Hall of Fame, 2014 Inductees
Jane Welsh Andrews, MS, RD
Jane Welsh Andrews, MS, RD, graduated with a BS from Purdue in dietetics in 1974. While at Purdue she was president of Twin Pines Cooperative and secretary of Mortar Board. She did her professional practice experience at Genesee Hospital in Rochester, NY, and completed a Master's degree from Ohio State in 1977. She is the Nutrition & Product Labeling Manager for Wegmans Food Markets, a chain of 84 stores in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts. From the corporate office in Rochester, NY, she leads both the nutrition team as well as the product labeling staff. She regularly speaks to national groups on nutrition issues from the retailer's perspective.
Prior to joining Wegmans in 1988, Jane was a clinical dietitian, outpatient dietitian, and certified diabetes educator at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In 1987 she developed and marketed "Cholesterol Countdown Workshops" which have been widely used in hospital, HMO, and worksite wellness programs across the U.S. and Canada. She was especially involved in counseling pregnant adolescents and was one of the founders of the Strong Heart Program for multiple risk factor intervention.
"Jane Andrews at Wegmans is widely regarded as the grande dame of supermarket dietitians, becoming the first dietitian on its staff in 1988." (NY Times in August of 2012) She started as a Corporate Nutritionist, then moved to Corporate Nutrition Manager in 2006 and to her current position of Nutrition & Product Labeling Manager in 2010. She leads Wegmans nutrition efforts with a staff of 8 other registered dietitians and an 8-member Product Labeling and Information Team. Her initiatives include Eat Well Live Well (healthy lifestyle for customers, employees, and the community) and Strive for 5 (produce nutrition) and she has written numerous articles in Wegmans Menu Magazine, on wegmans.com, and she has written scores of brochures for Wegmans Food Markets. Her Face the Fats has well over 200,000 copies in distribution. She is a popular speaker and routinely quoted in the national media on the topic of supermarket nutrition.
Jane is a member of the Food Marketing Institute's GMO task force and the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance Advisory Group. She has served on the Topco Supermarket Advisory Group and on the executive committee of the American Dietetic Association practice group for Food and Culinary Professionals, the Keystone Food and Nutrition Roundtable, the Consumer Affairs Committee of the Food Marketing Institute, the Whole Health Advisory Board of the General Merchandise Distributors Council and the local affiliate of the American Diabetes Association. She was president of the Genesee Dietetic Association (a chapter of the American Dietetic Association).
She was honored to be selected as the 2014 Cooper Lecturer at the Academy's Food & Nutrition Conference and Exhibition.
She is currently senior warden of the vestry at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rochester. She is married and has three adult sons.
James C. Fleet, PhD
James C. Fleet, PhD, graduated from Cornell with a BS in Animal Science, then the University of Delaware with an MS in Animal Nutrition. He returned to Cornell to do a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry with minors in Biochemistry and Toxicology. He then moved to Tufts where he did two Post-Doc positions with their USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), the second in collaboration with the Dental School. He became a tenure-track assistant professor at Tufts (1991) in the School of Nutrition Science and Policy, while he continued responsibilities with HNRCA and as a Scientist II in the Mineral Bioavailability Laboratory. With this broad range of experience he moved as assistant professor to the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, in 1997, then to Purdue as an associate professor in 2000. He became a full professor in 2006.
Jim serves the Department of Nutrition Science as the Director of the Interdepartmental Nutrition Program (INP). Under his leadership, a core course was created to standardize certain foundational knowledge that every MS or PhD graduate of the program should possess and, under his leadership, strong classes of students have been admitted.
It is said that Jim has one of the most creative minds currently working in the field of nutrition. He asks fundamental questions related to the biological role of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in the etiology of diseases like osteoporosis and cancer. The ability to apply cutting-edge technology to solving problems is a hallmark of his work – he's used genomics, proteomics, genetics, molecular biology, and genetically modified mice to make advances that are regularly reported in high-impact science journals. His longest-standing research project looks at the molecular basis of intestinal calcium absorption. Recently he's conducted studies using classical genetics in mice that explains why some people are poor absorbers - this work provides a scientific foundation for the concept of personalized dietary calcium requirements. In the area of cancer prevention, he's doing work that supports a role for improved vitamin D intake in the prevention of prostate cancer, suppression of cancer-promoting inflammation, and enhancement of anti-tumor defenses.
Currently, Jim is a University Faculty Scholar and invited member for the Advisory Committee for the International Workshops on Vitamin D. He has served as American Gastroenterological Association Councilor, Nutrition and Obesity Section; Member, Integrative Nutrition and Metabolic Processes Study Section (NIH); Advisor, Student Interest Group, American Society for Nutrition; Member, Chemo and Dietary Prevention Study Section (NIH); and received a Cancer Research Award from Lafayette Lions Club and the prestigious Mead Johnson Award Young Investigators Award from the American Society of Nutrition. He was the Director of the Center for Gene-Environment Interactions from 2007-2011. He is a multiple "Acorn" recipient from Purdue University, which honors faculty who have attracted large research awards to the University. He values the networking of professional societies: American Association for Cancer Research; American Gastroenterological Association; American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Nutrition, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Jim and his wife, Meg, have two teen-aged sons. He is an artist and serves as a rotating host for Acoustic Blend, a Saturday night jazz/folk/sometimes-live music program on WBAA, National Public Radio at Purdue.
Kathy Hosig, PhD, MPH, RD
Dr. Kathy Hosig, PhD, MPH, RD, did her BS at Virginia Tech, her PhD from this department in 1992, and an MPH from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She practiced as a clinical dietitian at Home Hospital while doing her PhD at Purdue and took a faculty position in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences upon completion of her PhD. She moved to Western Carolina University to become program director for their didactic program in dietetics, moving to Associate Professor in 1999. She took a position in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise at Virginia Tech in 2004. From 2008 to 2010, she was Associate Professor and Discipline Chair of Preventive Medicine and Public Health for the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, returning to Virginia Tech as Associate Professor of Population Sciences and Director of the Center for Practice and Research in Public Health. She has been recognized for teaching excellence and she identifies, evaluates and disseminates evidence-based practice models in public health across Virginia and the region, while promoting interdisciplinary practice and research opportunities.
She was honored by the Office of the Vice President for Research at Virginia Tech for her efforts to foster public health research. She focuses on promotion of healthful eating and physical activity habits through public health programs across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on K-12 schools and universities and most recently community-based type 2 diabetes education through a 5-year NIH grant. As the director of the Center for Public Health Practice and Research, she works to create interdisciplinary, collaborative public health practice and research at Virginia Tech extending to external public health agencies, organizations, practitioners, and researchers. She is a core faculty member in the public health education track of the Master of Public Health program, where she teaches health education and health behavior and public health program evaluation, bringing her experience teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including medical school.
Kathy has been active in professional organizations, including Society for Nutrition Education, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Public Health Association and currently is a temporary member of the NIH NINR Initial Review Group, the Board of Editors for the journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the Advisory Board for Pioneering Healthy Communities for the Virginia Alliance of YMCA's. She served for four years on the NIH Community Level Health Promotion Scientific Review Committee and manuscript reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals and served on numerous community and professional coalitions and task forces and has numerous publications and presentations to her credit.
Kathy and her husband met in Madison, Wisconsin during her doctoral dissertation research there on location from Purdue. They have three biological teenagers and have been a foster family since 2006, adopting three siblings in December of 2013. Their six children range in age from seven to eighteen. Kathy encourages all to consider opening their hearts and homes to children in need of a stable and loving family. There are few ways to make a difference as significant as giving children their childhood.
Jane E. Rieger, MS, RD
Jane E. Rieger, MS, RD graduated from Purdue with distinction and planned a typical path for her degree in Dietetics after her internship at University of Kansas Medical Center. (Olivia Bennett [Wood]was a major influence in her decision to accept the University of Kansas internship and it proved to be one of several career-shaping decisions for her, as their approach to training dietetic interns was progressive.) This decision was a key one, as were several others, to take her from a planned career pathway as a clinical dietitian to her current position as National Account Manager – Healthcare for Kellogg Co since 2000.
The first turn in the road led back to her hometown of Cincinnati to help care for her mother who was dying of cancer. She interviewed at Cincinnati General Hospital and ultimately became the WIC/MIC dietitian. It was a multi-disciplinary team approach to the care of pregnant women, a new approach in its day. One of her responsibilities was to educate medical students and staff on the importance of nutrition for pregnant and lactating women. What seemed like a miscellaneous responsibility actually allowed her to hone presentation and teamwork skills, which would prove developmental in her career.
The next key step followed completion of a Master's degree from University of Chicago. She happened to attend a seminar sponsored by ADA called Alternate Careers for Dietitians, which would act as stimulus to move beyond clinical dietetics, and start her on an industry path toward her current career with Kellogg.
She entered the sales world working for SYSCO, Rykoff-Sexton (now a part of US Foods) and then with several food manufacturers and a market research company. She has worked with restaurant chains, lodging and contract management companies, but healthcare is her passion and she has been able to combine food & nutrition with healthcare at the Kellogg Company. Her background gives her insights into the demands of healthcare operators and the ability to contribute to their success. She continues to speak publically on behalf of her customers, at their request. She helps guide her division to create a healthcare strategy and works closely with marketing to create relevant programs and marketing materials.
She is active in professional organizations, including Women's Foodservice Forum, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians in Business and Communications Practice Group, Food and Culinary Professionals Practice Group, Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF) and the Association for Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals. While living in Chicago, she joined the Chicago Dietetic Association chapter and served on the board in several positions. Her first practice group was Dietitians in Business and Industry (DIBI), now Dietitians in Business and Communication (DBC). She was awarded a DBC Star award. She joined the Women's Foodservice Forum in its early years and formed important networking with some of today's women restaurant CEOs.
One of her most rewarding "extra" jobs along the way was teaching at Malcom X College in Chicago as a sabbatical professor, teaching dietetic technician students. The students asked the Dean to have her come back for the second semester – a real honor. She also taught basic nutrition at Wabaunsee Community College in suburban Chicago.
She loves to travel and hopes to see the world, a good thing since her job requires much travel. She also loves skiing, golf and cycling. Over the past two years she has done cycling vacations in Provence and Tuscany and won the "yellow jersey" on her Tuscany trip. She follows her passion for food and wine and has been able to participate in several Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conferences at the Culinary Institute (CIA) in Napa, California as part of her position with Kellogg.
Shridhar K. Sathe, PhD
Shridhar K. Sathe, PhD, earned two BS degrees from the University of Bombay, one in Chemistry and a second in Food Technology, followed by a Master of Science in Food Technology. His PhD is from Utah State University in Nutrition and Food Science. He was an American Heart Association Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona and then did a two year post-doctoral fellowship at Purdue in this Department. A post-doc in the Purdue Department of Botany and Plant Pathology was cut short by an invitation to come as a visiting assistant professor for the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Florida State. They hired him as tenure-track faculty the same year and he has made a great career there, becoming a full professor in 1997. He was recently named the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Food Science.
His research interest is the physicochemical and nutritional aspects of food chemistry, with a research emphasis in protein biochemistry and food allergies. He is widely-cited as an authority on the role of proteins in food allergy science. His research lab is focused on identifying tree nut allergy proteins, developing antibody-based, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for their detection and quantification, and identifying and characterizing epitopes in tree nut allergenic proteins. Shridhar has served on USDA NRICGP review panels, several national committees of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and is a frequently sought reviewer by many scientific journals in food science and technology and publishing companies. He is an elected fellow of the IFT. He currently serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Journal of Food Biochemistry, LWT-Food Science and Technology, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, and Korean Food Science and Biotechnology.
His teaching responsibilities at Florida State University include teaching food science at undergraduate and graduate courses. He has received several awards for his teaching and advising at Florida State University. He is the D. K. Salunkhe Professor of Food Science and has been named a Distinguished Research Professor and a Distinguished Teaching Professor. He is a Fellow, Institute of Food Technologists; a Fellow, World Innovation Foundation; Fellow, International Academy of Food Science and Technology, an ISI- Highly Cited Researcher in Agricultural Sciences and numerous other awards. He is also a member of the American Oil Chemists’ Association, the American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi.
He has over 140 refereed publications, 27 book chapters and many national and international presentations. He also has 11 patents issued. He is very committed to the safety of those who have nut allergies and strongly supports the efforts for food labeling for even trace elements of these nuts. "No matter how small the number of sensitive people.…. protected, I am a firm believer that every single life is invaluable and should be protected," he said in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Paula K. Shireman, MD
Paula K. Shireman, MD, received a BS in Nutrition Science from Purdue in 1986 and her MD from the Indiana University School of Medicine. She did her general surgery residency and a post-doctoral fellowship at Northwestern University Medical Center (vascular surgery research) and an addition post-doctoral fellowship at Loyola University Medical Center (peripheral vascular surgery). She is currently an academic vascular surgeon and basic/translational science researcher, and serves as the Vice Dean for Research for the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where she is a tenured Professor in the Department of Surgery and holds the Dielmann Chair in Surgery endowment. She is co-Principal Investigator on their NIH Clinical Translational Science Award responsible for strategic partnership with their CTSA affiliated institutions, biostatistics, study design and biomedical informatics cores, and evaluation of all CTSA programs. In her role as Vice Dean, she is responsible for 5 research centers/institutes, research faculty recruitments/retentions, integrating research and educational activities along the South Texas Border in conjunction with the Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen and Edinburg during their transition to becoming an independent medical school, as well as promoting research activities for the School of Medicine and partner institutions.
In her clinical role, she performs open and endovascular procedures, as well as train residents and medical students. She maintains shared responsibilities for both inpatient and outpatient vascular surgery services at both the University and Audie Murphy VA Hospitals. As a researcher, she has had at least major 26 grants, many of them from the National Institutes of Health, the Veterans Administration, American Heart Association, etc. and has been a principle investigator for 15 of them. Her published research is primarily in macrophage biology, angiogenesis, stem cells, tissue regeneration and microRNAs. Her translational research incorporates medical, graduate and postdoctoral student training. She collaborates with investigators at the San Antonio Military Health System to determine the long-term outcomes of Service Members with extremity vascular injuries to improve battlefield treatments and transitions of care between the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration.
She is currently serving her state through a University of Texas System initiative to foster collaborations with the Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Diagnostic industries, through a strategic initiative called FreshAIR (Academia Industry Roundtable) to create a collaboration hub for the UT System with the Life Sciences industries through the Texas Clinical Translational Science Award Consortium. She is very active in professional organizations, including the American Surgical Association, American Telemedicine Association, American Heart Association, Society of University Surgeons, and many others. She is a founding member of the San Antonio Stem Cell and has been very active with the NHLBI/Lifeline Research Initiative Conference. She has many publications, book chapters, professional articles and awards, including Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, Outstanding Alumni Award (Purdue), Presidential Junior Research Scholar Award, and others.
Paula and her husband have three children and she makes time them and for community involvement. She is a member of San Antonio Area Mothers of Multiples, San Antonio Chinese Culture Institute and King William Association (historic neighborhood group).
