Sarah DiMaggio Presents E.A.T. Research

2016 Jul 12

Sarah DiMaggio of Bel Air, Md., is one of four students from Lebanon Valley College's E.A.T. (Engage, Analyze, Transform) Research Group that traveled to the University of Toronto-Scarborough in June to present their research at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society (AFHVS), and the Canadian Association of Food Studies (CAFS). The conference attracts nearly 400 global scholars who represent disciplines as diverse as anthropology, history, nutrition, geography, journalism, and agricultural science.

DiMaggio, a graduate of Fallston High School, is pursuing a bachelor of arts in philosophy at The Valley. DiMaggio's project, OEating to Perform: Improving Student-Athlete Nutrition at Lebanon Valley College,O organized a long-term plan of action that will enable the College to better meet the nutritional needs of its student-athletes. The project included focus-group research with student-athletes to identify obstacles, and consultation with Metz Culinary Management and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to propose long-term changes.

The students presented their research in an organized panel titled "Transforming Student Dining Through Nutritional Interventions," which highlighted the coordinated efforts of the E.A.T. Research Group to transform the dining experience of students on the Lebanon Valley College campus. This year, all four student projects focused on the nutritional well-being of student diners. They aimed, though various programs and interventions, to transform and shape the conditions in the Lehr and Phillips Dining halls to promote healthy eating.

The E.A.T. Research Group conducted its research and made the trip to Toronto due to the generous support of Metz Culinary Management, the Edward H. and Jeanne Donlevy Arnold Experiential Grant Program, and the Office of Academic Affairs. Additional information regarding each project and its results can be found at www.lvc.edu/eat.