UAPB takes part in nutrition forum
Six University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff students recently participated in the annual Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior conference in Washington, D.C., according to Suzzette Goldmon, assistant professor in UAPB’s Department of Human Sciences.
There, they learned ways to empower communities through nutrition education and the transformation of food systems.
The students chosen to participate in the conference are part of UAPB’s “Food Positive” project, which aims to meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in southeast Arkansas.
Student participants included Wilburforce Twinamatsiko, graduate student of computer science; David Opiri, a major of nutrition and food science; Aatiyah Royal, a major of biology; Trenay Hayes, a major of hospitality and tourism management; and Genesis Jackson and Ska’Kyia Winston, majors of chemistry.
“This conference was a great opportunity to give our students invaluable exposure,” Goldmon said. “Our talented students need to know the diverse opportunities available upon graduation – from graduate school to various research and industry opportunities. During the event, students learned many ways to tackle food security challenges through their interactions with faculty and professionals and participation in numerous presentations and roundtable discussions.”
Conference topics included training the next generation of nutrition educators, digital technology in nutrition education, healthy diets and food systems, and nutrition research, evalua
tion and policy.
The conference included a visit to the Capitol Hill Farmers Market, as well as a tour of the People’s Garden, a bountiful vegetable garden created and managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The garden serves as a model for communities across the U.S. to use urban gardens to educate individuals in gardening and nutrition and to combat the trend of food deserts.
“During the conference, I loved that there was something for everyone,” Hayes said. “That allowed for more understanding with what was being presented and discussed and gave room for everyone to give input about similar experiences.”
Twinamatsiko especially enjoyed participating in a conference session on qualitative data analysis.
“I learned about creating a code book and how to develop themes from qualitative data,” he said. “We also had a session on actual coding of qualitative data transcripts. As a computer science student with an interest in data science, this was an eye-opening experience, considering I mostly deal with quantitative data.”
Tamara Ford, administrative assistant for the UAPB Department of Human Sciences, accompanied Goldmon and the students to the conference. She said she returned from the conference with new ideas on how to integrate engaging digital technology into nutrition education at UAPB.
“The Society of Nutrition, Education and Behavior Conference provided a unique platform for faculty, staff and students to connect with like-minded students, professionals, researchers and educators in the field of nutrition,” Ford said. “The exchange of knowledge, ideas and innovative practices was both inspiring and invigorating. We had the opportunity to attend insightful presentations and witness the latest advancements in nutrition education.”
Ford said a highlight of the trip was an invitation to the USDA headquarters, where the UAPB cohort had the chance to meet with USDA leaders, including Deirdra Chester, director of the Office of the Chief Scientist.
“Dr. Chester was thrilled to see our students attending the conference and visiting the USDA headquarters,” she said. “She connected with them in such a positive way and encouraged them to apply for internships. She even generously offered to assist with any questions they may have regarding the USDA after the conference.”
UAPB’s Food Positive project is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Award #2235865). Zeeshan Habeeb, assistant professor for the UAPB Department of Chemistry and Physics, is the principal investigator for the project. Additional funding for undergraduate student summer research internships was provided by a grant from the NSF’s Targeted Infusion Program (Award # 2011901), with Grant Wangila, dean of UAPB’s School of Arts and Sciences, serving as the principal investigator.