APG Reports
Nutrition and Dietetics Affiliate Program Group
Paula Klosterman Leuenberger ’76 NUTR, President
leuenberg@aol.com
The Nutrition and Dietetics Alumni Society (NDAS) continues to flourish as it supports mentoring, recognition, and fellowship opportunities for students, faculty, and alumni. The board works in close collaboration with the Department of Nutritional Sciences, under the leadership of Dr. Mike Green, and relies on input from leaders of the student nutrition organizations as well.
Our faculty liaison, Rose Martin, assists in this collaborative effort, as did our first liaison, Dr. John Smith. The board recently re-named the APG’s student award The John E. Smith Outstanding Senior in Nutrition Award in recognition of his outstanding service to NDAS from 1998 to 2005, and to Penn State for twenty-five years. Visit our Web site, www.hhdev.psu.edu/alumni/apg/ndas, for updates on our award winners, including senior Samantha Moro, travel grant awardees, Jodi Stotts and Laura Fiorito, and Outstanding Nutrition Alumni Award recipient, Idamarie Laquatra ’75, ’79g, ’83g.
The relationship between alumni and students is strengthened through mentoring events, including luncheons sponsored by the HHD Mentoring Program for undergraduates (February 3) and by NDAS for graduate students (March 31). Students benefit from alumni experience and expertise through one-on-one interaction, roundtable discussions, and presentations, most recently by alumni Chris Lewis Taylor ’77g, ’86g, Amy Mackey ’97g, and Amy Mobley ’96, and staff member Cheryl Bonner, director of alumni career services for the Penn State Alumni Association. Join us next year; you will enjoy the camaraderie and the Creamery ice cream too!
Socially, we have a tailgate party and a gathering at ADA’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition (FNCE) in Hawaii, the Pennsylvania Dietetic Association in Pittsburgh, and Experimental Biology in Washington, DC. We hope you’ll join us for our reception at FNCE in Philadelphia this fall. Again, check the Web site for photos and updates.
As always, we look forward to hearing your suggestions for improving your APG. NDAS recently received recognition from the College for its overall program (see the Web site, again!), but those it serves are the true judges of effectiveness. We are very grateful for your donations that support activities and lastly, we encourage you to vote in our upcoming election for board positions. Board members may be the cheerleaders but we hope all alumni are part of the team.
