By: Tannaz Vandaie and Madison Young

Club Impact
President Tannaz Vandaie and Vice President Madison Young’s goal was to make the club more inclusive of all concentrations of Nutrition and to give back to the community of students who are the driving force of the Nutrition and Food Science (NUFS) Club. Together they redesigned and streamlined the NUFS Club operations to thrive in a virtual format and worked hard to bring their goals to fruition. This restructuring included providing inclusive opportunities for all students in the Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging (NUFSPKG) department concentrations and revising the membership format enabling the club to make monthly donations to community-based non-profit organizations. Other modifications included hosting guest speakers from diverse fields, providing educational workshops, access to virtual conferences, and community service opportunities to students. The revision of the club format and its benefits to students resulted in a record number of members. Here’s what they have to say about the NUFS Club:

• “Not only has the NUFS Club assisted me with academic opportunities, but also with amazing connections and friendships. The NUFS Club provides so much insight and opportunities in the nutrition field which is extremely helpful. As a member, I would say the NUFS Club is one of the most outstanding, informative, and supportive clubs I have joined.”  – Winnie Liao, Nutritional Science/Applied Nutrition & Food Science
• “Through the event that featured Ellice Ogle from Tandem Foods, I was granted access to attend the Cultured Meat Symposium 2020. I was able to attend the presentations and listen to experts in the field share their discoveries and information regarding cultivated meat products.” – Phillip Nguyen, Nutritional Science/Applied Nutrition & Food Science

Outreach Work
A primary focus for the NUFS club this past year has been to increase community involvement. Tannaz, Club President, facilitated a virtual food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank to help decrease food insecurity in the community during a challenging time. She recruited club members to help increase awareness and together with the NUFS Club officers raised $920. This provided a total of 1840 meals to local food insecure individuals and families. Additionally, through the restructuring of the NUFS club membership and making a commitment of donating 15% of all proceeds, they have donated $290 to two local nutrition assistance organizations, Community Seva Inc. and the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

Events
Hannah Kodur, the Professional Development Coordinator, was responsible for facilitating the various events hosted by the club. Speakers included Dr. Maya Warren, an Ice Cream Scientist who worked as the Senior Director of the International Development and Research and is an Amazing Race winner. The club also hosted Kevin O’Connor, the Executive Chef at Google, who manages all eateries at six Google campuses and advocates zero-waste cooking and business practices. Ellice Ogle, CEO of Tandem Foods LLC, was also hosted to share her expertise in food science, safety, quality control, and product development. A variety of registered dietitians have also been featured including those in academia, with private practices, and a military clinical dietitian.

Hannah also organized workshops to provide students with opportunities to develop their skills to guide their professional growth. Topics included Tips For Navigating Online Learning and Professionalism. Both club members and officers worked together to create a positive learning experience for NUFSPKG department students.

Professional Partnerships
This semester, the NUFS Club reestablished a partnership with the Silicon Valley District of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) to provide students opportunities for professional growth and networking. The NUFS Club is currently in the process of becoming a recognized student chapter under the Institute of Food Technology (IFT) in order to provide more opportunities to members. For the first time, the NUFS Club will be representing the SJSU NUFSPKG Department at the annual Northern California IFT virtual Holiday Happy Hour.

You can learn more about the NUFS Club and upcoming projects, events, or join as a member on their website: sjsunufsclub.wixsite.com/website. Check out the club on Instagram for more information as well: @sjsu_nufs_club