About 60 former students of Cornell Professor Michael Latham and his international nutrition program honored their former professor at Cornell, July 3-6.

The Cornell International Nutrition Alums Reunion celebrated Latham's 40 years as professor of international nutrition, his scientific and other contributions to health and nutrition worldwide and his 80th birthday. Alumni hailed from such countries as Indonesia, South Africa, Tanzania, Guatemala, Sweden and Haiti, as well as from many parts of the United States and Canada.

The event included two days of scientific sessions and a tribute to Latham's life and work, presented by Micheline Beaudry, Latham's first doctoral student and now professor of community nutrition and international nutrition at Laval University in Quebec City. Also presented was a summary of some of Latham's seminal work in malnutrition and child growth monitoring; Vitamin A in relation to morbidity and mortality; and parasitic infections, of which much was conducted collaboratively with Latham's wife, Lani Stephenson, Cornell associate professor of nutrition.

"A recurrent theme throughout these three days was not only how Michael`s work has always been in the forefront of the development in nutrition knowledge and has inspired many generations of nutritionists, but also how his underlying values concerning the right to food for everyone and the right for all to be served and treated with dignity continues to permeate his work and his influence," Beaudry said.