A New Beginning!
I am honored and excited for this new beginning and opportunity to serve as your 2023-2024 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Chair. I am a career long Academy member and retired registered dietitian who has had the tremendous opportunity to serve in many leadership roles over the years, including as a former President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chair of the Academy’s Political Action Committee Board of Directors, President of the Massachusetts Dietetic Association and Chair of the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group.
I was fortunate to have a lengthy and enjoyable career in dietetics in which I served in leadership roles in both clinical nutrition and food management, human resources and talent acquisition. I have been committed to our Academy Foundation over the course of my career as a volunteer leader and major donor. I have been able to see first-hand the tremendous work our Foundation does to support and empower current and future food and nutrition practitioners at all levels of study through scholarships, awards, research grants, fellowships, public nutrition education and disaster relief. The Foundation’s work has touched the lives of countless Academy members over the years.
I also have the privilege to begin my tenure as Foundation Chair during national PRIDE month. In 1979, our Foundation established our first fund dedicated to advancing diversity within our profession. Since that time, we have worked with donors to establish many more Foundation scholarship, award, and grant funds dedicated to supporting diverse students and credentialed practitioners, and we continue to grow our resources to support Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) within the dietetic field. This year our Foundation awarded $555,200 in scholarships to 180 students from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Learn more about our available IDEA scholarships here
Here are just a few 2023 scholarship recipients who are grateful for the support they received through your generous donations.
Receiving this award reaffirms my motivation to continue working towards my goals, and to apply for opportunities like this that support the estimated 3% Black or African American registered dietitians in the field. [This scholarship] will help me to perform to the best of my abilities as an intern without significant financial stress.
Shaquala Rice
2022 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Diversity Scholarship
[This scholarship] has lightened my financial burden during my unpaid internship and given me an opportunity to obtain academic achievement and professional development. As a Korean American, I am very grateful for [the Foundation’s] understanding of challenges that minority students are facing and for providing them additional assistance to succeed academically and professionally with the diversity scholarship.
Eun-Jeong Scott, DTR
2022 Commission on Dietetic Registration Diversity Scholarship
Next, I would like to show my appreciation and gratitude to Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDCES, BC-ADM, FADCES, our immediate Past Foundation Chair. Hope led the Foundation passionately and challenged us all to continually do more. As you can see in her year-end recap, we had a tremendous year and are so grateful for her leadership, I have big shoes to fill. I am also excited about working with our talented 2023-2024 officers and board members. They represent varied areas of interest in our profession and a range of professional experiences. All are tireless volunteers within the Academy and all are demonstrated leaders. I also look forward to another new beginning, as our new Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE, takes over and works with us to serve our profession.
Lastly, I would like to ask you to join our Foundation in celebrating Pride month with a gift to our Foundation’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Fund which supports initiatives, including scholarships, that expand opportunities for Academy students and members of diverse backgrounds and cultures. I can’t think of a better way to support our fellow Academy member students with a gift today.
Donate Today
It will be my pleasure to be sharing our great news with you each month and expressing my thanks for helping us make a difference in the lives of so many of our fellow Academy members.
Sincerely,
Susan Laramee, MS, RDN, FADA, FAND; Chair
2023-2024 Academy Foundation Chair
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