JWU x Tufts Spring Break Partnership Offers Mutual Exploration

This spring, Tufts University and Johnson & Wales University teamed up again to provide a memorable spring break exchange program. At Tufts, JWU College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) undergrads learned about additional pathways at the nation’s only graduate school of nutrition, while at JWU, Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy grad students absorbed culinary knowledge. Several participants share what they experienced in this unique partnership.

JWU Students Learn New Career Pathways

At Tufts , JWU students lunched with the dean; attended graduate-level classes; found their way around Boston and helped volunteer at Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, packing meals tailored with medical priorities and dietary preferences.

Food & Beverage Industry Management major Jennifer Kroma ’26 heard about the Tufts trip from a friend who enjoyed their experience last year and was excited to go this year. “I appreciated talking to both Tufts administrators and students; they’re really open,” she shared. “They were really gracious and let us learn on our own time. It was a lot of information, so they let us sit in, ask questions and dive into one-on-one conversations.”

Her highlight: touring the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA), where researchers create food out of lab-grown cells. JWU students sampled prototype sushi rolls and lunched with the lab’s directors and Ph.D. students.

“They made salmon from a cell, and it didn’t feel or taste artificial!” she exclaimed. “It was valuable to see how their imagination could lead to an actual reality. It probably took them a really long time to get to this point, and we were among the first tasters. The value I got from that: their interests could really shake up the world, it shows that there’s hope for our future with these brilliant minds.”

Although Kroma originally only planned to pursue a bachelor’s degree, she is now considering further study. “The grad students are really into what they’re learning, and the professors are energized and really knew what they were talking about. I love that environment,” she shared. “I got a good look into pathways, and I’m considering a financial aspect such as business or accounting studies. I like having options, and it opened up my options. Whatever I end up doing, I want to have the enthusiasm to appreciate where I am.”

“Everyone at Tufts was so gracious,” reflected Dietetics and Applied Nutrition major Kostas Henley ’27 of the trip. “We had a lot of opportunities to discuss how we can break into a career. When we sat in on classes it felt very welcoming. Even if some material was over our heads, it was enriching to be around people who are so intelligent and plugged into research in their fields.”

“Dean Christina Economos is an absolutely brilliant person who’s done so much good in the world; she runs an obesity clinic in Mississippi and has spent years doing research there,” he added. “How the Tufts professors exhibited humility is how I want to carry myself as scholar, aspiring grad student and aspiring researcher — how I want to hold myself but still have passion for what I do.”

Henley was inspired by a cylindrical hydroponic farm at Tufts: “We harvested bok choy and ordered some Chinese food to go with it,” he explained. “That inspired me and [fellow JWU student] Cam [Delmore] to pitch the idea to Dean Evans. The output from Tufts was really good; we spoke with the students running it, asking how we could get this going at JWU and how we could use these items if we grew them.” [Snowden Dining Hall does have a Flex Farm hydroponic growing system to supply herbs and leafy greens and provide hands-on education about sustainable agriculture.]

Becoming a registered dietitian is Henley’s plan, and he credits Tufts with opening his eyes to different pathways to that career: “When you think of an RD you think of clinical or hospital settings, but now I know you could also work in agriculture or could join legislators in being a central part of forging policy changes with public health implications. I knew vaguely about nutrition policy, but now I have a deeper understanding. It changed my perspective in terms of a wider scope of job opportunities, and I’d recommend this trip to anyone seeking graduate-level nutrition or food-related pathways.”

Tufts Graduate Students Experience Hands-on Culinary Education

In mid-March, Tufts graduate students attended JWU culinary classes, lunched with the dean, dined at restaurants in Providence and visited Farm Fresh RI. They also had a mission: hosting a “De-Mystifying Grad School” session for JWU undergraduate students in which they could offer their own experiences and advice.

Nearing the 2026 completion of her Ph.D. in Food and Nutrition Policy and Programs, Tufts student Naina Qayyum took advantage of the spring break exchange. “It was a lovely experience to spend time on the JWU campus, especially interacting with the students through the different labs,” she stated. “I loved that the students were so enthusiastic about culinary studies and worked so well together in teams.”

Added Qayyum, “I enjoyed the chocolate and the bread-making class. Dean Evans was a superb host who took us on a tour around the campus and introduced us to the faculty, the students and the chickens! The Culinary Arts Museum was also a great experience, as well as learning about the history of different aspects of food in the hospitality and cultural space.”

Her overall impression of visiting JWU: “I appreciated that students were so kind, humble and exhibited a learner's mindset. I think the humility and hard work came through in the food we got to taste and experience.”

Daniel “Dan” Gosselin, a 2027 Master of Science in Food, Agriculture and Environment degree candidate at Tufts, called his JWU visit “an incredibly valuable experience,” noting, “I especially appreciated the time and openness that Dean Jason Evans shared with us throughout the trip. Hearing him speak candidly about his background, leadership style and the realities of the industry made a strong impression on me and added a lot of depth to the experience.”

Gosselin’s highlight of the trip: JWU’s hands-on classes. “Getting to cook and serve a meal in [Professor] Jonathan Poyourow's Therapeutic Cooking class stood out because it connected food to real world health and care, which gave me a new perspective on the role cooking can play in nutrition intervention. I also really enjoyed [Associate Professor] Stacy Mirabello's Designing Healthy Desserts class, where I learned about the staggering number of types of flour one can use and how they behave differently in baked goods. The professors at JWU were all super knowledgeable and great educators; I really enjoyed picking their brains for the week.”

His overall gain from visiting JWU: a better understanding of “the technical and human sides of working in food.” He explained, “It showed me how much attention to detail, timing and awareness goes into creating a great experience, and it pushed me to think about areas where I can improve, especially in slowing down and being more intentional. At the same time, it confirmed how much I enjoy learning in a hands-on environment. Thank you to the staff who made this trip possible and all the students who were gracious enough to let me join their groups — and probably mess up some of their dishes!”

A Dean’s-Eye View of the Partnership

“This spring break exchange is an invaluable opportunity for demystifying graduate school for our JWU undergraduates and encouraging them to consider all of the great food- and nutrition-centric grad program options at JWU and beyond,” said Evans. “For the Tufts students, time at JWU gives them a glimpse of how core food system, nutrition and policy concepts are interpreted and applied in food service and production settings.”

Economos stated, “The Friedman School is honored to continue the spring break exchange program for the fourth time this year. Welcoming engaged JWU students to our campus to learn about nutrition science and policy not only furthers our own ambition of building a healthier, smarter and more sustainable world of food, but also exposes our students to the myriad opportunities for nutritional impact in hospitality and food service operation. We are excited to build upon this collaboration in the future!”

Apply to JWU

Visit JWU

Transfer to JWU