August/September 2015

The Bite
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Hello and welcome to the first issue
of The Bite! My name is Seema and
I am very excited to be the
2015-2016 Student Dietetic
Association (SDA) Newsletter
Editor. I am looking forward to
sharing information about the SDA
with you throughout the year.

WELCOME
ISSUE

Francisco State
University and
also allow you to
meet your fellow
students. Make
sure to check out
1. SDA Website/infor mation
the calendar
on the last
2. L etter from the President
page
for
In this issue we will present you with
3. M eet your SDA Officer s
upcoming
all of the different ways you can
events throughout the semester.
4. Calendar / Announcements
become involved. There are many
subcommittees within the SDA and I wish you all success throughout the
5. Dietetic I nter nship Wor kshop,
opportunities to find your nutrition semester and the upcoming year and would
Dietetic Associations
niche.
love to hear from anyone interested in
6. EDucate, Research
contributing to the newsletter. Here's to a
Committee
The SDA Officers will be working
great semester and we hope to see you all at 7. Campus I nsider : Q& A
hard to provide a great group to
our first meeting!
bring nutrition information to San

IN THIS ISSUE:

SEEMA PATEL

CONTRIBUTORS:

STUDENT DIETETIC ASSOCIATION (SDA) WEBSITE

Perrie Pun
Katie Wilks

The SDA is a staple resource with the objective of promoting an awareness of

dietetics, health care, food, and nutrition related issues, and to prepare members
for their post graduate endeavors.

Madeline McAndrew
Jayden Ross
Claire Walsh

The SDA website continues to serve as an important link between student

members and the association leaders. Information is posted regarding how to join, BLOG:
volunteer opportunities, upcoming SDA events, off campus events/conferences,
SFSU-SDA.COM
recipe ideas, and other dietetic and nutrition related topics.
Please visit our website @ www.sdasfsu.weebly.com

FACEBOOK:

By Katie Wilks

SFSU.SDA
EMAIL:
SDA.SFSU@GMAIL.COM

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to a new school year! I hope that you had an amazing summer and school is off to a
good start for you. On behalf of the SDA, I would like to invite you to join our organization. The
SDA?s mission is to promote an awareness of dietetics among the student body at SFSU and to
prepare its members for post-graduate life. Members have the opportunity to network with
upperclassmen and people already in the field of dietetics to gain insight on their varying career
paths. The SDA officers have worked hard over the summer and planned an exciting school year
for you. We have invited guest speakers to speak on dietetics, health care, food and nutrition
related issues at our future meetings, and we will be hosting an annual dietetic internship
workshop in October. Come to our first September meeting to learn more about us! In the
meantime, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or
concerns. I look forward to seeing many of you.

PERRIE PUN

MEET YOUR SDA OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

MENG TZU
(PERRIE) PUN

SEEMA PATEL

VICE PRESIDENT

ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR

MICHELLE SHLAEN

JACQUELINE GAYLAN

SECRETARY

WEBSITE COORDINATOR&
EDucat e

KELLIE LAWLER

KATIE WILKS

TREASURER

AND/ BADA REP

REGINA PELLEGRINO

LAURA DUGGAN

MARKETING/ FUNDRAISING
CHAIR

DVDA
REP&RESEARCH
COMMITTEE

CHRISTINA PLATTER

JAMES GRIFFITH

FARMER'S MARKET

FARMER'S MARKET

VIVIAN LEE

ALISSA ORCUTT

RESEARCH
COMMITTEE

BALANCED BEINGS

JAYDEN ROSS

MARYN BROWN

CALENDAR
AUGUST 24t h
FIRST DAY OF CLASS
SEPTEMBER 23RD

SDA MEETING, 3-4pm

Rosa Parks A-C
(lower level of Cesar
Chavez Student Center)
OCTOBER 24TH

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN A NUTRITION

BOOK CLUB?
CHECK OUT

THEDIGESTIBLE.COM
A nutrition blog & book club facilitated by Dr.
Gretchen George focused on food, nutrition,
and energy balance.
First book club meeting on November 19th,
1-2pm!

DI INTERNSHIP WORKSHOP,
8:30-2:30PM
(location TBA)
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SDA NEWSLETTER?

NOVEMBER 19TH

THE DIGESTIBLE BOOK

CLUB MEETING, 1-2PM

DO YOU ENJOY WRITING AND SHARING NUTRITION INFORMATION WHILE

BUILDING YOUR RESUME?
Contact Seema at seemap971@gmail.com

GET INVOLVED!
DIETETIC INTERNSHIP WORKSHOP
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A DAY OF GREAT
GUEST SPEAKERS & A DIETETIC INTERN PANEL!
Every year SFSU's SDA holds a dietetic internship workshop to prepare students for
the internship process. This year's workshop will be held on Saturday October 24th.
Location will be announced closer to the date. The cost is free to Student Dietetic
Association members and $10 for all others. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

DIETETIC
INTERNSHIP
WORKSHOP
OCT 24
8:30-2:30

The workshop will include three guest speakers and a panel with current and former students. Mariko Hingston, the
SFSU Career Counselor, will discuss resume writing skills and how to effectively portray your accomplishments
through your personal statement. New DPD director Claire Walsh, MS, RD, LD, CHC will discuss the application
process with DICAS and D& D digital, as well as give pointers for choosing the best internship for your goals and
preferences.
And finally, the SFSU Dietetic Internship Director Wanda Sui-Chan will speak about the SFSU's DI and what she looks
for in potential interns.
The dietetic intern panel will consist of five current or former interns representing SFSU, UCSF, Golden Gate, Napa
State, and distance internships. The interns will answer any questions you may have about the internship process and
share with you their personal journey's to getting matched.
You can also join the SDA at the workshop. So come join us for a day of food and fun!

YOUR GUIDE TO:

DIETETIC ASSOCIATIONS
One of the best ways for students to
get involved within the dietetics
profession while they are still in
school is to become a part of of the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
(AND), the California Dietetics
Association (CDA), and they Bay
Area Dietetics Association (BAD).
Bay Area Dietetic Association
BAD student members have a great

Academy of Nutr ition & Dietetics

Califor nia Dietetic Association

Student members of AND have access to Student CDA members are kept up-to-date on
great resources such as scholarship,
current public policy issues regarding the
mentor programs, and membership to
profession and are invited to attend annual
Dietetic Professional Groups. Members conferences. Scholarships are also available
also can take part in the Student
and membership is included with AND.
Community forum to connect with dietetic
majors nationwide. Membership is $50
for a year which includes your state
dietetic association.
The Diablo Valley Distr ict (DVD) (Contra Costa and Solano Counties)

chance to get involved with local RD's 1st meeting is Monday, September 14 at 5:45 PM in Walnut Creek. The California Beef
by volunteering and attending events Council will be presenting about sustainability and the latest nutrition research regarding
beef and a heart healthy diet. Food (including vegetarian options) will be provided!
such as film screening, mixers, and
Contact Ana Su (anacherrie@comcast.net) about joining the DVD and Devin Robinette
group hikes Membership is $15.
(devin.robinette@comcast.net) for directions to the meeting.

GET INVOLVED!
EDucat e:
EATING DISORDER AWARENESS COMMITTEE
Mission St at ement by: Lindsay Wengl er
Led by: Kat ie Wil ks and Madel ine McAndrew
As a subcommittee of the SDA, EDucate strives to provide education, raise awareness, and offer resources regarding
eating disorders and disordered eating to students at San Francisco State University. Peer education is provided to
fellow dietetics students through meetings and workshops in effort to teach the fundamentals of eating disorders,
warning signs, how to help, and where to direct those that are in need of assistance. Through peer education, we hope
to provide useful information about eating disorders that is currently lacking in school curriculum. With the knowledge,
we aim to empower fellow dietetics students to help their peers, community, and future clients/patients.
In addition to peer education, support groups and workshops are offered to students on campus who are struggling with
body image, eating disorders, and disordered eating. EDucate does not provide professional counseling services; it
provides a safe and confidential environment that offers support, guidance, and resources to help students receive the
appropriate care they need.
For the 2015-2016 school year, Katie Wilks and Madeline McAndrew will be leading the EDucate committee. Katie
and Madeline are both students at SFSU, studying to obtain a Bachelors Degree in Dietetics. If you would like to
participate or for more information, please visit www.educatesfsu.weebly.com or contact educatesfsu@gmail.com

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

Contact Jayden Michael Ross

at jaydenross135@gmail.com

NEW SUB-COMMITTEE:

RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Be a part of the SDA's new research team! This is an excellent opportunity if you are interested in pursuing
research as a career, want practice for your masters thesis or simply want to expand your knowledge and skills.
Our goal is to conduct a full research study as a team over the course of Fall and Spring 2015-2016.
What we will be doing...
Decide on a topic of interest that can be studied on campus
Become NI H cer tified
We will also have guest speakers to talk about their experiences in research and teach us valuable skills and
lessons they have learned along the way!

CAMPUS INSIDER
Q&A w ith NEW DIETETIC DIRECTOR:
Claire Walsh M S, RD, LD, CHD
Q: You have recently re-located to the San Fr ancisco Bay area, where did you move from?
A: I moved with my husband from Kansas City this past April.
Q: What school did you get your dietetics degree from and where did you do your inter nship?
A: I graduated from Kansas State University with my BS in Dietetics. My MS in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship are
both from the University of Kansas Medical Center
Q: What was your most and least favor ite class that you took studying for dietetics?
A: I really enjoyed MNT in my internship because it was very research focused. I?m terrible with money, so accounting
was my least favorite. I also didn?t love the accounting section of my management class, but at least that was more
applicable!
Q: Did you always know you wanted to become a registered dietitian?
A: No, originally I considered business or pre-law. Then my high school advisor told me I would be a better candidate
for scholarships if I took another science course. Two of my friends were in anatomy and I ended up loving it and
decided to go into pre medicine. Once in college I didn?t enjoy the workload and wasn?t interested in being in school or
training for another 10 years, so I looked for another health care profession. My mom?s degree was in CFS/nutrition so
I grew up talking about food and nutrition and eventually I realized dietetics was the perfect fit.
Q: What type of professional exper ience/background have you acquired?
A: I?ve had all kinds of jobs- inpatient, outpatient, corporate wellness, research, even some school nutrition. I am also a
certified health coach. Most recently I worked as an outpatient RD/health coach at primary care office owned by a tech
company in Kansas City called Cerner. There I did mostly one-on-one nutrition counseling, but I also taught lots of
classes and worked with their onsite foodservice operation in menu development and marketing their healthier
products.
Q: What made you decide to choose SFSU?
A: I always dreamed of becoming a professor and teaching was my favorite part of the positions I?ve held. My
professors and advisors played such an important role in my career I?m excited to ?pay it forward? with SFSU students.
I currently teach 353 GWAR and next semester will be teaching an additional class.
Q: What are your shor t/long ter m goals for the DPD progr am?
A: My short term goal is to remember which class number goes with which class title, and to keep all the perquisites
straight- as you can see I?m still focused on the day-to-day!. Long term I hope to make the program more accessible to
everyone by increasing online offerings and using technology to attract a different population- those who work and
attend school at the same time.
Q: What is your most and least favor ite food to eat?
A: Most: Pizza! And more specifically out here PanCoast Pizza in Walnut Creek. And least would be airport
food? there are no good options.
Q: Do you have any interesting hobbies?
A: I was a yoga instructor during college so I love yoga and I also take ballet every week at a local studio.
Q: Any advice to give cur rent and future dietetic students?
A: I would have to say be well rounded. I dreaded my summer experience serving inpatient meals at a hospital but I
still use that knowledge and draw on those experiences to this day. Everything we learn helps because we never know
where we will end up working. Also any higher certifications are important for job opportunities so if you are able to
go for your MS, CNSC, CDE, to name a few, go for it! Expect to never stop learning and learn to embrace new
information.