FIRST SCIENCE CAFES

This was the first year that the New York Section presented a Science Café.  The Section applied for and received a LSAC grant of $500.  Due to the large and expansive size of the New York Section, it was decided that the Section should sponsor two science cafes.

One café was held in the northern area (Westchester County) and the other on Long Island.  The topic of obesity and nutrition was an item of discussion at our table at the Columbia University Seminars dinner.  Dr. Susan Ettinger was recommended as the perfect speaker.  Dr. Ettinger was agreeable to give both presentations.

The Westchester program was held at the Borders Book Store in Scarsdale.  This mall includes many stores, medical offices, banks and the Lord and Taylor store.  The Westchester Chemical Society (subsection of NY) sponsored the café on Wednesday, November 14.  A previous trip to Barnes and Nobel on Central Avenue, a major avenue in Westchester, did not work for us.  We were welcomed at Borders, which has a large area with tables and chairs.  The manager of Borders was also agreeable to advertise our program by including our flier in the bag with patron’s purchases.  We had to provide the fliers, as well as a screen for the power point presentation.  As guests entered the area, we distributed tickets, which allowed participants to obtain a free coffee of their choice.  Dr. Ettinger’s presentation  was on “Whole Food and Disease Prevention”.  The afternoon program ran from 3 PM to 4 PM.

She presented the scientific rationale for the use of whole food as contributing therapy in the prevention and control of cancer and chronic diseases.  The talk bridged theory and practice by emphasizing strategies for including protective foods into patterns of daily living.  Dr. Ettinger focused her career on integrating biomedical research findings into the theory and practice of nutritional medicine.  As Chair of the Clinical Nutrition program at New York Institute of Technology, she developed curricula to meet changing needs of graduate and medical students.  With funding from the National Cancer Institute, she created a curriculum for Medical (Cancer) Nutrition Training for dietitians.  As Research Associate in the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s Hospital Center, Dr. Ettinger is currently pursuing research projects at the interface of obesity, cancer and aging, with special emphasis on the metabolism of folate (Vitamin B Complex) and bioactive components of whole foods.

Dr. Ettinger’s presentation was well received and was followed by questions, which lasted for nearly 45 minutes.  Our survey indicated that the audience enjoyed the topic and especially her answers to individual questions.  The program was publicized using Channel 13 TV (Westchester Channel), The Journal News (lower Hudson Section), posters at Borders, the library, and stores in the area.   Of the 30 people who attend the presentation, only 5 were ACS members. The program was organized by the Westchester co-chairs, Jean Delfiner and Joan Laredo-Liddell.
 

The Long Island Science Café was organized by the Long Island subsection under  2007 chair, Eugene Brown and was held at Nassau Community College on Friday, November 30 starting at 6 PM.  Fliers advertising - Free - Food - Fun - Facts, brought 68 people.  Most of the attendees were not ACS members and they enjoyed the food offered by the Long Island Section.  The presentation was by Dr. Ettinger and topic was similar to that of Westchester. (See information above).

The New York Section appreciates the grant money that helped to defray the cost of the two programs.  The Section has also applied for the 2008 grant.  The Section will encourage other NY Subsections to present a Science Café.