Nutrition and Hospitality Management Lauded for Research Excellence

Students and faculty from the UM Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management celebrate winning the most Outstanding Abstract awards among universities participating in the 2017 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Chicago. Submitted photo

OXFORD, Miss. – Students and faculty from the University of Mississippi’s Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management were recognized for more award-winning abstracts than any other university participating in the recent 2017 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Chicago.

With more than 12,000 participants registered for the Oct. 21-24 event, FNCE featured more than 130 nutrition science research and educational presentations, lectures, panel discussions and culinary demonstrations. NHM faculty and students presented 15 abstracts, with five receiving outstanding abstract awards, on topics ranging from sustainability to food insecurity and nutrition perception.

“The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrated 100 years as a professional organization for registered dietitians at the FNCE conference,” said Mary Roseman, professor of nutrition and hospitality management.

“The high number of student-faculty collaborated research abstracts presented and record number of awards received this year are testament to the accelerated research efforts occurring in the department. NHM has young and growing master’s and doctoral programs where our students are already successfully competing on the national stage.”

Graduate students Kelsey Dismukes, Michelle Weber and Sydney Antolini, along with professor David H. Holben, were recognized for their abstract, “Food insecurity and physical and mental health of elementary school children in a rural, Appalachian Mississippi community.” Funding for the study came from the UM Foundation’s Nutrition Security Support Fund, made possible with donations from Monsanto.

“Attending FNCE as a poster presenter for the Farm-to-YOUth! project was so meaningful,” Dismukes said. “Presenting the research at FNCE allowed me to raise awareness of household food insecurity and its consequences with the goal of creating conversations around potential avenues to alleviate household food insecurity and its effects.”

Graduate student Katie Halfacre and faculty members Yunhee Chang, Roseman and Holben were recognized for their abstract, “Financial Strain and Food Preparation Ability May Be Important Factors for Food Insecurity and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among University Students.”

The group’s abstract poster was among only three selected to be part of the conference poster tour, where Halfacre provided a 10-minute overview and brief question-and-answer session.

Graduate student Claire Adams and faculty collaborators Roseman and Cindy Choi were recognized for their abstract, “The Impact of Customers’ Perception of Nutrition-Related Components on McDonald’s Users’ Visit Frequency,” and graduate student Chelsea Bell was recognized for her abstract, “Statewide Recipe and Meal Planning Guide: A Child Nutrition Director’s Resource,” with faculty collaborators Laurel Lambert, Teresa Carithers and Chang.

Professors Jim Taylor and Holben also were recognized for their abstract, “Incorporating sustainability and continuous quality improvement principles into a university student-operated restaurant.”

“Their accomplishments show the national presence and diverse scope of our NHM teacher-scholars. They are truly preparing the future leaders in the field of nutrition and dietetics,” said Carithers, interim dean of the School of Applied Sciences.

For more information about the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, visit http://nhm.olemiss.edu/.