CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Moms Association of the University of Illinois has selected Karen Chapman-Novakofski, a professor of food science and human nutrition, as the recipient of the 2010 Medallion of Honor Award.
Chapman-Novakofski will be recognized for her contributions at the 2010 Moms Association annual board meeting April 17.
Chapman-Novakofski, who also is affiliated with Extension and the College of Medicine at Illinois, is committed to being an exceptional educator, and is dedicated to engaging her students through relevant, multidimensional educational experiences.
She has served as a mentor to middle school girls through the Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science program and to high school and college students through Women in Math, Science and Engineering.
Chapman-Novakofski's research interests focus on identifying and changing food habits of groups of people. Using behavioral theories, her interventions have included reducing cardiovascular disease risk in women and in Hispanic low-income groups, as well as identifying modifiable beliefs women have about calcium and osteoporosis, and improving diabetes care knowledge through a statewide program.
She is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, and has been active in the American Dietetic Association and the Society of Nutrition Education.
Chapman-Novakofski has received the Olga G. Nalbandov Interdisciplinary Conferences Committee Award and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Award, which granted her funding for two teaching forums.
The Medallion of Honor Award was created in 1966 to pay tribute to those individuals who, by example and service, have used their talents to enrich the lives of others. Two men and eight women were honored between 1966 and 1976. Since 1977, this award has been given to a woman affiliated in some way with the U. of I.
More information about the Medallion of Honor and the Moms Association is available online or from the Illini Union Parent Programs Office at 217-333-7063.
The Moms Association, established at the U. of I. in 1923, is believed to be one of the nation's oldest parent organizations. The association supports programs, services and activities that promote the health, safety and well-being of the university community and serves as a parent liaison to the campus.
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