A Letter from Our Chair
Submitted June 1, 2007
Welcome to all new and returning members of the Research Dietetic Practice Group (RDPG). With much enthusiasm, I take the helm as Chair at an exciting time in the RDPG’s history. As a follow-up to our strategic planning at FNCE 2006 in Hawaii, this will be the implementation year. What an exciting time for us.
Before we embark on the new, I want to acknowledge my predecessors. First, I express a wholehearted thank you to Dave Holben, the 2006-2007 Chair, for spearheading the strategic planning process. Through his leadership, we now have a mission, vision, goals, and objectives. We look forward to his input to the Executive Committee as he assumes the past-chair role. Second, I appreciate the foundation that was laid by past-chair Rick Mattes. He gave us a good base. Third, I express gratitude to Chris Taylor, the secretary, for taking the minutes and keeping us informed with broadcast email messages. Fourth, I recognize Linda Snetselaar, Allison Yates, and Alice Shapiro, the Nominating Committee, for bringing us an outstanding slate of candidates. Our future will be in good hands.
As an outgrowth of the strategic plan, six goals were developed. These goals set the stage for our next year and guide our program of work.
Strategic Plan Goals 2007-2008
- Build an aligned, engaged, and diverse membership
- Influence key food, nutrition, and health initiatives
- Impact the research agenda and facilitate research supporting the dietetics profession
- Increase demand and utilization of services provided by members
- Empower members to compete successfully in a rapidly changing environment
- Proactively focus on emerging areas of food and nutrition
Another revitalizing initiative that came out of the strategic planning session is the exploration of creating sub-units. At this date, the Executive Committee proposed the following subunits: clinical research, community research, behavioral research, and basic science research. These subunits mirror the American Dietetic Association research disciplines (dietetics research, nutrition research, behavioral and social sciences research, management research, basic sciences research, and food science research). The benefits to forming a subunit are shown below. We want to hear your thoughts on this. Anyone interested in forming one of these subunits, please email me.
Benefits to Forming a Subunit
- They can provide leadership opportunities to more DPG members
- They can create new answers, approaches, and solutions to questions and problems
- They can identify and collect new bodies of knowledge
- They can serve as information resources to outside entities
- They allow members to share the most current information that may not be published or available elsewhere
- They offer networking opportunities with individuals working in similar areas of research
- They can create new channels for volunteer participation and contributions
- They can foster development of subunit-specific products and services
The first subunit, clinical research, was proposed by our new secretary Martha McMurry on the behalf of the National Association of General Clinical Research Centers (GCRC) Bionutritionists. This group has ~ 150 members who were all employed in NIH-funded GCRCs. With a loss of funding for GCRCs, this group is looking for a place where they can maintain their research network. Judy Gilbride, ADA President, and I spoke to the group at their annual meeting in Washington DC about integration into the American Dietetic Association and RDPG, respectively.
Another area of change is in our communication with each other. Our website, www.researchdpg.org, has been developed and is up and running. Now it needs input from you. I will be sending emails to the membership for needed information.
Also, we are exploring the formation of an ADA community of interest which works in the place of a list serv. The community of interest is a web site that houses documents, discussions, calendars etc and allows members to exchange information via the Internet in a private, secure area. An advantage is that messages do not come via email where in-boxes quickly fill up. Members choose how frequently they want to be notified of discussions. Again, please provide feedback on this idea.
Our membership continues to grow. With the large number of DPGs available, this bodes well. We are currently at more than 670 members.
Please join us in Philadelphia for our FNCE session on Sunday, September 30, 2007 from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. In collaboration with the Women’s Health and Reproductive Nutrition DPG, we are sponsoring a session on, “Reproductive Obesity: Effects on Maternal and Child Outcomes.” Come and hear the latest research from Kathy Rasmussen from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and Janet King from Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California. Mark your calendars for our annual breakfast sponsored by General Mills which will be on Sunday, September 30, 2007 from 6:30 – 7:45 a.m. in Philadelphia. This will be a networking breakfast. The RDPG Executive Committee will meet over lunch on Saturday, September 29, 2007 from 12-3 p.m.
FNCE Opportunities
- Breakfast – 9/30/07 from 6:30 – 7:45 a.m. – sponsored by General Mills
- Research Session on Reproductive Obesity– 9/30/07 – 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
With any group, you get out what you put in. Get involved. Form and lead a subunit. We want to meet your needs in research. Get vocal. Let us know. How can we help with your career goals? Hear ye, hear ye, we want to hear from you?
Debra A. Krummel, PhD, RD, LD
Chair, Research DPG
Debra.krummel@uc.edu
