Nutrition and Dietetics students at the Mount have a wide range of research and volunteer opportunities available on and off campus. Our faculty members offer research and volunteer opportunities through their research and on-going projects. Students are encouraged to check the faculty web pages and reach out to faculty to learn more about volunteer or research opportunities.
Following are brief descriptions and relevant contact information about just some of our opportunities.
In the last decades, more children are overweight and being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Our goal is to find out how various foods can help children to control their appetite, calorie intake and blood sugar, and therefore prevent obesity and diabetes in children.
Contact: Appetite.Study@msvu.ca Facebook: @msvufoodstudy
Faculty: Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy
The Community Garden is open to the students, faculty and staff of MSVU, as well as all interested individuals and organizations of the surrounding community. The garden includes plots for individuals, departments, and the public who are interested in sustainability, researching gardens, growing their own food, or meeting members of the community.
Contact: garden@msvu.ca Website: https://www.msvu.ca/communitygarden
Faculty: Jillian Ruhl
The campus food bank is a student-run, student-funded service available to all students in the MSVU community. Operating through the Student Union, the food bank aims to offer a safe, inclusive, clean, comfortable, and dignified space where students can restock their cupboards or grab a snack.
Website: https://www.msvusu.ca/foodbank
The Breakfast Program Association of Fairview creates a community of practice by involving our students in bringing preparing food for the elementary and secondary school students in three schools in Fairview area in Halifax, not far from the Mount campus. All university students are welcome to get involved!
Faculty: Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy Professor Eric Vandenboer
Also see the Breakfast and Beyond Program which is a research endeavor with the mission to create a community of practice regarding healthy eating in Nova Scotia by bringing food knowledge to action for elementary and secondary school students, their families, and communities within the province.
Contact: BreakfastAndBeyond@msvu.ca Website: Breakfast and Beyond Program (msvu.ca)
Faculty: Dr. Shannan Grant
FoodArc is committed to research that is grounded in real community needs in Nova Scotia and beyond – research that supports learning, action and the social and systems change needed to build healthy, sustainable and just food systems for all.
Contact: foodsecurity@msvu.ca Website: www.foodarc.ca
Faculty: Dr. Patty Williams
A major focus of the MAMA Lab is identifying culturally appropriate public health interventions to combat micronutrient deficiencies in low-resource settings. Currently this includes the exploration of fortification to address thiamine deficiency among breastfed infants in Southeast Asia.
Another focus of the MAMA Lab is to study infant feeding behaviours, and the potential long-term effects of early feeding on eating patterns and disease risk later in life. We also try to understand what the general public knows about infant feeding to better understand breastfeeding culture and feeding norms.
Website: www.mamalab.ca Facebook: @mamalabmsvu
Faculty: Dr. Kyly Whitfield (on leave 2023-2024)
Mission Delicious’ is organized by the Mount’s Applied Human Nutrition department each year and is open to students from all post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBk2nHI_zSE
Faculty: Dr. Bohdan Luhovyy
With guidance from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, community partners, and Western scientists, the Two-Eyed Seeing Project aims to embrace these guiding principles to co-create a summer camp and various events for Mi’kmaq youth in Nova Scotia.
Contact: two-eyed-seeing-camp@msvu.ca Website: The Two Eyed Seeing Project (msvu.ca)
Faculty: Dr. Shannan Grant
Volunteer Halifax strives to make Halifax, Nova Scotia, a better place by helping nonprofit organizations build stronger relationships with individuals in their community. The website lists local volunteer opportunities and links people with local community organizations .