A foundation replica and a photograph of the institute is seen Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. The National Food Service Management Institute celebrated 25 years of service to the University of Mississippi. DM Photo | Cady Herring
The National Food Service Management Institute is finishing up celebrating its 25th anniversary this week. It began last week with open house tours of the institute that began on Wednesday and will conclude this Thursday.
Funded by a grant administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and established by an Act of Congress in 1989, the institute has a goal to provide information and services that promote the improvement of child nutrition programs. The National Food Service Management Institute is a leader in providing education, research and resources to promote excellence in those programs.
According to Katie Wilson, executive director of the National Food Service Management Institute, the institute has been a trusted source for 25 years, from applied research to free training resources to help advance child nutrition programs by supporting the professionals who prepare meals in schools and childcare settings.
There are four divisions of the institute, three located on the Ole Miss campus and one, the applied research division, at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
“We are hoping that our open houses will offer an opportunity to Ole Miss and the Oxford community to learn more about what we do,” Wilson said. “Many people are aware of our beautiful building, but most do not really know how we function on campus and throughout the United States.”
The institutes provides the Oxford community 42 jobs and benefits Ole Miss students as well. It offers summer and winter intersession college credits to students under the School of Applied Sciences, as well as graduate student positions and intern rotations, including a public relations intern this year. Children are also benefitting from information offered to professionals through the institute’s programs and resources.
“I think the institute serves Ole Miss students a great deal,” junior nutrition major Lauren Lyons said. “It’s great to know that they are helping us educate children at a young age on how to improve their health.”
The open house tours will exhibit the history of child nutrition as well as the history of the National Food Service Management Institute and how it has successfully advanced child nutrition programs led by institute archives staff members.
According to John Wall, library specialist for the institute, it is a time of celebration and moving forward in the commitment to assist child nutrition professionals throughout the U.S. and its territories.
“We currently have several displays up in our first-and-second-floor foyer celebrating the institute’s past 25 years,” Wall said. “The open house tours would be an excellent opportunity to see and learn about NFSMI.”
If you are interested in attending a tour at the institute, contact Wall.
