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.
2024 Award Recipients
Excellence in Nutrition Award
Laura Carroll, N13, MG13
Laura Carroll currently serves as Senior Advisor for Nutrition at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shaping national nutrition policies, communications strategies, and stakeholder engagement efforts. With over a decade of experience in the Federal government, Laura has held positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FDA, and the White House. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded the development and implementation of nutrition policies to improve the health and well-being of the nation.
Among her achievements, Laura led the revision of nutrition standards for USDA's child care meals program, ensuring children receive nutritious meals essential for their growth and development. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in updating the criteria for FDA's "healthy" claim, empowering consumers to make informed choices about their food options. Most recently, Laura co-led the historic White House Conference and National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to address pressing public health challenges and promote equitable access to nutritious food for all Americans.
Laura’s time in public service began as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2013. She holds a BA in Sociology from St. Mary's College of Maryland and earned a MS in Nutrition at Tufts Friedman School and an MPH in Health Communications from Tufts' School of Medicine.
Leah Horowitz Humanitarian Award
Jessica Jones-Hughes, N09
Jessica is currently the Treasurer of the Board of Directors and Director of Organizational Development at Plenitud Puerto Rico, which is a 501c3 non-profit educational farm and teaching center dedicated to service, sustainability, and community. In 2023, Plenitud directly impacted over a thousand individuals in the local Las Marias community. In her role as Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Jessica serves as counsel to the co-directors and is head of fiscal and legal responsibility for the organization. She provides administrative consultation and supervision for AmeriCorps programs at Plenitud. In Jessica's role as Director of Organizational Development, she supports the development of the organizational budget and financial systems as well as providing people care and mentorship. The various responsibilities Jessica holds at Plenitud, demonstrates how dedicated she is to positively impact her community. After Hurricane Fiona, Jessica’s unwavering commitment to providing food, water and housing to the local community through Plenitud's Resilience Hub was remarkable and inspiring. She also continues to provide important resources to the community by holding cooking and well-being courses. Jessica is a Registered Dietitian, holds a BS in Dietetics from Miami University and earned an MS in Nutrition at Tufts Friedman School through the Combined Dietetic Internship/Masters.
Rising Star Award
Zachary Conrad, PhD, N11, MG11, NG15
Zach Conrad is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a Faculty Affiliate at the Global Research Institute at William & Mary. He is a nutritional epidemiologist and food systems scientist, and his research leverages large datasets and modeling techniques to examine the complex interactions between food choice, diet quality, environmental sustainability, and affordability. He is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is the Principal Investigator for multiple research grants at the federal, state, and local levels. He participates in working groups at the National Institutes of Health, American Society for Nutrition, US Department of Agriculture, and others, and is a member of the editorial board for two leading nutrition journals. Before joining William & Mary, Zach Conrad was a Postdoctoral Scientist at the US Department of Agriculture from 2016-2019 and a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University from 2015-2016. He earned his PhD in nutrition from the Friedman School, his MS in food systems from the Friedman School, his MPH in nutrition from Tufts University’s School of Medicine, and his BA in biology and anthropology from Trent University in Ontario, Canada.
View a list of Alumni Association Award Recipients through the years.