Digital Commons Network^™

Betty Bender, Betty Bender, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Betty Bender, a native of Kentucky, was educated at the University of Kentucky, the University of Montana, and Duke University. After working in Massachusetts and Indiana, Bender married and moved to Dayton, OH, and worked for the Dayton School System for thirty years. While there she earned her master’s in Food Management. Betty was ASFSA President in 1983-84.

Sylvia Elam And Paul Mcelwain, Sylvia Elam, Paul Mcelwain, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Sylvia Elam’s involvement with the child nutrition profession goes back over thirty years. She is a native Kentuckian and holds an undergraduate degree in Home Economics from Morehead State University, with graduate work in Education. As a home economist she has worked in business and also taught at the secondary level. In the early 1970s she began work for the Kentucky Department of Education as a consultant in child nutrition. Since that time she has held various positions within the department from consultant all the way up to Assistant Director of Nutrition Services. She is now retired.

Paul McElwain has …

Rene Weber, Rene Weber, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Rene Weber became Director of Lunch Program for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1978, after working as a teacher for eleven years, and remained in this position for 22.5 years, starting with five schools and ending with 119. An active member of both the Ohio School Food Service Association and American School Food Service Association, she served as Legislative Chair for Ohio for eighteen years and three terms on the National Advisory Council for the USDA.

Sue Greig, Sue Greig, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Sue Greig is a native of Arkansas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Education and Nutrition and a master’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management and in Dietetics. She and her husband moved to Manhattan, Kansas, in 1951. Greig worked in housing and food service at Kansas State University for 13 years and then served as Food Service Director for Manhattan Kansas Schools until her retirement in the 1990s. She served as President of the American School Food Service Association in 1991-1992.

Sharon Gibson Barksdale, Sharon Gibson Barksdale, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Sharon Gibson Barksdale grew up on a working farm in Calloway County, Missouri. She attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics. After teaching briefly she went on to serve for twenty-seven years as Director of School Food Services for Columbia, Missouri. She has been active in the Missouri School Food Service Association and also in the American School Food Service Association, serving as President from 1985 – 1986.

The Role Of Optimal Healing Environments In The Management Of Childhood Obesity, Marjorie Freedman, Judith Stern

Faculty Publications

The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity has increased steadily over the past three decades such that obesity is now a major worldwide pediatric health risk factor. Pediatric obesity is associated with significant health problems, and is an important early risk factor for adult morbidity and mortality. This paper focuses on the role and components of optimal healing environments (OHEs) that may be useful in the management of childhood obesity: healing intention, healing relationships, health promotion and disease prevention, and healing spaces. Diet, physical activity, and behavior modification strategies used in the treatment of childhood obesity are also reviewed.

Eleanor Pratt, Eleanor Pratt, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Eleanor Pratt began her career in the child nutrition profession as food service director for Clarksville, Tennessee, schools in 1957. With a master’s degree in Home Economics she went on in 1960 to a career with the USDA Southeast Regional Office as Home Economist. She retired thirty-four years later in 1994. Ms. Pratt died at the age of 88 on August 18, 2014.

Mary Nix, Mary Nix, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Mary Nix grew up in Gordon County, Georgia during the late 1930s and 1940s. She started work in the School Lunch Program in the ninth grade, washing pots and pans at her high school. After graduating she went on to become School Food Service Supervisor for Gordon County, and later, after graduating from the University of Georgia in 1969, she became Bartow County’s first School Food Service Director. She worked for Georgia’s Department of Education for a number of years and then served as Assistant Director of School Food Services in Cobb County Georgia, where she resides. Nix was President …

Lucille Barnett, Lucille Barnett, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Lucille Barnett grew up in Union County, South Carolina, in the 1930s and 40s. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. She served as Supervisor of County and City School Food Service in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for thirty-three years. From 1973-1974 she served as American School Food Service Association President. She resides in South Carolina. See also the Lucille Barnett Photograph Collection and the Lucille Barnett Manuscript Collection.

Vivian Pilant, Vivian Pilant, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Born in 1941, Vivian Pilant grew up in Martin, Tennessee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics from the University of Tennessee at Martin, a master’s degree in Institution Management and a doctorate in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She began her career as Director of School Food Services and Nutrition Education for Weakley County, Tennessee. In August 1970, she went to work as a Coordinator of School Food Services in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, where she remained for five years. In 1975, Dr. Pilant began work with the South Carolina Department of Education Office of School …

The Effects Of Selenium On Estrogen-Regulated Gene Expression In Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells, Tory L. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Supplementation with Se has reduced the incidence of prostate cancer and Se status is inversely correlated with prostate cancer risk. One molecular mechanism by which high Se concentrations may affect cancer risk is by catalyzing disulfide bond formation or otherwise complexing with reactive sulfhydryl groups in cellular proteins. The estrogen receptor (ER) contains cysteines in zinc (Zn) fingers that are susceptible to oxidation and internal disulfide formation, which can prevent DNA binding. We examined ER binding to its DNA response element …

Quality Of Regular And Parboiled Rice In Long-Term Storage, L. Coons, M. B. Halling, Michelle A. Lloyd, Lynn V. Ogden, Oscar A. Pike

Faculty Publications

There is interest in storing food for long periods of time for such uses as disaster relief efforts, military rations and space travel. Rice hermetically sealed in cans and treated to remove oxygen is available in the retail market, but further work is needed to determine the effects of long-term storage on quality. The objective of this research was to investigate the quality of regular and parboiled white rice packaged for long-term storage in cans treated to reduce oxygen levels and held at ambient temperature for up to 30 years. Eighteen samples of white rice (11 regular, 7 parboiled) packaged …

Gene White, Gene White, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Gene White grew up in Ohio and attended Miami University of Ohio, graduating with degrees in Home Economics Education and Nutrition, which was called Dietetics at that time. She then continued her graduate education at Ohio State University. She worked more than twenty years as Food Service Director in China Lake, California. She went on to become that state’s Director of Nutrition Services in the late 1970s and while in that position she served as President of the American School Food Service Association from 1977-1978. Currently she is involved with international feeding programs.

Gene White’s oral history interview was updated …

Marilyn Briggs, Marilyn Briggs, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Marilyn Briggs began her career in child nutrition as School Food Service Director for San Juan Unified school district in Sacramento, California, during the 1970s. Later she served as Coordinator of the Nutrition Education and Training Program and worked on what became the prototype for the National Nutrient Standard Menu Planning System. She recently stepped down as state Director of Nutrition Services for California to work on her doctorate in nutrition science. She has held offices in the Society for Nutrition Education, the American School Food Service Association and American Dietetic Association.

The Effect Of Religiosity And Spirituality On Work Practices And Trust Levels In Managers And Their Subordinates In Food And Nutrition Care Departments, Jennifer S. Oler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which religiosity and spirituality affected daily work practices and leader/follower trust levels in foodservice and nutrition directors and their subordinates. A similar 72-item survey questionnaire was developed for both the directors and employees, which was completed by 129 directors and 530 employees. Both questionnaires contained questions on demographics, religious influences on work practices, trust characteristics, and three validated measures of religiosity: 1) worship service attendance (1=Religiosity Score), 2) influence of spiritual beliefs on daily life, and 3) frequency of prayer (2 + 3=Spirituality Score). Frequency data was gathered for …

Body Mass Index And Soft Drink Consumption Among Adolescents, Olivia Love Mccord

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and soft drink consumption among adolescents. It is hypothesized that soft drink consumption contributes to overweight and obesity among adolescents.

Background: Research examining the relationship between body mass index and soft drink consumption is inconsistent. Several studies have found a negative association between total sugar intake and BMI; however, others have found a link between sugar-sweetened drinks and obesity. There are no known studies that have controlled for physical activity.

Data and Methods: Data on approximately 225 adolescents were used. Frequency of soft drink consumption, type of milk, and calcium …

Learning To Teach, Teaching To Learn, Lisa Nicholson, Susan Algert, Rachael Willey

Food Science and Nutrition

Community Based Learning (CBL) successfully enhances didactic objectives in a nutrition curriculum while serving the community. University students actively solved problems in a 'real world' situation and benefited non-profit locations. Emotionally, learners profited on personal levels through successfully overcoming barriers. Content analysis was used to demonstrate that using CBL in a 'Nutrition Education and Communication' class met didactic learning objectives, enhanced students' personal confidence in teaching, and strengthened awareness of interpersonal skills. 71 students, in pairs, developed and taught nutrition lessons in diverse community locations. Students kept a reflective journal throughout the five weeks of the experience.

Effect Of Long-Term Storage On Baking Powder Functionality, Michelle A. Lloyd, Lynn V. Ogden, Oscar A. Pike, R. Utley

Faculty Publications

Baking powder is widely used to leaven baked products. The industry standard for baking powder shelf-life is eighteen to twenty-four months, but little information is available on baking powder functionality when stored beyond this time. A longer shelf-life would prove beneficial in certain situations, such as personal food storage, disaster relief efforts, and space missions. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of long-term storage on baking powder functionality. Six samples of double-acting baking powder in original commercial packaging were obtained from donors and two fresh samples were purchased. Samples ranged in age from 0.25-29 years and …

Quality Of Dehydrated Potato Flakes In Long-Term Storage, A. P. Neilson, H. Farnsworth, Lynn V. Ogden, Oscar A. Pike

Faculty Publications

There is interest in dehydrated potatoes packaged for long-term storage for uses such as military rations, disaster relief, and space travel. Research has shown the effects of processing and storage (up to 2 years) on dehydrated potatoes, including such aspects as sensory properties and nutrient degradation. The quality of dehydrated potatoes during long-term storage has not been studied. The objective of this study was to examine the quality of dehydrated potato flakes held at ambient conditions in residential storage up to 30 years. Thirteen samples of dehydrated potato flakes packaged in No. 10 cans were obtained from donors. Sample age …

Effects Of Long-Term Storage On Wheat Flour Packaged In A Low Oxygen Atmosphere, N. M. Dickey, Devin J. Rose, Lynn V. Ogden, Oscar A. Pike

Faculty Publications

There is interest in the long-term storage of food for applications such as space flight, military rations, and disaster relief. Long-term storage of wheat flour under modified atmospheres has not been extensively studied. The objective of this research was to examine the effects of long-term storage on wheat flour packaged in a low oxygen atmosphere. Ten samples of wheat flour packaged in No. 10 cans were obtained from donors. Samples ranged in age from 0.5-11 years and were stored at ambient temperatures (13-27º C). Oxygen levels were below 1%, and moisture contents were between 12.0% and 14.3%. Color was assessed …

Shirley Watkins Bowden, Shirley Watkins Bowden, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Shirley Watkins served as Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1997 – 2001, the first African-American woman to hold that position. Prior to that she was Director of Child Nutrition Programs for Memphis City Schools for seventeen years. She served as president of ASFSA from 1988 – 1989. She now works with Southern Educational Services, a consulting business concerned primarily with environment friendly school food service cafeteria operations.

Shirley Watkins Bowden sat for an update to her oral history interview with Jeffrey Boyce on May 22, 2014, at the National Food …

Assessment Of Calcium, Milk, And Non-Milk Beverage Intake Of Multiethnic Youth Aged 10 To 18 Years, J. Keith Jensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Achieving and maintaining maximal peak bone mass is critical to the prevention of osteoporosis. Adequate calcium intake during youth is a major aspect of proper bone mass development. Because of the importance of calcium, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that estimates calcium intake of 10- to 18-year-old Asian, Hispanic, and white youth living in the western United States was developed. This new FFQ was shown to accurately and reliably estimate calcium intake of these youth. Accuracy among Hispanics, however, was low and requires further evaluation. A second study examined intake of calcium, milk, and non-milk beverages of Hispanic and non-Hispanic …

Effect Of Raw Lngredient Surface Area, Storage Time And Antioxidants On Color And Oxidative Stability Of Ground Beef In 80% Oxygen Modified Atmosphere Packaging, Avanthi Vissa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fresh beef packaged in high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has longer red color stability than beef in oxygen-permeable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film. However, fresh beef in high oxygen becomes rancid by 10 days storage at 2°C. Thus the objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various antioxidants (milk mineral, MM; sodium tripolyphosphate, STP; vitamin E, E) on color and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of ground chuck stored in 80% oxygen MAP for 14 days at 1° C. A preliminary experiment was also done to determine the effect of raw meat history (surface area during storage and storage …

Magnesium Intake And Its Relationship With Type 2 Diabetes, Caralee Wilcock

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal and is the second most abundant cation in the human body. Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body; it is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions in the body. Magnesium has been implicated in the prevention and treatment of many diseases including diabetes. Magnesium depletion is commonly associated with both insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes. A significant number, (between 25% and 39%) of diabetics have been shown to have decreased serum levels of magnesium. There are many possible reasons and mechanisms for this. Diabetics …

Influence Of Sodium Chloride, Calcium, Moisture, And Ph On The Structure And Functionality Of Nonfat Directly Acidified Mozzarella Cheese, Brian M. Paulson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Experiment A explored the influence of sodium on direct acid, nonfat Mozzarella cheese. Cheeses with differing salt levels were obtained by varying dry salt applications (none, 0.5%, and 1.0% NaCl w/w) and hot brine stretching (0%, 5%, and 10% NaCl wt/v). Salt application and salt content influenced cheese moisture, meltability, expressible serum, micro- and ultra-structure, and color. Moisture was highest when cheese was salted before stretching (P = 0.03). Melt was lowest in cheeses that were unsalted (P = 0.05). Cheeses stretched in salt brine had < 1% of the amount of expressible serum found in unsalted cheese (P < 0.0001). Unsalted cheeses had a more open structure with pockets of serum distributed throughout the protein matrix giving it an opaque, white appearance. Salted cheeses had a more homogeneous protein matrix lacking light scattering surfaces, resulting in a translucent cheese. Neither salt concentration nor method of salting affected the calcium content of the cheeses (P > 0.05).

Experiment B explored the influence of calcium, moisture, and …

Prevention Of Pigment Deterioration And Lipid Oxidation In Ground Beef And Pork, Preetha Jayasingh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fresh beef was modified-atmosphere packaged in carbon monoxide or oxygen to prolong red surface color. After comparison of several packaging method using carbon monoxide, steaks pretreated with 5% carbon monoxide for 24 hours and then vacuum packaged had the best combination of color and microbial stability (5 weeks), with the least potential for carbon monoxide inhalation.

In the evaluation of ground beef in high-oxygen, modified-atmosphere-packaging, thiobarbituric-acid numbers increased over time, and the flavor was disliked slightly after 6 or 10 days of storage at 2° Celsius.

The antioxidant effect of milk-mineral was tested in raw and cooked ground pork stored …

Comparative Effects Of Sodium Levulinate And Sodium Lactate On Microbial Growth, Color, And Thiobarbituric Acid (Tba) Values Of Fresh Pork And Turkey Sausages During Storage, Mihir N. Vasavada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study compared the effects of 1.4 or 2.7% sodium levulinate or sodium lactate on aerobic plate count (APC), color, pH, and TBA value of fresh pork and turkey sausage. Both sodium lactate and levulinate inhibited growth of aerobic microorganisms during storage, compared to controls. Bacteriostatic effects of sodium lactate were dose dependent, wherein 2.7% lactate was significantly more antimicrobial than 1.4% lactate. This was not the case for sodium levulinate, where 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth as 2.7% sodium levulinate. Additionally, 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth as the higher level (2.7%) …

Cultivation Of Mushroom Mycelia Using Whey Products As A Growth Substrate, Boyd S. Inglet

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of a project designed to utilize common dairy waste products profitably, reconstituted dry whey permeate and delactosed whey were tested as growth substrates for mycelia of the edible mushroom Lentinus edodes. This mushroom was chosen because it is possible to profitably cultivate it due to its popular culinary appeal and perceived medical benefits.

Growth experiments were performed in petri dishes containing either reconstituted dry whey permeate or delactosed whey as a growth substrate, and the measured response was the size of the growing mycelia colony. When reconstituted dry whey permeate was utilized as a growth substrate, the …

Casein Supramolecules: Structure And Coagulation Properties, Bonney S. Oommen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The changes in quaternary structure of casein supramolecules with various physical and chemical treatments were studied using transmission electron microscopy, and a model to account for the changes is put forth. The effects of casein structure on coagulation properties were also studied. The sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy involved physical methods of fixation and flash freeing to preserve the structure of caseins in the sample.

The structure of caseins in sodium and calcium caseinate varied with sodium caseinate not exhibiting any spherical structure as opposed to the spherical structure seen in calcium caseinate, non-fat dried milk and native milk. …

Voluntary And Involuntary Weight Change And Risk Of Osteoporotic Hip Fracture In Men And Women Of Utah, Megan Ruth Mcdonough

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Change in body weight is an important determinant of risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in aging adults. Weight loss has been associated with an increased risk of hip fracture and weight gain has been associated with a decreased risk of hip fracture. Weight gain cannot be recommended as appropriate prevention against hip fracture, however, because it is associated with such adverse health outcomes as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and weight loss is commonly recommended in the treatment of these types of diseases. Clarification of how weight loss is related to risk of hip fracture is needed to resolve this issue. …