In the early afternoon of 13 September, the Department of Home Science organised the Florence Theophilus Endowment Lecture for faculty and students online during Assembly hour. This year’s lecture was titled ‘Secular Changes and the Continued Need for Nutritional Interventions for Women and Children’ and was delivered by Prof. Gagandeep Kang from The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, CMC Vellore.
Prof. Gagandeep Kang gave an informative talk about malnutrition-related problems and why it is very important to intervene from a very young age. She also pointed out how there is a gradual rise in obesity as well and how these varied problems need to be addressed.
She further talked about how low birthweight, gender and other socio-economic factors have long-term effects on growth and cognitive development. The lecture emphasised the nutritional needs of women and children, in order to create awareness among students and faculty of Women’s Christian College.
Dr Florence Theophilus, in whose name this lecture is organised annually, served as Professor and Head, Department of Home Science from 1959 till her retirement in 1981. She was one of the pioneers in the field of Home Science education. When Home Science was introduced as a formal course of study at the undergraduate level by the University of Madras in 1942, she taught Nutrition and Physiology to the first batch of students at WCC. Ever since, she efficiently nurtured the growth of the Department in its early years towards excellent academic achievements. Her tireless enthusiasm, missionary zeal, dedication to teaching and leadership abilities took the Department to great heights of success. She also had the opportunity of working with Dr Eleanor Mason, an eminent nutrition research scholar and founder-professor of the Department of Home Science and later Principal of the college from 1950-56.
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