Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience: Over the entirety of the project, we recruited 14 total participants and had 2 participants in cohort 1, 7participants in cohort 2, including a graduate research scholarship student, and 2 participants in cohort 3 successfully complete the project (79% completion). The members of each cohort represented a multitude of backgrounds including first generation, racial and ethnic groups, and gender. During participation, students designed and implemented research projects with a variety of external target audiences such as expectant mothers in a regional women's shelter, adults at a local fitness center, and adults from Mexican and Mexican-American backgrounds. In addition, the target audiences of project activities were Dominican University students, faculty and staff, as well as gender, socioeconomic, educationally disadvantaged and culturally diverse community organizations and individual community members that our participants interacted with during their research. In addition to the Dominican University community, these organizations included: Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters and farmers at the Sinsinawa Mound (Sinsinawa, Wisconsin) Warriors through Opportunity Knocks, a local center that works with adults with disabilities and teaches life skills Changes/Problems: Funding for this project began in September 2019; therefore, the pandemic caused delays and deviations from our original proposal. Travel and experiential learning opportunities were two areas that changed. For example, in our original proposal, participants were to complete an internship with the USDA in Chicago. However, the pandemic shifted the work modality for many at the USDA and even after the pandemic, these individuals were unable to accept any interns. This changed the rate of expenditure as the project was going to supply reimbursement for mileage going to and from the internship in the city as well as changed one aspect of our program. In addition, per the RFA, we originally budgeted for both PDs and participants to attend annual meetings through the USDA. The only meeting that was attended in person was in February/March 2020 in California, and was only the two PDs (students had not been recruited to participate at this point). During the pandemic, these meetings shifted to zoom and therefore did not require travel and led to a significantly lower expenditure in spending than what was originally planned. Below are specific changes that occurred annually. As you will see, many aspects of our program were slightly revised and/or delayed, which allowed us to meet most of our goals and objectives. Year 1 (2019-2020) No changes or challenges other than the start of the pandemic and converting participant and cohort meetings to online modalities. Year 2 (2020-2021) Planned to go to the Sinsinawa Mound (Sinsinawa, WI) in Fall 2020 to learn about organic farming and aquaculture as well as follow the food grown through the program "Dubuque Eats Well" (Dubuque, IA) to learn about food security (was completed in Fall 2022). Planned a reciprocal learning experience with Opportunity Knocks (OK), a local center that works with adults with disabilities (known as Warriors) and teaches them life skills for Fall 2020. (This was completed in Fall 2022) The development of a website was also delayed due to the IT department's need to help with faculty transitioning to online modalities during the pandemic. (This was completed in 2023) Year 3 (2021-2022) Lack of interaction with the USDA due to the pandemic. Participants were able to have some interaction during a panel discussion in Fall 2021 and the sustainability conference in Spring 2021. However, at this point in the program, we contacted the USDA to discuss opportunities for an internship. (This aspect of the program did not occur) Year 4 (2022-2023) We had a change in PD in January 2023, therefore, some activities needed to be prioritized (participant-led research) while others were delayed. The HSI workshop was postponed until Spring 2024. We are currently working to finalize the details of this valuable workshop. Similar to Year 3, our students have been able to have some interaction with the USDA during this project (panel discussion from Fall 2021, and the sustainability conference from Spring 2021), but they were not able to complete an internship with the USDA. In addition, students have not attended an annual project meeting as they are virtual. Therefore, the PDs looked at conferences that focused on nutritional sustainability that may be appropriate for cohorts 2 and 3. (Participants attended 1-2 conferences in May/June 2024) Because of the pandemic and change in PD, a no-cost extension was approved to continue our project one more year. Year 5 (2023-2024) We planned a half-day mentoring workshop for spring 2024 for health science instructors and students from local HSIs. Emails were distributed to area faculty with both "Save the Date" and a formal invitation. By January 2024, we determined that interest from external faculty wasn't sufficient, and we pivoted to hosting the workshop for Dominican University health and STEM faculty and program participants. This workshop was attended by6DU health science students and faculty in addition to the PDs and keynote speaker. A speculated barrier to attendance included competition from the already full schedule of faculty workshops during the 2023-24 academic year, especially for faculty in health and STEM-related disciplines. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Year 1 (2019-2020): Both PDs attended USDA/HSI conference in Costa Mesa, California in March 2020. Conducted project orientation with first cohort in August 2020. Year 2 (2020-2021): Participants and PD attended the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo online, October 17-20. Both PDs attended the University of New Mexico Mentoring Institute annual conference online, October 19-23. Cohort 1 participants attended Virtual 2021 USDA Agricultural Outlook forum in February 2021. PDs created and submitted update for the USDA/HSI PD meeting in March 2021. Both PDs attended USDA/HSI conference online on March 9, 2021. Year 3 (2021-2022): Participants, PDs, approximately 55 students from the greater Dominican University, and 1 additional faculty member attended the speaker panel on "Career in Nutrition and Agriculture" in September 2021. Participants attendedFood and Nutrition Conference and Expo online, October 16-19, 2021. Cohort 1 and 2 participants participatedin and attended a university-wide undergraduate research symposium in April 2022 Participants and PDs attended the virtual "2nd Global Food Security & Sustainability Summit 2022" in June 2022 Year 4 (2022-2023): Participants and PDs completed experiential learning opportunities around farm-to-table in October 2022 Participants (cohort 2 and Research Scholarship Student) participatedin and attended a university-wide undergraduate research symposium in April 2023 Year 5 (2023-2024): Participants from cohort 3 and the Research Scholarship Student participatedin and attended a university-wide undergraduate research symposium in April 2023 PDs designed and implemented a half-day mentoring workshop for faculty and staff from health-related disciplines in March 2024 1 PD and 3 participants attended the Spring Assembly of the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Springfield, Illinois in March 2024. PDs with cohort 2 and 3 participants attended the American Society of Nutrition annual conference in Chicago, Illinois in July 2024 Research Scholarship Student presented and attended the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska in May 2024 Research Scholarship Student presented and attended the American Society of Nutrition annual conference in Chicago, Illinois in July 2024 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? During the first years of funding, dissemination was subjective and reflective of participants' experience participating in the project. More specifically, at the conclusion of their participation, participants presented oral presentations at a university-wide research symposium where they not only shared results of their research, but also discussed skills gained and lessons learned. During Years 4 and 5, the PDs worked to disseminate findings and lessons learned from this project. In Year 4, two participants along with the two PDs gave a presentation titled, "GROWing Through the Research Process" at a campuswide symposium (Caritas Veritas) to share about the project, the experience from the student's perspective, and future ideas. Students, faculty and staff from across campus attended this presentation. In Year 5, the PDs had an abstract accepted to co-presentat a university-wide symposium in September 2024 with the keynote speaker from our mentorship workshop (funded by this project) to talk about mentorship with a larger audience from both a student and faculty/mentor perspective. Again, students, staff, and faculty attended this presentation. Lastly, the Research Scholarship Student presented at two conferences, one an international organization and the other domestic, sharing not only her findings from her research, but also reflections regarding her experience as a graduate student conducting research and participating in this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Relevance: Starting January 1, 2024, all candidates for the Nutrition and Dietetics Registration Exam must obtain an Masters of Science degree. Our program aimed to prepare undergraduate students for competitive Masters of Science programs by providing mentorship and experiential learning opportunities, fostering skills in research, leadership, professional development, and communication. Response and Outcomes: Our program targeted two main goals and six objectives. We recruited undergraduate students majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics, with 13 participants across three cohorts over three years (cohort 1: 4 participants, cohort 2: 7, cohort 3: 2). Completion rates were 50% for cohort 1, 85.7% for cohort 2, and 100% for cohort 3, with an overall completion rate of 77%. A graduate-level Research Scholarship Student also participated and successfully completed the program. Our cohort composition included 61.5% Hispanic, 30.7% White, and 15.4% from other backgrounds, with 84.6% female participants, reflective of the dietetics profession. Goal 1 - Learning Opportunities and Outcomes: Over Years 1, 2 and 5, we held orientations, provided readings, webinars, and books to develop baseline knowledge on sustainable food systems. Cohorts met monthly in the first four years and bi-weekly in Year 5 to discuss professional development topics like communication and career pathways. In Year 3, we hosted a virtual panel with FANH professionals, drawing 65 attendees, mostly students. Panelists included Dr. Moises Torres-Gonzalez (National Dairy Council), Julio Puentes (USDA), Ana Irizarry (Dominican University), and Margaret Dohr (Nodding Onion Farm). In Years 3-5, 10 of 13 participants (77%) conducted research projects on sustainability topics such as plant-based diets, meat processing, lab-grown meats, vegetarian and vegan diets, cricket protein, and nutrition on a budget for low-income pregnant women. These projects were conducted with diverse groups including college students, athletes, and adults and were shared through posters and oral presentations at the university's research symposium. Two participants (37.5%) with the PDs also visited Sinsinawa Mound in Wisconsin to learn about sustainable farming and aquaculture. Participants worked with farmers both on-site and at a Farmer's Market in Dubuque, Iowa to witness farm-to-table. Six participants (75%) engaged in a reciprocal learning experience with Opportunity Knocks, a local program for adults with disabilities, to teach gardening and nutrition. Goal 2 - Preparing for Advanced Degrees: We aimed to prepare students for advanced degrees by providing research experience and mentoring (Goal 2). Participants critiqued readings and engaged in cohort discussions, critically analyzing the content's impact on society and the nutrition field. Mentoring focused on guiding students from research design to dissemination through 1-on-1 mentoring with PDs and meeting in cohorts. Each student presented their work twice: once as an academic poster and once orally at the annual research symposium. The Research Scholarship Student designed a more intensive version of independent research that included a 4-week plant-based diet intervention for university faculty and staff, presenting findings at two professional conferences. Objective 1: We aimed to increase the fall-to-fall retention rate of Hispanic students in the Nutrition Sciences Department by 10% from 76.5% in 2018 to 86% by 2023. This was achieved, with a retention rate of 94.9% in Fall 2023, exceeding the target by 18 percentage points. Objective 2: We aimed to increase the on-time graduation rate of Hispanic students by 10% from 54.6% in 2016-17. This was achieved, with a graduation rate of 66.7% in Fall 2023, exceeding the target by 12.1 percentage points. Objective 3: We aimed to increase awareness of FANH career pathways and advanced degree intentions. Participants attended various events, including the virtual FANH panel and other program-related activities (orientation and cohort meetings), exposing them to career options. Of the 10 students who completed the program, 1 pursued an MBA/dietetic internship, 1 entered an MS/dietetic internship, 3 are in graduate programs, and 1 works in the food industry. The Research Scholarship Student graduated in Spring 2024 and is employed as a clinical dietitian. Based on this particular measure, this objective is also achieved. Objective 4: 100% of participants maintained membership in professional organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetics Practice Group. They participated in conferences such as the virtual AND (Year 2), the Illinois Spring Assembly (3 participants, Year 4) and the American Society of Nutrition's (ASN) annual conference (4 participants, Year 5), and the Research Scholarship Student presented her work at two professional conferences: ASN and the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) (Year 5). This objective is achieved. Objective 5: We aimed to share knowledge and mentorship techniques with faculty and the broader community. The project directors (PDs) presented progress and best practices at faculty meetings to 100% of department faculty, and participants shared their experiences in a university-wide symposium (Obj 5A). In Year 5, the PDs and project assistant, a cohort 2 participant, hosted a mentorship workshop, although participation from external faculty from area HSIs was low, leading to an internal session with campus faculty and students. This workshop consisted of a keynote speaker who specializes in mentorship and included a time for identifying our own mentors and qualities of "good" mentors when engaging with students in health and STEM-disciplines. We had 4 faculty/staff from the departments of nutrition sciences and nursing and another from a STEM-related staff position as well as 3 of our participants. Objective 6: 100% of participants met with their assigned mentors weekly or bi-weekly throughout the program. At the conclusion of the program, many participants mentioned their appreciation of this added support in both academic and professional contexts. Based on this, objective 6 was met. Impact: The GROW program was successful in achieving both goals and 5 out of 6 objectives. Despite disruptions from the pandemic, all participants, including the graduate-level Research Scholarship Student, pursued advanced degrees. Students experienced a change in knowledge of FANH career paths, honed research skills in sustainability and food systems, and developed professionalism. The program's outcomes demonstrate both a change in knowledge and action, highlighting the value of experiential learning in preparing students for future academic and professional endeavors.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Helal E, Jones SD. The effects of a 4-week group intervention focused on a plant-based eating pattern among university staff and faculty. Poster presented at International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference; May 22, 2024; Omaha, Nebraska.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Helal E, Jones SD. The effects of a 4-week group intervention focused on a plant-based eating pattern among university staff and faculty. Poster presented at American Society of Nutrition; June 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois.
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period the audiences we have interacted with include Dominican University students, faculty and staff, as well a group of economically disadvantaged pregnant women through a student-led project. Fall 2021 One of the students from our first cohort submitted an IRB application and was approved to carry out her proposed research project titled "Pregnancy Nutrition in Food Insecure Neighborhoods". The second cohort of students (n=8) completed a grant specific course entitled "NUTR 450: Independent Study in Sustainability" in which we read "Food Fix" by Mark Hyman, MD. We assigned chapters throughout the semester and met to have group discussions about the readings. Students also had to complete reflection questions and additional readings for this course. All students attended the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo (FNCE), which is organized by the national professional association for Dietetics: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This conference was online in October 2021, due to COVID-19, but students were able to attend many sessions and also completed a reflection on their experiences at the conference. Students were required to attend sustainability related sessions in addition to as many others of their own choosing. We also hosted a panel discussion on "Careers in Nutrition and Agriculture" via Zoom that was hosted in conjunction with a class (Nutrition 101: Introduction to Dietetics) as well as open to the public. The speakers included Dr. Moises Torres-Gonzalez from the National Dairy Council, Julio Puentes from the USDA, Ana Irizarry, a Nutritionist from Dominican University, and Margaret Dohr, a Dominican University Alumna who also manages Nodding Onion Farm, an urban farm in the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago. Students who are part of the GROW project generated questions for the panel to answer after they each talked about their careers paths and what they learned along the way. We had 65 attendees for this presentation. Following the presentation, the PIs and GROW students debriefed and talked through what they students learned or still had questions about after the presentation. We continued discussion about career pathways in FANH and discussed opportunities for advanced education and training in FANH. Spring 2022 We had one student from cohort 2 withdraw from the project in January 2022. The remaining students (n=7) spent the spring semester developing their research ideas and then presented their ideas as a poster at the university-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium in April 2022. One student from cohort 1 was able to carry out her research project ("Pregnancy Nutrition in Food Insecure Neighborhoods") in Detroit, Michigan for a small group of women at a pregnancy clinic that identified as food insecure and at risk for homelessness. She collected data on her participants and also provided an education on pregnancy nutrition with a focus on using foods that were available using food stamps and from pantries. She also provided a detailed guide and a bag of ingredients to use with recipes featured in her education session to each participant. She reported her results at our Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring 2022 in an oral presentation to an audience of fifty people that were in person and more that were watching online. Students in cohort 2 (n=7) completed CITI training in preparation for their IRB submissions that will take place at the beginning of reporting year 4. We recruited a graduate research assistant (RA) and a project assistant (PA) in January 2022. The graduate research assistant has previous research experience and assisted PIs in mentoring the undergraduates and their proposed research projects. The RA completed CITI training in preparation for her own research project development and IRB submission. She also provided a training session to the undergraduates on completion of CITI training and became the point person for any troubleshooting issues. The PA began working on the project website that will be available in Fall 2022. In addition, the PA helped coordinate poster printing for the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Summer 2022 The students and RA worked on their IRB applications that will be submitted at the beginning of reporting year 4. Three students and both PIs attended the virtual "2nd Global Food Security & Sustainability Summit 2022" in late June 2022. Students completed short write-ups on the sessions they attended and what they learned from the conference. Changes/Problems:Due to COVID 19, one item in particular has been delayed: Our students have been able to have some interaction with the USDA during this project (panel discussion from Fall 2021, and the sustainability conference from Spring 2021) but they have not been able to complete an internship with the USDA yet. We are still working to arrange that and will try to accomplish this before the end of the grant. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The students in the project have been assigned to one of the Co-PIs as their mentor and have begun weekly to bi-weekly meetings with them to start designing their research projects. The students have also enrolled in a grant-specific course (NUTR 450) that will cover different topics related to professional development: applying to graduate school, building a resume, internship applications, etc. All students attended the FNCE conference in October 2021 and a few students (n=3) attended the "2nd Global Food Security & Sustainability Summit 2022" in June 2022. The students (n=8) presented their proposed research projects, or results of their research project, to attendees (professors, students, administrators) at the University Undergraduate Research Symposium in April 2022. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our project website will aid in the dissemination of both our funded project and the students work within the greater project. This website should be available to the public in Fall 2022. It will be linked on the Nutrition Sciences webpage within the Dominican University website so current and prospective students, and the general public, can visit the page easily. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are in the process of arranging our trip to the to the Sinsinawa Mound (Sinsinawa, WI) and learn about organic farming and aquaculture as well as follow the food grown through the program "Dubuque Eats Well" (Dubuque, IA) to learn about food security. We intend to complete this trip in Fall 2022. We are in the process of planning the reciprocal learning experience with Opportunity Knocks (OK), a local center that works with adults with disabilities (known as Warriors) and teaches them life skills. The Warriors from OK were to teach our GROW students about how to cultivate a vegetable garden and make pickles from the cucumbers they grow. Our GROW cohort, all nutrition students, would teach the Warriors about designing a healthy diet using the produce grown in the garden. This is scheduled for Fall 2022. We intend to present on mentoring at future faculty meetings (Obj 5A) and will begin the planning for our intended HSI faculty mentoring workshop to be held in Fall 2023 (Obj 5C) We will continue mentoring our current cohort of students as they implement their research projects in Fall 2022 and present findings at the campus-wide research symposium in Spring 2023. We will collaborate with the Research Assistant in the design and implementation of their own research project (Fall 2022-Spring 2023).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this time: -Students, both independently and as a cohort, critiqued a series of readings/webinars/books, which helps with preparation for coursework within advanced degree programs (Goal 2) -Ensured membership to professional organizations by purchasing AND memberships for each participant in cohort 1 (Obj 4) -We held the panel discussion on "Careers in Nutrition and Agriculture" and held a debrief with the students to further discuss learnings from the panel as well as opportunities for advanced education and careers in nutrition and agriculture. (Goals 1 & 2, and objective 3)
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience: The audiences that we have interacted with during this reporting periodare focusedon undergraduate students from Dominican University. We were able to recruit our secondcohort of students(n=7) to participate in our project. The members ofbothofour cohortsrepresent a multitude of backgrounds including those from different ethnic and racial minorities. ?Similarly,to last year, afterrecruitment was complete,newstudents were administered a pre-survey to gauge their familiarity with awareness of career pathways in FANH, concepts related to sustainability and nutrition, and exposure and interactions with mentors up until this point, and perceived skill level with both written and oral communication. These data will help us meet one of the evaluation criteria for this project (Objective 3). In addition, the PIs andboth cohorts ofstudents(n=9total)met for a group orientation via Zoom (due to COVID-19) and went over expectations, timelines, and goals for their successful participation in the grant. At the beginning of this reporting year (fall 2020),our firstcohort(n=4)completeda grant-specific course entitled "NUTR 450: Independent Study in Sustainability," in which we read "Food Fix" by Mark Hyman, MD. We assigned chapters throughout the semester and met to have group discussions about the readings. Students also had to complete reflection questions andadditionalreadings for this course. Cohort 1 also attended the Food and Nutrition Conference Expo (FNCE),organized by the national professional associationforthe Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This conferencewas heldonlinedue to COVID-19, but students were able to attendmanysessionsandcompleted a reflection on their experiences at the conference. Students wereprovided information regarding conference tracks relating to sustainability andwererequiredto attendaminimum of 5sustainability-related sessions in addition to4 sessionsof their own choosing.Cohort 2 will take this courseatthe beginning of reporting year 3andattend FNCE (a virtual conference) inOctober2021. ?In the middle of this year (spring 2021), Cohort 1 started to plan their research projects and generated a proposal which they shared in the form of a poster at the Undergraduate Research Symposiumat Dominican Universityat the end of the spring semesterin 2020. Unfortunately, we had twoparticipantswithdraw fromthe project before getting to present their ideas. One of the students left the University and theotherdecided not to continuewith the project.The two remaining students met with the Co-PIs individually as wellas in a small group to develop their research ideas and practice presenting beforeparticipatingin the symposium. In summer 2021,cohort1 worked on theirIRBapplications thatwill besubmittedat the beginning of reporting year 3.These students met regularly with the co-PIs to discuss their research projects, to get feedback, as well as learn the IRB process. Changes/Problems: DuetoCOVID19,wedelayedafewitems: The travel we had planned in theFallof 2020 to go to theSinsinawaMound (Sinsinawa, WI) and learn about organicfarmingandaquacultureaswellasfollowthefoodgrownthroughtheprogram"DubuqueEatsWell"(Dubuque,IA)tolearnaboutfoodsecuritywill be rescheduled for a future semester. WewillalsodelaythereciprocallearningexperiencewithOpportunityKnocks(OK),alocalcenterthatworkswithadultswith disabilities (known as Warriors) and teaches them life skills. The Warriors from OK were to teach our GROW studentsabout how to cultivate a vegetable garden and make pickles from the cucumbers they grow. Our GROWcohorts, all nutritionstudents, would teach the Warriors about designing a healthy diet using the produce grown in the garden. Thiswill berescheduledforSpring/Summer2022. WewereunabletogetourwebsiteupandrunningasitwasthepriorityofourITdepartmenttohelpallfacultytransitionto online learning rapidly during the2020-2021 academic year. Weplan to hire a project assistant (per our proposal) in Fall 2021 toassistwith the development of a website.All in all, while these delays were unfortunate, we do not foresee them having a permanent impact on our ability to meet ourgoalsandobjectivesforthisproject. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? ThestudentsintheprojecthavebeenassignedtooneoftheCo-PIsastheirmentorandhavebegunweeklytobi-weeklymeetings with them to start designing their research projects. The students have also enrolled in a grant-specific course(NUTR 450) that will cover different topics related to professional development: applying to graduate school,buildingaresume,internshipapplications,etc. Cohort 1 attended the FNCE conference in October 2020andthe Virtual USDA Agricultural Outlook forum in February 2021.In addition, the students presented their proposed research projects to attendees (professors, students, administrators) at the University Undergraduate Research Symposiumat Dominican Universityin April2021. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?One of the PIs participated in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetics Practice group workshop with the United Nations Sustainability committee. A description of the project, as well as the goals and general progresswas shared at that workshop and included in the minutes that will be included in a sustainability report for the United Nations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Wewillcontinuetobuildfoundationalknowledgesurroundingsustainability,resilient,healthyfoodandwatersystemsaswellas awarenessregardingcareers in FANH.We havescheduled a panel presentationin September 2021from currentscientists in FANH careers that are from diverse backgrounds to present to our GROWcohortsas well as all students enrolled in either nutrition classes or listed as a nutrition major.This panel presentation and networking opportunity is also open to faculty and staff intheDepartmentofNutritionSciencesandtheirattendanceisencouraged.Afterthepanelpresentation,thetwoGROWcohorts,PIs,andfacultywilldebriefandtalkaboutcareerdevelopmentandpathwayswithinFANH.ThesethreeactivitiesdirectlyaddressGoals1&2,aswellasobjectives3,5,&6. In addition to the panel, we hope to be able toprovidemoreexperientiallearning opportunities as locations open.These includeareciprocallearning experience with Opportunity Knocks, a local organization that works with adults with disabilities, visitingan urban community garden and farm, as well asparticipatingin virtual and/or in-personUSDAevents through theUSDA Food and Nutrition Services office.This will address Goals 1 & 2 as wellasobjectives3, 4, and 5. Wewill continue mentorship efforts through the support of ourcohort1 participants as they conducttheirresearchprojects,andthrough assistingcohort2 participants intheir researchproject development.Bothcohortswill present in the Undergraduate Research Symposium at Dominican University in April 2022.This will address Goals 1 and 2.In addition, we will also recruit a student for the research scholarship.This individual will also take part in the mentorship and professional development of undergraduate students. Lastly, we plan to engage with department faculty about mentorship practicesduring department meetings to share our progress and mentoring techniques.In addition, the co-PIs will present during a campus-widepresentation throughthe Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence(CTLE)during the Spring 2022 semester.This will addressObjective 5A and 5B.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Duringthistimewe: Recruited7participantstoparticipateinthesecondcohort(Obj3) Conductedanorientationandprovidedassignedreadings,webinars,andbookstobuildbaselineknowledgeonthetopicofsustainability,resilient,healthyfoodandwatersystems(Goal1) Bothindependentlyandasacohort,critiquedaseriesofreadings/webinars/books,whichhelpswithpreparationforcourse workwithinadvanceddegreeprograms(Goal2) Includedinformationduringorientationtobuildawarenessofcareerpathways(Obj3) Created and implemented a pre-test survey to all participants to gather baseline data pertaining to awareness of careerpathwaysinFANH,conceptsrelatedtosustainabilityandnutrition,exposureandinteractionswithmentorsupuntilthispoint,andperceivedskilllevelwithbothwrittenandoralcommunication(Obj3) EnsuredmembershiptoprofessionalorganizationsbypurchasingANDmembershipsforeachparticipantincohort1andcohort2(Obj4) Providedregistration for the virtual annual conference for ANDfor each participant (Obj 4)
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The audiences that we have interacted with during this reporting period are focused on undergraduate students from Dominican University. We were able to recruit our first cohort of students (n=4) to participate in our project. The members of our cohort represent a multitude of backgrounds including those from different ethnic and racial minorities. After recruitment was complete, students were administered a pre-survey to gauge their familiarity with awareness of career pathways in FANH, concepts related to sustainability and nutrition, exposure and interactions with mentors up until this point, and perceived skill level with both written and oral communication. These data will help us meet one of the evaluation criteria for this project (Objective 3). In addition, the PIs and students met for a group orientation via Zoom (due to COVID-19) and went over expectations, timeline, and goals for their successful participation in the grant. Changes/Problems:Due to COVID 19, we delayed a few items: The travel we had planned in the Fall of 2020 to go to the Sinsinawa Mound (Sinsinawa, WI) and learn about organic farming and aquaculture as well as follow the food grown through the program "Dubuque Eats Well" (Dubuque, IA) to learn about food security will be rescheduled to summer 2021.. We will also delay the reciprocal learning experience with Opportunity Knocks (OK), a local center that works with adults with disabilities (known as Warriors) and teaches them life skills. The Warriors from OK were to teach our GROW students about how to cultivate a vegetable garden and make pickles from the cucumbers they grow. Our GROW cohort, all nutrition students, would teach the Warriors about designing a healthy diet using the produce grown in the garden. This will be rescheduled for Spring/Summer 2021. We were unable to get our website up and running as it was the priority of our IT department to help all faculty transition to online learning rapidly during the Spring semester of 2020. We are planning to accomplish this goal by the end of 2020. All in all, while these delays were unfortunate, we do not foresee them having a permanent impact on our ability to meet our goals and objectives for this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The students in the project have been assigned to one of the Co-PIs as their mentor and have begun weekly to bi-weekly meetings with them to start designing their research projects. The students have also enrolled in a grant-specific course (NUTR 450) that will cover different topics related to professional development: applying to gradute school, builiding a resume, internship applications, etc. Due to COVID-19 students have not been able to attend any conferences or workshops yet. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to build foundational knowledge surrounding sustainability, resilient, healthy food and water systems as well awareness regarding careers in FANH through the rest of 2020. We have a scheduled a panel presentation from current scientists in FANH careers that are from diverse backgrounds to present to our GROW cohort as well as the rest of the student body at Dominican University. This panel presentation and networking opportunity is also open to faculty and staff in the Department of Nutrition Sciences and their attendance is encouraged. After the panel presentation, the GROW cohort, PIs, and faculty will be able to have a debrief and talk about career developemnt and pathways within FANH. These threeactitivies directly address Goals 1 & 2, as well as objectives 3, 5, & 6.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this time we: -Recruited 4 participants to participate in the first cohort (Obj 3) -Conducted an orientation and provided assigned readings, webinars, and books to build baseline knowledge on the topic of sustainability, resilient, healthy food and water systems (Goal 1) -Both independently and as a cohort, critiqued a series of readings/webinars/books, which helps with preparation for coursework within advanced degree programs (Goal 2) -Included information during orientation to build awareness of career pathways (Obj 3) -Created and implemented a pre-test survey to all participants to gather baseline data pertaining to awareness of career pathways in FANH, concepts related to sustainability and nutrition, exposure and interactions with mentors up until this point, and perceived skill level with both written and oral communication (Obj 3) -Ensured membership to professional organizations by purchasing AND memberships for each participant in cohort 1 (Obj 4)
Publications
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