Annual Meeting
We are VERY excited that ANCE will be in person this year. Please join us on Friday, March 31st at the Four Points Sheraton in Norwood for what is sure to be a great day.
If you are an exhibitor wishing to register, please go HERE:
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA)
Monthly News
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Student Membership Scholarship Application is now closed. Please come back to our page next year for more information on next year's applications!
Other IDEA Scholarships Available - learn more here.
Call for Speakers: MAND IDEA Ethics Summer CEU Series
The MAND IDEA committee hosts an annual Summer CEU Series on topics related to IDEA. This year’s topic is ethics, which will highlight various ethical issues and challenges as they pertain to nutrition and dietetics. If you are interested in presenting, please use the google form application to apply: Summer CEU Series application.
For more information on ethics and nutrition, please read the Academy's recent article on Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making: Ethics in Practice 2023 Update.
Monthly Celebrations and Acknowledgements
May 2023
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAIP) Month
Check out these resources below for more information!
- PBS.org
- EatRight Pro
Jewish American Heritage Month!
- Jewish American Heritage information and events: Jewish Heritage Month
- Additional Information: EatRight Pro article
World Day for Cultural Diversity: May 21st
Submit your favorite recipe to share on the MAND Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) webpage!
We would love to highlight the unique and individual foods and customs of our members. All submissions received by May 1, 2023 will be entered into a drawing to receive a $25 gift card to a local business of your choice. Questions? Feel free to reach out to Susan Hazarvartian at hazarvartian@teppllc.com or Jamie Ekstrom at jamieekstrom1@gmail.com.
See below example of a recipe that has been submitted and added to our webpage!
Academy Diversity and Inclusion Statement
The Academy encourages inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) by striving to recognize, respect and include differences in ability, age, creed, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, size, and socioeconomic characteristics in the nutrition and dietetics profession.
https://www.eatrightpro.org/idea/inclusion-diversity-equity-and-access
The Pledge of Professional CivilityTo help foster camaraderie among our professional community and encourage constructive engagement among peers, Food & Nutrition Magazine® — published by the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — has developed a voluntary Pledge of Professional Civility, guiding principles and related resources:
The Pledge of Professional Civility
- I pledge to demonstrate respect to my colleagues and all others.
- I pledge to support constructive dialogue and positive engagement.
- I pledge to discourage the public belittling of my colleagues, even when we do not agree.
- I pledge to model professional conduct in all my public communications and actions.
Guiding Principles
The basic tenets that any professional — irrespective of expertise, area of practice or personal values — should adopt as principles of conduct in public forums, including social media, are to 1) demonstrate respect, 2) encourage constructive dialogue, 3) discourage public belittling of colleagues, and 4) model professionalism. Read more about each of these guiding principles, take the Pledge of Professional Civility yourself, and see who else in the Academy has taken the Pledge!
Pledge of Professional Civility - Food & Nutrition Magazine (food nutrition.org)
Past IDEA Spotlights
Chinese New Year Taro Cake Recipe submitted by Quynh Tu, RD, LDN, CDCES
Language Barriers and Healthcare Access with Quynh Tu, RD, LDN, CDCES
AAPI Month 2022 Spotlight with Wendy Ng, RDN, LDN
AAPI Month 2021 Spotlight with Rosalinda Sar
Asian American Diabetes Initiative Spotlight with Ka Hei Karen Lau, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES
Arab American Heritage Month Spotlight with Norah Ismail, MS, RD, LDN
Middle Eastern DEI Spotlight with Reem Bou-Nacklie
Black History Month Spotlight with Sue-Ellen Anderson Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, LDN, NASM-CPT
DEI Spotlight with Jay Patruno, RD, LDN, CPT
The Less Traveled Path at MAND with Quynh Tu, RD, LDN, CDCES
Celebrate Your Roots with Shennie Quintanilla, MS, RD, LDN
IDEA Resources
- LGBTQ+ Resources for RDN's
- Diversity and Inclusion Resources from the Academy
- Diversity & Inclusion Definitions
- AND Research DPG Diversity Page
- Diversify Dietetics
- Cultural Cuisines and Traditions from EatRight
- Building Cultural Competence in Nutrition and Dietetics 2020
- Doubling Down on Diversity: The Journey to a More Diverse Field
About Us
The IDEA Committee, originally called the Diversity Committee, established itself in the organization in 2016. The committee is funded by the annual Diversity Mini Grant from the Academy (see here). Activities include monthly meetings, community outreach, CEU event planning, working with MDEF on diversity scholarships, and awarding free student AND memberships. In the past six years, committee members and volunteers have completed 2 to 5 events each year, outreached to about 400 students in four different counties within Massachusetts, awarded diversity scholarships totalling 10 students pursuing dietetics education, and each year have granted up to 15 free student AND memberships.
Active Members:
- Susan Hazarvartian (Diversity Liaison/SPRC & Committee Chair)
- Jamie Ekstrom (Diversity Liaison/State Professional Recruitment Coordinator-Elect)
- Rachel Andrade (Past Diversity Liaison)
- Anna Bondy
- Angela Ditucci
- Quynh Tu
- Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes
- Ema Barbosa Brown
- Shennie Quintanilla
Supporting Members:
- Mariana Calle
- Maureen Kelly Gonsalves
2020-2022 Action Plan
Short-term goals:
- Developing webinar opportunities on diversity for MAND members that provide free continuing education units
- Create ongoing content on MAND webpage through blog posts highlighting diversity in our students, interns, and dietetics professionals
- Attend virtual career fairs and outreach at community colleges across MA
Long-term goals:
- Require state licensure to include diversity training for a minimum of 3 units during the 2 year cycle
- Put together curriculum/content for state licensure diversity training requirement - would be provided to MAND members for free
- Virtual or socially distanced and/or safe in-class discussions and outreach to 8th grade students
We Welcome All
We invite all voices to contribute and be heard, or to simply reach out for learning opportunities. If you would like to learn more about our committee or would like to participate, please contact:
Susan Hazarvartian - hazarvatian@teppllc.com
