More than 350 students will graduate this month with degrees from the College of Consumer and Family Sciences. While their lives as college students are ending, their roles as professionals in the consumer and family sciences are just beginning. And our graduates are in demand. The need for professionals in the hospitality and service industries continues to grow, and the need for knowledgeable and skilled graduates in the fields of nutrition, health, and early childhood development has never been more important.

Among this year’s graduating class, five students were honored with an Outstanding Senior Award. These exceptional students were chosen on the basis of scholarship, leadership, and service to others — and their futures are very bright. Kerrie Byrnes, an individual and family studies major, wants to eventually earn a doctorate in marriage and family therapy so she can pursue private clinical practice. Rebecca Nelson, a double major in dietetics and foods and nutrition in business, will be completing two dietetic internships this summer, one at Kraft Foods in Glenview, Illinois, and the other at Nestlé in Lausanne, Switzerland. Hospitality and tourism management student Carla Sawyer is headed to Orlando where she will join Marriott International’s front office management training program. Emily Shearer, a CFS education major, will begin teaching family and consumer sciences this fall at East Noble High School in Kendallville, Indiana. And for Amber Perez, an apparel design and technology student, a wedding is in the near future. She will be moving to Fort Wayne and pursuing a career in apparel or retail.

I would also like to recognize the 11 dedicated seniors who successfully completed the CFS Honors program and will graduate with honors. Each of these students, working with a faculty mentor, completed a research project and presented their findings at our annual CFS Honors Colloquium. They are Catherine Burlage, Shelly Davis, Kathryn George, Jennifer Glas, Emily Hutson, Kyle Kamp, Rebecca Nelson, and Corrie Whisner, all from Foods and Nutrition; Kerrie Byrnes from Child Development and Family Studies; Jennifer Carson from Consumer Sciences and Retailing; and Jonathan Kallini from Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Please join me in congratulating all of our outstanding seniors on their many accomplishments this year. We wish them the best!

Hail Purdue!
Dennis Savaiano
Dean

Read more about the 2007 CFS Outstanding Seniors.

Who writes the recipes on the back of the box? What's the best way to prepare cheesecake? How do they make favorite recipes more healthful? Join us for the next CFS Boiler Mixer on Friday, June 22 in Glenview, Illinois, as Kraft corporate chef and CFS alumnus Mike Chapter, BS ’97, and other Purdue alumni take us inside the Kraft Kitchens to answer these questions and much more. Participants will tour America’s largest test kitchen and find out how their favorite food ideas are developed. Cost is $15 and you must RSVP by June 11. Learn more about the Boiler Mixer at Kraft Kitchens.

Each year, the CFS Alumni Board recognizes outstanding alumni at its annual awards dinner. At this year’s event on April 13, three Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented along with awards for Community Service and Friend of Purdue. This year’s honorees have made a significant and positive impact in the areas of nutrition, family finance, and family and consumer sciences education. Read more about each of this year’s award winners. 

The Department of Foods and Nutrition announced winners of its 2007 Hall of Fame Award. They are Paul Abernathy; Avanelle Kirksey, HDR ’97; Karen Konzelmann; Helen E. Clark, HDR ’94 (deceased); and Barbara Shannon, PhD ’71. The award honors those who have made a significant contribution to the fields of foods and nutrition or who have contributed to the growth and prominence of the department. Read about the 2007 Hall of Fame inductees.

Olivia Bennett Wood, associate professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition, is retiring after 34 years at Purdue. To honor her career, which was marked with an unprecedented four Mary L. Matthews Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards, a scholarship for undergraduate foods and nutrition students has been created. Get more information on the scholarship or learn how you can contribute to this fund.

While mellowing with age has often been thought to have positive effects, research shows that doing so could also help you live longer. Dan Mroczek, associate professor in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies, says, “We found that neurotic men whose levels dropped over time had a better chance at living longer.” Read more about Professor Mroczek’s research.

A team of CFS students created a new food product that claimed top honors and a $10,000 prize in the Sara Lee Innovation Award competition held April 12 on the West Lafayette campus. The contest was designed to spark culinary creativity while educating students on the process of creating, producing, and marketing a new food product. The winning team invented a mousse cake product similar to cheesecake, called Sophisticated Swirl. Team members were Katherine Gonzales, a foods and nutrition senior, and Whitney Prochno, Tiffany Schieber, and Brad Scholten, all juniors in hospitality and tourism management. Read more about the competition and the winning team.

May 13: Commencement

May 15–17: Home and Family Conference

May 20: HTM Alumni & Industry Reception, Chicago

June 22: Boiler Mixer at Kraft Kitchens

July 14: Purdue Day in Chicago, Brookfield Zoo

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