The Department of Nutrition and Health Science is committed to delivering an exceptional educational experience to our students and advancing our respective disciplines through research and scholarship. We engage in service to the university, the profession, and the community. We value health and wellbeing throughout the lifespan, interprofessional education, and scholarship, community engagement for the advancement of evidence-based and best health practices, lifelong learning, and the unique qualities associated with a diverse population.
We depend on the generous support of community partners, alumni, and friends which allows us to offer diverse, real-world opportunities to our students. The department needs the most assistance with donations to our general fund (6901), for the welfare, support, and advancement of nutrition and health science programs. Further, these donations support the department faculty members to create unique learning experiences on local, regional, national and international levels.
An Immersive opportunity was created by Dr. Deanna Pucciarelli who partnered with Ball State Alumna Betsy Opyt of Betsy’s Best, where students developed recipes for patients with specific disease states using Betsy’s Best nut and seed butter products. Additionally, the Department through generous donations would like to support students to engage in Global Field studies related to Nutrition and Health Science. Last summer 20 students went on a five-week integrated overseas trip where they learned by exploring industries of healthcare, agriculture, food, and related local, regional, and global systems. Students traveled throughout countries of Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and Malaysia. This field-study provided an educational format unlike any other and allowed students to compare and contrast varied healthcare practices, making them more marketable and valuable population groups in the United States. Some of the experiences included attending workshops, panel discussions, job shadowing professionals, and attending conferences which surpass any in house education students might attain if they were in a traditional classroom setting.
Continued funding for the Department of Nutrition and Health Science funds, creates essential leadership opportunities within the department’s student organizations, the Ball State Dietetics Association, and Eta Sigma Gamma. These organizations offer multiple ways for our students to gain leadership experiences by partaking in conferences and enriching their professional development which makes a difference when seeking full-time employment after graduation.
