Dr. Patricia Luoto - John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition Scholarship

The Dr. Patricia Luoto - The John Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition (JSI) Scholarship was established in honor of the Institute's 25th anniversary and its distinguished former director, Dr. Pat Luoto. JSI is a partnership of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office for Food and Nutrition Programs and the Framingham State University's (FSU) Department of Food and Nutrition.

What is the amount of the scholarship?

One scholarship will be awarded for both spring and fall semesters. The scholarship will cover the tuition of one course. Monies that provide educational assistance paid to students to aid in the pursuit of their studies qualify as taxable educational expenses. The recipient of this scholarship must submit a 1099 form to the FSU Business Office.

Who is this scholarship for?

The scholarship is available to school nutrition professionals working in public school nutrition programs in Massachusetts who are enrolled in either the Certificate in Excellence in School Nutrition Program or the Master's in Nutrition Education in the Nutrition Education Specialist program.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years employment in a Massachusetts public school nutrition program
• Enrolled in either Certificate in Excellence in School Nutrition OR Master's in Education with a concentration of Nutrition Education Specialist at FSU
• Completion of at least one course in the program with a grade of B or better
• Students enrolled in one-credit graduate courses are not eligible
• If a student is receiving tuition support from their school district or outside organization, they are not eligible to apply in the semester they receive this support.

To Apply

To apply for this scholarship:

1. Complete the scholarship application.
2. Write a letter of application describing your career in school nutrition, how the courses in the program will enhance your career progression in school nutrition, and why this scholarship is important to you.
3. Submit a copy of your completed courses and grades. This can be obtained from your DegreeWorks page. Click print at the top of the screen and save as a PDF.
4. Request two letters of recommendation. The recommendation letters must be on organizational letterhead and submitted via email to .
   
   1. One letter must be from your supervisor.
   2. The other letter must be from a professor who has taught a class you have completed in your program at FSU.

Deadlines for Application

Deadline for submission of all application materials:

• June 1st for fall semester courses
• November 1st for spring semester courses

Selection Committee

The selection committee is composed of the Director or Faculty Director of the John C. Stalker Institute, Food and Nutrition faculty member at FSU, and faculty or staff member at FSU. Anyone who donates to the Scholarship cannot be appointed to the selection committee.

Scholarship Requirements

Recipients of the Dr. Patricia Luoto – John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition Scholarship are expected to 1.) send a thank you letter directly to Dr. Luoto (pluoto@framingham.edu) and cc Catherine Wickham (cwickham@framingham.edu) and those included in the scholarship award notification email, 2.) submit a 1099 form to the FSU Business Office. Once the email is received the funds will be released to the recipient’s student account.