I
took care to decorate my office at
the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with items that
bring me comfort and peace, because I spend a lot of time
there. I've hung Guatemalan textiles to remind me of the time
I spent there as a Peace Corps volunteer. As a professor of
nutrition for the past two years, I've also filled the space
with food-related objects.
The
daily activities of a faculty member vary from institution
to institution. While a graduate student in the College of
Education at The University of Iowa, I learned that institutions
differ, but the activities are quite similar. Faculty activities
include engaging oneself in instruction, investigation, and
interpretation of one's area of academic expertise. I liked
the variety that academic life offered and felt I could contribute
to the community's well being at different levels.
I
get to the office around 6:30 a.m. because I do my best thinking
in the morning. I start my day by catching up with emails
and phone calls, preparing for the classes I'm teaching, and
writing a few pages for any publications I'm working on.
Between
9 a.m. and noon, I go to meetings, teach classes, conduct
research, and meet with students. During the noon hour, I
run a couple miles. With the help of another faculty member,
I completed a half-marathon last May and competed in two duathalons
(run-bike-run) last summer. The rest of my day varies throughout
the week, which keeps me happy because I find a lot of joy
in variety. The University of Iowa provided me with a clear
sense of academic life, one full of opportunities and responsibilities.
I gained a set of skills that has enabled me to do many different
activities, so it's my responsibility to use those skills
as a teacher, researcher, and in service to the community.
On
Mondays and Wednesdays I teach. My class sizes vary from 10
to 75 students. There are 100 students in our program: 75
undergraduates and 25 graduate students. I teach a variety
of courses ranging from introduction to nutrition to clinical
trials in nutrition, or topics in nutrition research. Using
a combination of didactic teaching and applied learning strategies,
I encourage students to think critically, analyze, and communicate
their knowledge and opinions about nutrition. I offer my students
a great deal of hands-on experience in my classes, such as
service learning opportunities. For example, I've taken my
classes to high schools and food banks where they presented
information about the benefits of eating breakfast, low-fat
diets, why we need fiber, and integrating nutrition into sports.
On
days when I'm not teaching, I work on my research. Currently,
I am conducting a study with African -American and white women
who have Type 2 diabetes. I'm looking at different diet strategies
women can use to manage their blood sugars and lose weight.
I'm also conducting several studies about personal digital
assistant (PDA) use among faculty and students at the UC Medical
Center.
As
part of my service-related activities, I have done many two-minute
news stories for the local TV networks about weekend eating,
diabetes, and obesity. I do the segments in Spanish and English,
in an attempt to reach the growing Spanish-speaking population
in Cincinnati.
My
workday usually doesn't end until mid-evening. But I don't
mind dedicating so much time to my work because I enjoy doing
what I do- making an impact on student lives, helping people
manage their diabetes, teaching people about technology, and
communicating nutrition information to the public.
Cynthia
Goody (Ph.D. '00 - Social Foundations of Education) earned
her bachelor and master's degrees in food science/human nutrition
and family and consumer sciences education from Iowa State
University. While at The University of Iowa, she served as
a teaching and research assistant for nine semesters. She's
currently an assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional
Sciences at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
