Marshall University students and staff were recognized with awards during the West Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (WVAND) annual meeting, which was held virtually April 23.
Dr. Kelli Williams, chair of the university’s Department of Dietetics, said Marshall University dietetics ambassadors continue to bring home awards from this annual meeting each year.
“We are thrilled to have three of our own receive such high honors from the West Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,” Williams said. “Marshall has so many great students, faculty and staff, and we are extremely proud of these three for being recognized among the best of the best.”
The award winners include:
Sydney Mangialetti, a first-year graduate student from Frederick, Maryland, who received the Outstanding Student – DPD (Didactic Program in Dietetics) Award, based on her last year as an undergraduate. This award honors an undergraduate student performing at an exemplary level. Mangialetti serves as manager/director of the department’s food pantry and handles almost every aspect from reporting to the federal government to securing regular pantry volunteers. Described by her supervisors as a champion for hunger at the university, Mangialetti has forged a strong relationship with the university’s Student Government Association to bring the issue of food insecurity to the forefront at the university. Her nomination noted, “I have been so impressed by her ability to nearly singlehandedly elevate the pantry to its current level of success, and she does all of this while attending school full-time and raising a toddler.” Her future plans include completing the dietetic internship program in 2020-2021 to become a registered dietitian working in Huntington.
Hannah Currey, a senior dietetics student from Bridgeport, West Virginia, received the Lillian Halverson Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student who has demonstrated service to the dietetics community. According to scholarship committee members who know Halverson, Currey’s spirit of volunteerism and passion for cooking are fitting tributes to Halverson. In addition to being the secretary for the Marshall University Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a volunteer coordinator for Ronald McDonald House of Huntington, Currey served as the Power of Produce (POP) intern over the summer at the Bridgeport Farmer’s Market. Inspired by her food service classes, she plans to become a chef upon graduation.
Tonya Parker, administrative assistant for the university’s Department of Dietetics and its Nutrition Education Program, received the Rhododendron Award. This award is for a non-dietitian who supports the profession. Deemed a champion of nutrition education, Parker was chosen because she “has gone above and beyond her role; researching materials on creating learning opportunities, creating visuals and investigating items for taste-testing to ensure the program accommodated kids with food allergies, just to name a few.” The committee said they appreciated her tremendous impact on countless numbers of dietitians, dietetic interns and students.
To learn more about Marshall University’s degree programs in nutrition and dietetics, visit www.marshall.edu/dietetics.
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Photos: Marshall University award winners from the West Virgnia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics included (from left) Sydney Mangialetti, a first-year graduate student from Frederick, Maryland, who received the Outstanding Student – DPD Award. Hannah Currey, a senior dietetics student from Bridgeport, West Virginia, received the Lillian Halverson Scholarship. Tonya Parker, administrative assistant for the university’s Department of Dietetics and its Nutrition Education Program, received the Rhododendron Award from the West Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.