Paige Howlett has always been a strong student of science. She also loves connecting with people.
She found the perfect way to combine her passions: food.
The third-year nutrition and dietetics student is one of more than 400 students transferring to the new university. Brescia Department of Food and Nutrition Scienceswas established on May 1st under the Western Faculty of Health Sciences.
Howlett will begin her final year at Western University in the fall and hopes to soon become a registered dietitian.
“the The best of social science and science. Counselors must apply physiology and chemistry and use critical thinking skills to improve someone’s quality of life,” she said.
Additionally, how often do you get to learn about new cuisines and share food with your classmates while at school? Ms Howlett said the food test she took was a highlight.
She is enthusiastic about her next chapter at Western.
“I’m excited and optimistic for next year. I know we’ll do well,” Howlett said.
She has already embraced her new campus community, taking on a leadership role as a health science “soph” during fall orientation week.
Howlett is already taking Western science classes as part of the program, so next year she will take courses on the main campus while still having access to the state-of-the-art food lab and commercial kitchen. The former campus of Brescia, now part of Western, feels that you can get the “advantages”.
The Brescia School of Food and Nutrition Sciences offers two programs: Food and Nutrition for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as Family Studies and Human Development at the undergraduate level.
“We are bursting with ideas. I feel very passionate and optimistic that there will be a lot of good things to come,” said Daniel Butram, acting director of the new school.
New interdisciplinary opportunities
Joining the Faculty of Health Sciences opens up a wealth of opportunities for both students coming from Brescia and those already studying health sciences at Western University, Butram said.
They join a faculty that now includes seven different schools: Communication Sciences and Diseases, Food and Nutrition, Health Sciences, Kinesiology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy, and approximately 5,000 health science undergraduate and graduate students. Students are enrolled.
Daniel Buttram, Acting Director, Brescia School of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
“Health care professionals do not work in isolation. We work together to provide the best possible care to our patients and clients. We now have the opportunity to explore further collaboration and integrate all of our best practices,” said Buttram, a registered dietitian.
As an undergraduate, Buttram originally planned to attend medical school, but chose to change direction and study nutrition. Sstudent Those following a similar path can explore multiple related fields to understand what aspects of health are relevant to them, she said.
“That’s the power of having different medical professions all under the same roof. ”
The addition of the Brescia Faculty of Food and Nutrition Sciences makes the Faculty of Health Sciences one of the most broad-based, interdisciplinary health science faculties in Canada.
“It is a pleasure to be part of Western University’s School of Health Sciences, and we are thrilled to welcome Brescia faculty, staff and students to our new school,” said Jayne Garland, Dean of the School of Health Sciences. .
“Not only will the school add expertise, it will create opportunities for collaboration and open doors for students to explore other areas of health and wellness that they may not have considered before.”
Buttram said faculty, staff and students already feel welcome.
“Within about a week of being informed about the integration, we met with Dr. Garland and had an overwhelming feeling of welcome home and ‘where have you been?'” – Brescia Foods Daniel Buttram, Acting Director of the School of Nutritional Sciences
“We are very excited to be integrated into Health Sciences. It is a faculty with a variety of medical professionals and it means we are understood,” Buttram added. Ta.
Relevance to the real world
Scientific expertise in the world of nutrition and family research is becoming increasingly important.
Misinformation is rampant on social media and elsewhere as people seek out reliable sources of information on issues such as healthy eating, parenting, and emotional development.
Melody Yong (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
The Brescia School of Food and Nutrition Sciences has faculty members who conduct a wide range of research to help students develop the skills they need to pursue a variety of careers.
Melody Yong didn’t know exactly what path she would take when she joined the Food and Nutrition Program four years ago. Now, she has graduated and is pursuing a master’s degree in food science.
“It’s a very unique program. You get to immerse yourself in a different side of food research,” she said of her undergraduate degree.
Yeung plans to research ways to combine proteins in hopes of increasing the protein content of dairy products.
She said students learned important skills in the food development class, where they create their own products and go through trials, sensory evaluations and marketing plans.
Paige Howlett (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
“To mimic what’s happening on the corporate side with food, you basically need to speed up the product development process,” Yeung said.
For Howlett, a student aiming to become a nutritionist, the program is appealing because it can be applied to real life. The important thing for her is to block out the noise.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to nutrition, and it’s very complicated. We need people to present the correct, evidence-based information,” she said.
The same goes for important human development themes, which have become even more relevant amid the challenges posed by COVID-19, Mr Butram said.
“A very special program”
Professor Lula Hawa, dean of the Family Studies and Human Development Program, said there are only a few places in Ontario where the field can be studied.
“It’s a very special program. This is a very interdisciplinary field, and that’s what makes it so strong,” she said.
“It is the study of the human family, family life issues, and personal development. It is a social science that draws on many other fields, including sociology, psychology, anthropology, education, gender studies, and health. We follow a lifelong approach, from birth to death. ”
Rula Hawa (Kim McCready/Western Health Sciences)
The program is inclusive in nature and builds knowledge about families of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Students also learn about issues that affect families, such as poverty, gender-based violence, child abuse, mental health issues, and drug use.
“We look not only at children as individuals, but also how children interact within their families and how families interact. within the broader system of society” said Hawa.
Students are taught to consider the social determinants of health.
Hawa has undergraduate and graduate level training in public health, family studies, and education.she has Taught family studies at the high school and college level, including to undergraduate students and teacher candidates who wish to earn family studies certification. when they entered the classroom.
Many students in the Western program hope to become teachers, but family studies and human development also form the basis for many other career paths.
“From childcare to support services for the elderly, to master’s studies in education, health and social work, the fields and jobs that students can prepare for are of great importance to students. Health and well-being for individuals and families throughout their lives “Canada’s population is aging,” Hawa said.
She would like to introduce new majors and minors, such as a focus on children., youth and Keep your family healthy and aim for possible certificationsin addition to new experiential learning opportunities, practicums, and internships.
“We always say the Family Studies and Human Development Program is a hidden gem. Now that we’re starting at Western, we feel like the sky is the limit,” Hawa said.
