. She loves to cook, incorporating a variety of foods and spices to keep herself healthy. For someone who has always been interested in how food heals the body, the NSD 417 Integrated Food and Nutrition Therapy course was a perfect fit.In this course, students learn what is in food that gives it the potential to heal, and the types of foods that are essential for optimal health. They are equipped with skills to use food from a personalized, biological, and sociological perspective so that recommendations are individualized.
“The Integrated Food and Nutrition Therapy course takes a systems biology approach, exploring interactions between the foods we eat, the environment we live in, and our individual behaviors,” says Sudha Raj, Ph.D. “Food is a key determining factor in health and disease. This is of interest to dietitians and others interested in the health professions because it presents evidence-based information to make personalized, real-life food-based recommendations for their patients,” says Professor Raj.
With Borza’s plan to enter the medical field, and her interest in the healing properties food, she knew nutrition science was her path to dental school. “As a student pursuing dentistry and going into the health care field, I feel nutrition education is scarce. This is one of the reasons I chose to major in nutrition science,” says Borza.
One of her favorite topics was functional foods. “For example, I love to eat ginger. I knew it was healthy, but what I didn’t know was that ginger is an anti-inflammatory and lowers cholesterol.”
The graduate version of this course, NSD 617, is a required course in Falk College’s new Certificate of Advanced Study in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, which trains nutrition and other allied health professionals in personalized approaches to health and wellness.
In some ways, the relationship between food and health isn’t new. “The Integrated Food and Nutrition Therapy course reinforced that food does heal and cultures have been using food medicine for centuries,” says Borza. But there is still much opportunity to better integrate nutrition and medicine for improved health outcomes. “From a societal perspective, the information presented in this course is very critical in disease prevention and health promotion initiatives,” says Professor Raj.
Integrative and functional nutrition is one area where this opportunity is being realized. Nutrition practice as part of integrative and functional healthcare is expanding across various settings in clinical health and community and public health serving diverse populations, which is creating new career opportunities for both nutrition and medical professionals.
After graduation, Borza is headed to Missouri to complete her graduate studies at A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health.
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.
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