Each award recognizes the outstanding impact Friedman School alumni have had on the field of nutrition science and policy. Help us recognize our remarkable Friedman School graduates by nominating someone today!
Award Descriptions
Excellence in Nutrition Award
This award is presented to an individual who has conducted cutting-edge or high-impact work in their field. The recipient will be a strong leader, a respected expert in their profession, and have made outstanding contributions throughout their career.
Leah Horowitz Award - In memory of Leah Horowitz (FPAN ’06)
This award is presented to an individual who demonstrates a substantial commitment to community impact in the United States or internationally. The recipient must strive to bridge cultures and achieve lasting change by empowering individuals in their local communities with skills, leadership opportunities and/or education.
Rising Star Award
This award is presented to an individual who is making a significant impact on the field of nutrition science and policy and has graduated within the past 10 years. The recipient must be making a considerable contribution to their respective career field and demonstrate a continued commitment to effect change in their area(s) of expertise.
Who’s Eligible?
- All alumni of the Frances Stern Nutrition Center Dietetic internship/M.S. program
- All alumni of the Friedman School of Nutrition programs (M.S. & Ph.D.)
Nominees can be:
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Working domestically or abroad
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Engaged in any aspect of the nutrition field (agriculture, applied science, basic science, business and industry, clinical dietetics, communication, community outreach, education, policy, public health, media, non-profit organization, research, sustainability, or other fields)
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Yourself! Please feel free to self-nominate for any of these awards.
2019 Award Recipients
Lu Qi, NG04 - Excellence in Nutrition Award
Dr. Lu Qi obtained a medical degree in China and PhD at Tufts University in the United States. He is now HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and Professor of Epidemiology in Tulane University, and Director of Tulane University Obesity Research Center. He is also Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health. His research focuses on Genetic and Nutritional epidemiology, and gene-diet interactions on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases. He has published more than 280 scientific publications and edited a textbook ‘Gene-Environment Interactions and Human Diseases’. Dr. Qi is a fellow of American Heart Association (FAHA), American College of Nutrition (FACN), and The Obesity Society (FOS).
Amelia LoDolce, N08 - Leah Horowitz Award In memory of Leah Horowitz (FPAN ’06)
Amelia serves as the Executive Director of Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES), an urban agriculture organization in Binghamton, NY dedicated to making fresh food accessible to all while empowering residents to make positive change in their communities. Amelia joined VINES as the organization's first Executive Director in February 2016, but began volunteering with VINES in 2008 as a founding board member and the coordinator of the Liberty Street Community Garden. Prior to joining VINES, Amelia worked for United Way of Broome County spearheading the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition's Eat Well. Play Hard. Binghamton! project (a pilot initiative working to improve the health of families on in a Binghamton food desert) and the City of Binghamton as the City's first Sustainable Development Planner. Amelia holds a Master's degree in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment from Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She completed dual Bachelor degrees at Binghamton University in Environmental Studies and Philosophy. Having grown up on a farm in Otisco, NY, she enjoys working with other community members to make space in the urban neighborhoods for people to grow their own food and connect with the local environment.
Tawanda Muzhingi N08, NG14 - Rising Star Award
Tawanda Muzhingi is a nutritional biochemist, food scientist and flagship leader working with the International Potato Center in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Muzhingi is an adjunct Professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Bioprocessing at North Carolina State University, USA. At CIP, Tawanda supports programs with food science, nutrition, value-addition, post-harvest research, technology transfer and capacity building through the Food and Nutritional Evaluation Laboratory, a regional analytical platform that includes a test kitchen and sensory laboratory. Tawanda worked at Penn State University, the Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture HNRCA at Tufts University, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and the University of Zimbabwe. Tawanda is married to Lucy Rudo and they have four children namely Ivainashe Caleb (9), Tadiwanashe Nathaniel (6), Gabriella Makanaka (4) and Laura Mazvita (2).
View a list of Alumni Association Award Recipients through the years.