There’s been a buzz in the air this week as students prepare for spring break. While most will be heading home, there are about 45 students who will be participating in study abroad, many for the first time. A one-week experience in another country is a great way for students to take a step or two outside their comfort zone and live within another culture for a short duration. Not surprisingly, trips like these often lead to more extensive study abroad experiences later on.

A growing number of students participating in study abroad are interested in combining travel with the opportunity to help others. Students traveling to El Salvador over spring break will be volunteering at schools, orphanages, and helping with community projects throughout their stay. During the last few months, they have been collecting games and toys, school supplies, and hygiene kits to distribute to the children they will visit. Both of these service-learning trips are organized through the Purdue chapter of Ambassadors for Children.

I encourage all of our students to travel abroad and expand their understanding of our world. The college offers study abroad scholarships to help with expenses, and earlier this year, five students were awarded scholarships for their trips planned over spring break. Additional scholarships will be awarded in April for students studying abroad over the summer or during the fall semester.

Hail Purdue!
Dennis Savaiano
Dean

Students in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Society will host the 10th Annual Black Tie Dinner on Saturday, April 5. This year’s dinner features guest speakers Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, bestselling authors who have written six books including Becoming a Chef, and most recently, What to Drink with What You Eat. The couple, married since 1990, currently writes a weekly wine column for The Washington Post. The annual event is organized and conducted by students with proceeds supporting professional development opportunities for HTM Society members. Visit the Black Tie Web site for information or to order tickets.

With incomes down, foreclosures up, and a struggling economy, many consumers are looking for advice in dealing with financial difficulty. “If your income suddenly drops when you're not prepared, the number one thing is to not panic because there are options and resources available to help,” says Elizabeth Kiss, CFS Extension specialist in family resource management. Purdue Extension’s fact sheet, When Your Income Drops, contains information about dealing with lost wages. Get more information and download the fact sheet.

CFS has several events planned during Gala Week, including the annual Felker Leadership Series on April 11 featuring Tami Longaberger (right), chair and CEO of The Longaberger Company. That evening, the college will host a dinner to honor our CFS Alumni Award winners and CFS Outstanding Seniors. Other University activities during the weekend include Spring Fest and the 50th reunion of the Class of 1958. Visit the Gala Week Web site.

The annual Avanelle Kirksey Lecture Series, sponsored by the Department of Foods and Nutrition, will be held on Friday, April 18. It will feature Kathryn Dewey, a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of California at Davis. Dewey’s research is in the field of maternal and child nutrition with a particular focus on lactation and infant nutrition. She will present “What are the ‘Problem Nutrients’ for Breastfed Infants?” in Fowler Hall in Stewart Center, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Visit the Foods and Nutrition Web site for more information and to register.

Hospitality and Tourism Management
Leana Gonsalves, junior, was elected as vice president of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality and attended the organization’s national conference in Pittsburgh last month.

Ray Kavanaugh, head and professor, will receive the Michael E. Hurst Lifetime Achievement in Education Award from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) in May. The award honors an individual’s career of commitment and accomplishment to academic instruction in the field of hospitality. The presentation will be made at NRAEF’s Annual Salute to Excellence Awards Gala and Banquet in Chicago.

March 29: Spring Fashion Show “runAway”
March 31: Purdue on the Road (Washington, DC)
April 5: HTM Black Tie Dinner
April 11–13: Gala Week
April 11: Felker Leadership Series
April 11: CFS Awards Dinner
April 12: CFS Alumni Board Meeting
April 12–13: Spring Fest
April 23: CFS “Celebrating Your Diversity” Fair

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