spring 2013 - Framingham State University

4
“Something as basic
as food makes a huge
difference in soldiers’
lives and their morale
in the field.”
A Few Good
Nutritionists
Jill (St. Marie) Bates ’03 is one of 25 FSU Food and Nutrition
graduates working at the Natick Soldier Systems Center. A food
technologist, Bates is on a team in charge of the sensory evaluation
laboratory where “we evaluate all of the ration products to ensure
they’re of the highest quality,” she explains. “Something as basic
as food makes a huge difference in soldiers’ lives and in their morale
in the field. We’re always testing different things, purchasing new
products and putting them through the test.”
Rations, she explains, have to be shelf stable for three years at
80 degrees Fahrenheit. Meals are one thing, but there are also
morale-boosting treats. Some commercially wrapped candies,
like M&Ms and Skittles, are fine as is. Others, like Pop Tarts and
pretzels, need to be in special laminate films to pass inspection.
“We’ve just figured out how to package condiments like ketchup,
mustard and hot sauce in a special new high-acid packaging so
they’ll stay shelf stable,” Bates notes.
On the lower-tech side, Stephanie Zafiropoulos ’13 is interning at
the Greater Boston Food Bank. “I create handouts for the Brown
Bag Lunch Program, run through senior centers and school-based
food pantries, which highlight different nutritional aspects of the
lunch,” she says. “Typically, they are related to a specific theme.
October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we featured
high-antioxidant foods.”
FraMinghaM State UniverSity spring 2013
Jill (St. Marie) Bates ’03
Michael Peck ’96
FSU nutrition
graduates work at
the Natick Soldier
Systems Center
But the favorite part of her internship is the monthly Kids Café
she teaches at the Boys & Girls Club in Chelsea. “They get so
excited, especially when we do demonstrations,” she says. Last
month, Zafiropoulos taught the group how to make smoothies,
using healthy ingredients like fresh fruit and plain Greek yogurt.
“It’s rewarding to work with the kids, particularly when I can get
them to try something new,” she says.
This internship has also exposed Zafiropoulos to a new field:
community nutrition—one she hadn’t considered before. “I’m
really enjoying it. This has opened up a lot of possibilities for
me,” she says.
In Boston, Michael Peck ’96 is tackling kids’ nutrition on a
broader level: as director of food and nutrition services for the
Boston Public Schools. Peck has spent the majority of his career
in school food service, something he never imagined when he
enrolled at Framingham State. An internship in the Brookline
Public Schools, arranged with the help of one of his professors,
introduced Peck to school food service—and he was hooked.
“In schools, you’re at the front end, trying to help establish good
patterns and access to better foods. It’s incredibly satisfying,”
he says.
“In schools, you’re at the front end,
trying to help establish good patterns
and access to better foods.”
Jill Bates ‘03 works in
the sensory evaluation
laboratory at the Natick
Soldier Systems Center,
where she evaluates
ration products to
ensure their quality.