Food Science and Human Nutrition Graduate Student Association

About the FSHN Graduate Student Association (GSA)

Formally established in Fall 2021, the FSHN GSA is a registered student organization (RSO) within the FSHN department. The RSO is primarily composed of current graduate students in the department, but also supports undergraduate Food Science, Human Nutrition, and Dietetics majors, as well as undergraduate and graduate research assistants who are conducting research in FSHN laboratories.

The main goals of the FSHN GSA are to:

Provide support for academic success of graduate student members
Address the need for a social sphere in the department
Promote professional growth of all members, including undergraduate students

Have a question? Please contact us at: rso.fshngsa@msu.edu

FSHN GSA Executive Board

The FSHN GSA annually elects graduate student members to serve on the executive board. If you are interested in obtaining leadership experience or diversifying your CV, please consider contacting the GSA to obtain more information about applying to serve on the FSHN GSA Executive Board.

The following members were elected to serve on the board for the 2024-25 academic year:

Vanessa Cardino - Current President

Maria Cinzori - Outgoing President

Kelsi Morris - President Elect

Yawei Lin - Treasurer

Dimple Sharma - Secretary

Patricia Hsu - Professional Development Officer

Tina Fu - Social Officer

Ameen Ziyad - External Affairs Officer

Tamil Selvan Arul Arasan - COGS Representative

Dr. Rita Strakovsky - Faculty Advisor (standing member)

Aislinn Callahan-Brandt - Staff Advisor (standing member)

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FSHN GSA Services

The FSHN GSA offers several services to FSHN graduate and undergraduate students. First and foremost, the FSHN GSA serves as the welcoming committee to new graduate students and helps individuals get settled into grad life on campus. The FSHN GSA also provides career support to members by sponsoring speakers for the departmental seminar series and serving as liaisons between students, faculty, and staff. To foster a sense of community among students, the FSHN GSA hosts monthly social events throughout the year, as well as attends events supported by MSU’s Graduate School and Council of Graduate Students, as well as those taking place in the East Lansing and Lansing community. Furthermore, the FSHN GSA offers various professional development events, including hosting a writing group and providing opportunities for students to practice their science communication at the Fall Trout Annual Lecture and Spring Awards Ceremony.

The FSHN GSA has some exciting events and opportunities planned for the current academic year, so keep a look out for our emails and follow the LinkedIn page to stay up-to-date.