Arizona State University Nutrition Student Joins ADA House of Delegates

February 21, 2005

MESA, Ariz. — The American Dietetic Association (<acronym title="American Dietetic Association">ADA</acronym>) recently announced the appointment of Traci Armstrong Florian, Arizona State University senior dietetic major in the Department of Nutrition, as one of two student representatives for the <acronym title="American Dietetic Association">ADA</acronym> House of Delegates.<separator></separator>Florian, a Mesa native, is the first ASU Department of Nutrition student to be named to the appointment. ASU Nutrition faculty nominated Florian once before and she was named a finalist, but this time she clinched it.<separator></separator>"Traci was nominated based on her community activities, the leadership she has shown with the Student Nutrition Club and her enthusiasm for the profession of dietetics," said department chair Linda Vaughan.<separator></separator>The <acronym title="American Dietetic Association">ADA</acronym> sent out a request to undergraduate dietetic programs asking for nominations during the fall semester. Each nominee had to submit an application, a resume, a letter of interest, as well as the department's nominating letter, and then be interviewed by phone.<separator></separator>While the full extent of her roles and responsibilities have not been shared with Florian, she has received direction on what to expect and knows that she will be a liaison between student and professional <acronym title="American Dietetic Association">ADA</acronym> members.<separator></separator>"I am required to attend a five-day conference in Chicago this July, and have been informed to keep seven other days open throughout my appointment for travel," she said. "I will also have the opportunity to write in the monthly American Dietetic Association Student Scoop newsletter about current events in the House of Delegates."<separator></separator>The Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, with nearly 70,000 members. With this appointment, Florian will have access to many of those professional members and she hopes to make many contacts.<separator></separator>"As a student, this appointment gives me an early start on networking that I would not have been able to make otherwise, and it will afford me the opportunity to learn and see firsthand how the association functions," said Florian. "Ultimately, this will give me a new and exciting area to make a difference and help strengthen the student members of the American Dietetic Association."<separator></separator>Florian plans to graduate in May with her bachelor's degree and will investigate all her options in nutrition and even consider graduate school.<separator></separator>"I have interned in the community nutrition arena for four years, however, I am open to other areas in the field. I very much enjoy the education environment, and would love to further my career in a university system pursuing research and teaching," said Florian.<separator></separator>Florian's <acronym title="American Dietetic Association">ADA</acronym> appointment is effective from June 1, 2005 to May 31, 2006.