Relevant, accurate content and effective communication techniques are keys for a good presentation and for creating an educational experience. No matter how good the content is, the nutrition educator’s job is ineffective without the skills to communicate the science of nutrition in ways that motivate behavior change.  

Sharing skills and tools related to nutrition education was the focus for the annual May Conference, held May 1, 2009.  A variety of speakers spoke to the large group assembled for the conference.

Amy Mobley presented an overview of the Nutrient Rich Foods (NRF) index, including a review of NRF consumer research and a description of how the NRF tool helps consumers choose nutrient-rich foods.

Bill Evers, designer of the Dining with Diabetes program in Indiana, provided participants with an overview of the program and the effect of diabetes on the state of Indiana.

Barb Mayfield educated participants about how to effectively educate consumers and patients by presenting content from her current project involving child care workshops. 

Carol Boushey explored methods for nutrition education programs for the next generation.  In addition, the conference created a perfect opportunity for Janet Roseland of the USDA to present information about the first release of the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database. Janet spoke about the database that will facilitate the assessment of vitamin and mineral intakes from dietary supplements as a complement to nutrients provided by food intake.

The May Conference is an annual event hosted by the Department of Foods and Nutrition.

The Department of Foods and Nutrition inducted five new members into its Hall of Fame o n Friday, May 1st. The Hall of Fame Awards program honors people from the varied fields of foods and nutrition who have made significant contributions to academia, industry and their communities.  

The 2009 recipients are:

Annie Watts Cloncs - In 1969 Annie Watts graduated from the Department of Foods & Nutrition with a BS in Foods & Nutrition in Business with highest distinction. She has leveraged this degree well into a career as a marketing communications consultant and home economist with 30+ years of food industry experience.  April Mason - Earned a Ph.D. 1984 from Purdue and joined this department’s faculty as an Extension Specialist. In 1996, she became Associate Dean for Extension of the School of Consumer and Family Sciences, then Associate Dean for Discovery and Engagement in 2004. Through the leadership of Dr. Mason, Purdue is known as a leader in the area of food safety and nutrition programming for not-for-profit food distribution programs. 

Patsy Mellott – Graduated from Purdue with a bachelor of science in Foods & Nutrition in Business from Purdue. She served as Director of Trade Marketing and Communications and developed award-winning and innovative marketing and sales development tools at Kraft. 

Sandra Morreale - Received her bachelor of science from the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University. Currently the Associate Director of Nutrition at Kraft Foods, Inc., she is responsible for nutrition communication programs to meet the needs of consumers and health professionals about food, diet and health.

Janet Roseland - Graduated from Foods & Nutrition in the first Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CUP) class in 1977. She is the team leader of the professional group whose charge is to initiate the dietary supplement ingredient database (DSID). 

For more information about the Hall of Fame recipents, check the Foods and Nutrition web page.

http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/fn/alumni/hall_of_fame.shtml

Ten outstanding F&N seniors were honored for their hard work and accomplishments through their Honor’s Project in May 2009. The Honor’s Project is a program open to students with a GPA >3.2. Students discover F&N research labs and work with a faculty mentor to conduct research or develop a program. Students must complete and present a research/scholarly study and have completed 6 credit hours of independent study to graduate with honors.

We plan to highlight students and their projects over the next three editions of Food for Thought.

Amy Conklin - Amy completed her Honors research with Dr. Carol Boushey. Her project title, “Difference in Response to “No Bones About It!” Between Boys and Girls”, used data from the “No Bones About It!” intervention to evaluate the effectiveness of multimedia intervention as educational tools for improving calcium intake in adolescents. The goals of the study were to evaluate differences between boys and girls based on three components assessing knowledge gained following the program. Amy was awarded the 2009 Department of Foods and Nutrition Outstanding Senior award.

Leslie Cradler – Leslie also completed her Honors Project this year with Dr. Carol Boushey. The title of her project is “Are Adolescent Attitudes Toward Calcium-Rich Foods and Intake of Dietary Calcium Related To The Presence of Grandparents Living in the Household?” Leslie is interested in studying the relationship and association between family structure and nutrient intake. She used parent/child questionnaires to examine the relationship between having a grandparent in an adolescent household and calcium consumption in various ethnic groups. Her study suggests that the role of the grandparent in regards to calcium consumption is different across ethnic groups.

Amber Riggin – Amber’s Honor’s Project was conducted with her faculty mentor Dr. Amy Mobley. Her title is “Calcium Intake in low-Income Women in Indiana”. She examined mean intakes of calcium and dairy products in a sample of 623 low-income women throughout Indiana to determine if there are age or race differences in intake and to assess knowledge and attitudes towards calcium consumption.

For more information on F&N student Honor’s Projects, contact Dr. Kim Buhman at kbuhman@purdue.edu