By Dr. Jacqueline Bergman, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food Science & Packaging

In the bustling corridors of San José State University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging, graduate students Adriana Fregoso, Kayla Mitchell, and Cassandra Boyd stand as testaments to resilience, passion, and purpose. These individuals, specializing in various domains of nutrition science, navigate their academic journeys at SJSU with unwavering determination and a commitment to making a difference in their respective fields.

Adriana Fregoso: Breaking Barriers with Resilience and Determination
Adriana’s journey at SJSU began with challenges common to first-generation Latina students. Nonetheless, her tenacity led her to earn double bachelor’s degrees in Nutritional Science and Spanish. After a hiatus, Adriana returned to SJSU to earn her master’s degree with renewed purpose. Her most memorable moment as a master’s student takes her back to her first day, sitting in the same classroom as she had five years earlier. She recalls feeling a transformative shift, more engaged, confident, and excited to finish what she had started. “It was a nice reminder of how far I had come…” Drawing from her experiences, Adriana’s research focuseson addressing cultural food challenges among Latino students. She shares, “As a Latina college student, I found myself forced to change my eating habits, leaving behind a part of my cultural identity.” Through her journey from uncertainty to empowerment, Adriana has learned to seek help when needed and support others facing similar challenges.

Kayla Mitchell: Fearless Optimism–Navigating Paths of Passion and Opportunity
After high school, Kayla ventured from the Bay Area to Santa Cruz, enrolling at Cabrillo College. For five years, amidst the ebb and flow of retail work, she explored various courses. However, her true calling emerged when she discovered the introductory nutrition classes at Cabrillo College. Instantly captivated, Kayla’s passion for food and cooking found its anchor, setting her on an exciting new path. As an SJSU transfer student, Kayla thrived while juggling work, achieved leadership roles in the NUFS club, and gained acceptance into the nutritional science’s SAGE ‘24 cohort. Despite challenges, she graduated debt-free, crediting her peers and professors for their invaluable support. Reflecting on her journey, Kayla shared, “College can be an incredibly stressful and challenging time, but I was able to persist with the help and camaraderie of my peers and professors.” With dreams of returning to SJSU as a professor, Kayla’s story inspires others to embrace courage and seize their prospects.

Cassandra Boyd: Navigating Graduate School with Grit and Grace
Cassandra Boyd’s journey from community college to earning her master’s at SJSU embodies humble gratitude and endurance. Despite seven years of uncertainty, a nutrition class sparked her passion, propelling her to excel in undergraduate studies. Flash forward to graduate school, her impactful research on probiotics, including the renowned “Ten Foods with the Highest Prebiotic Content,” garnered international recognition earning publications and featured in Newsweek, Yahoo, Everyday Health, and 50+ other news outlets. Her SJSU experience solidified her career aspirations in research, all while remaining humble and grateful for the
supportive community. “I am most grateful for the community of people at SJSU who believed in me before I believed in myself.” Through it all, Cassandra exemplifies the power of dedication, passion, and persistence.

Their collective experiences affirm SJSU’s transformative impact, nurturing students to become catalysts for change in their fields and communities.

By Jacqueline J. Bergman

Spring 2023 marks an exciting milestone for San José State University’s Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging (NUFS) Department as it welcomes its inaugural SAGE (Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education) cohort into its groundbreaking program. The NUFS SAGE program opens up a fast-track pathway to a graduate degree in nutritional science for undergraduate students pursuing the Nutritional Science program. Offering three specialized concentrations—Food Management, Applied Nutrition and Food Sciences, and Dietetics—the program equips students with invaluable skills tailored to their career aspirations.

Enrolling in the Food Management concentration prepares students for dynamic roles in the food industry, with esteemed companies like Bon Appetit, Compass, and Marriott eagerly seeking their talents. Those pursuing Applied Nutrition and Food Sciences delve into the realm of food science, health education, and nutrition, while Dietetics students gain eligibility to become registered dietitians with a master’s degree—a requirement set to take effect in 2024.

The NUFS department is thrilled to announce the recent approval of an additional SAGE pathway within the packaging program, solidifying its pioneering position in SAGE initiatives. This innovative program empowers students to thrive in the industry as package design engineers, sustainability engineers, and other related roles, equipping them with the expertise and abilities essential for success.

The SAGE programs at San José State University are just the tip of the iceberg, as the university continues to expand its offerings to enrich students’ education and career prospects. By completing both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in less time and with reduced expenses, participants gain a competitive edge in the job market. The future holds immense promise for the SAGE programs and the exceptional students who embark on this transformative journey.

For more information about the NUFS SAGE programs, please contact SAGE Program Coordinator, Dr. Xi (Alex) Feng, xi.feng@sjsu.edu, 408-924-3105.

By: Liza Madrid and Winnie Liao

The Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging Department had an amazing opportunity to showcase their skills sets with the Art Department late this year. This event was held in the Art Department within the Community Table Art Exhibition at San José State University on November 4, 2021. In the NuFS 22, Catering and Beverage Management course, students were displaying their knowledge of basic catering through extravagant foods. Professor Jamie Kubota and Chef Todd Engstrom were the stars of the menu creation which featured: Smoked turkey bacon cranberry pinwheels, cauliflower ceviche, crostini with carrot top pesto and whipped goat cheese, pumpkin whoopie pies, and dark chocolate truffles. Each of these appetizers was carefully crafted by the nutrition students in Chef Todd’s NuFS 22 class. This event was a great opportunity for the NuFS 22 students to showcase their culinary skills to the art department and the community. Not only was the art department able to get a deeper sense of the skills, teachings, and techniques that can be learned in the nutrition department, but the nutrition students were also able to get more of an understanding of the projects and artwork that the art students work on throughout the semester. Essentially, both departments were able to get a new perspective on each other’s work. This is extremely significant as it may inspire students to get involved in other departments, community events, and volunteer with other organizations.

Nutrition students, Winne Liao and Liza Madrid, both stated that the Community Table Art Exhibition was the perfect event to get hands-on experience in the culinary field. Liza Madrid stated that “…the best part of the event was that it allowed us to see what Chef Todd Engstrom used to do as a full-time caterer and how hard he has worked to become extremely knowledgeable in his field. His passion for the culinary field is truly inspiring.”Winnie Liao was quoted saying, “I really enjoyed this event. I was able to apply my previous experiences and skills of baking to this event, which made it even more fun! I hope for more events like this in the future.”

Overall, the Community Table Art Exhibition was a tremendous success among the students, faculty, and visitors. Each and every student from both departments should be proud of the hard work put in to make this community event possible!

Great news for the College of Applied Sciences and Arts as the Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging (NUFS) ranked 2^nd in the top 20 best value packaging programs of 2017 in the United States, according to Value Colleges.

Ashwini Wagle, Department Chair of NUFS, was excited to hear the news and is eager to become the best packaging program in the country. “We will strive for the number one spot,” said Wagle.

Value Colleges offers researched, straightforward, and practical answers about value and affordability for college bound students making college decisions. The website features articles about college costs and benefits, as well as numerical rankings of institutions and degree programs.

Click here to read Value Colleges’ article on the top 20 best value packaging programs of 2017.