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2013 Outstanding Alumni: | Two alumni and one student were honored at the CALS Alumni Awards Ceremony in March: Outstanding Alumna: Chrissie Chawanje Mughogho (PhD, '98), Recent Alumna: Heidi Hertz (BS, '04), and Outstanding Ambassador: Kiley Petencin (BS, '13). |
Chrissie Chawanje Mughogho
Outstanding Alumna Chrissie Chawanje Mughogho: after returning to Malawi following completion of her doctorate in HNFE, Chrissie, a Fulbright Scholar, rose through the academic ranks at the University of Malawi to become the first woman dean of applied sciences. She is a strong advocate for the improvement of the education of girls in Malawi and was elected national Chairperson of the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Malawi from 2004 to 2005. In 2005 Chrissie embarked on a career as a diplomat, becoming Malawi’s ambassador to Zambia. She was appointed as Malawi’s ambassador to India in 2010, and Malawi’s ambassador to Bangladesh in 2012. |
Susan Hutson, Heidi Hertz, and Dean Grant
Outstanding Recent Alumna Heidi Hertz:her mission is to promote healthy communities through increasing access to healthy and nutritious foods, opportunities for physical activity, and preventing and reducing obesity. As the Obesity Prevention Coordinator for the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, Heidi manages funds related to childhood obesity including General Assembly appropriation of $1 million per year for obesity prevention activities. She directs initiatives and projects including a statewide conference on childhood obesity; the Virginia Youth Obesity Prevention initiative; serving as a liaison to the office of the first lady, Mrs. McDonnell; the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth internship program; and media outreach and communication. Heidi contributes to the department by collaborating with faculty on research and outreach, supervising undergraduate student interns, mentoring dietetic interns and graduate students, and serving in an advisory capacity to their accredited dietetic programs. |
Kiley Petencin with Dean Alan Grant
Outstanding Ambassador Award Kiley Petencin: an ambassador since 2010, she has been a leader in the organization, always bringing a well-rounded wealth of knowledge and experience to discussions and committee work. Kiley has served the program in several capacities, from chairing the committee to plan the ambassador-organized brown bag lunch on generational diversity in the classroom, to fundraising for the program’s Relay for Life team, to sharing a presentation with the members about her semester-long internship with Heifer Ranch, she puts her passion for Ut Prosim and the college behind every project. She has been a major spokesperson for the Civic Agriculture and Food Systems minor and has participated in a service learning trip to Honduras as part of the minor. Her resume includes multiple examples of health and fitness-related activities, community service, outreach, and proactivity in issues pertaining to diversity and social justice. |
