It is my pleasure to announce that Tansel Yilmazer has been named the Cleo Fitzsimmons Young Faculty Scholar. An assistant professor in the Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing since 2002, she is dedicated to promoting financial literacy and financial well-being for families.

Dr. Yilmazer currently is leading a team in the development of a national consumer finances survey for her home country of Turkey — this is comparable to the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances in the United States. She also is involved in financial literacy initiatives through CFS Extension, and she has revamped the capstone course for financial counseling and planning majors.

The Fitzsimmons Young Faculty Scholar is a new award to recognize promising young faculty members in Consumer Sciences and Retailing by providing additional support for their research activities for a three-year period. It’s named in memory of Professor Emerita Cleo Fitzsimmons, who joined the Purdue faculty in 1946 as head of the Department of Home Management. Credited with introducing the field of family economics into the college, she retired in 1968. Dr. Yilmazer’s work truly reflects the spirit of Cleo Fitzsimmons.

Hail Purdue!
Dennis Savaiano
Dean

A program recognizing Dr. Yilmazer will be held on Friday, November 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the John Purdue Room. Those wishing to attend should respond to CFS Development and Alumni Relations by Friday, November 2.

CFS Extension is partnering with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and other organizations in the state to hold the second annual Indiana Money Smart Week October 13–20. During the week, 12 counties in Indiana will offer events to educate consumers on personal finance and money management. Many of the classes are tailored to the needs of underserved populations such as youth, the elderly, and immigrants. CFS Extension educators will offer a money management workshop on the West Lafayette campus October 12 and 17. The session is for Purdue employees and counts toward the Healthy Purdue initiative. For more information, visit the Indiana Money Smart Week Web site.

At the end of October, celebrations will be held for Hanley and Marriott halls. Faculty, staff, students, and the community are invited to attend. On October 29, a lecture will be presented by Karen Fingerman, the Berner Hanley University Scholar and associate professor in Child Development and Family Studies. “Friends or Friction? Relationships Between Adults and Their Parents” will be held at 2:30 p.m. in the Burton Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 121. A program will follow at 4:00 p.m. in the Burton Morgan Café. On October 30, a celebration for Marriott Hall will take place at 11:00 a.m. under the tent at the corner of State and University streets. To RSVP for either celebration event, send an e-mail to events@purdue.edu.

Sara Lee executives were on campus in September to kick off the 2007–08 Sara Lee Innovation Award. Students in Foods and Nutrition and Hospitality and Tourism Management are encouraged to enter the competition to create a new food product for Sara Lee; applications are due by October 15. The winning team receives $10,000 and an opportunity to see their product become commercially available. Visit the CFS Current Students Web site to get information and download an application.

A Purdue University team plans to help health-conscious people better gauge what's on their plates by using their cell phone cameras. Carol Boushey, associate professor in Foods and Nutrition, said the project would expand on a technique already in use by adding a strong scientific grounding. Currently, dieters can subscribe to online sites that monitor eating habits by critiquing photos they send of their meals. "This idea of using cameras to evaluate your diet by snapping pictures of your meals is not a new one," Boushey said. "What makes our proposal different is that we're designing the software to better evaluate portion sizes and nutritional content." Read more about this research.

As a way to encourage Indiana residents to get in shape and focus on the importance of healthy living, 39 counties are hosting Walks Across Indiana throughout October. The project is co-sponsored by CFS Extension and is part of the INShape Indiana initiative. Last year, participants in 26 counties covered nearly 5,000 miles — more than 9 million steps — and more walkers are expected to participate this year. Read more about the walks and how you can participate.

October 15: INShape Indiana Health Summit: Live Healthy, Work Healthy
October 26: CFS Alumni Board Meeting
October 26–27: CFS Festive Friday and Homecoming
October 29: Hanley Hall Celebration
October 30: Marriott Hall Celebration
November 10: CFS Scholarship Luncheon
November 12: HTM Alumni/Industry Reception in New York City
November 19: Family Impact Seminar
December 16: Commencement

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