Tuskegee University Acknowledges the Life of Dr. Ralphenia D. Pace

Tuskegee University Acknowledges the Life of Dr. Ralphenia D. Pace

January 10, 2025

Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing

Dr. Ralphenia Pace '67, Professor Emeritus, who served Tuskegee University, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences for over four decades died Dec. 27. She became the Department Head of Food and Nutritional Sciences in 1988 and provided exemplary leadership, where she saw the transition of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences as a separate unit from the Department of Home Economics.

She was passionate about training students in the field of Food and Nutritional sciences. She trained and mentored many students at the graduate and undergraduate level in addition to the faculty and staff with whom she worked. Upon her retirement she continued to serve the Department as a member of the FNSAB and provided scholarship funding to students at the University's Annual Presidential Scholarship Program.

She served in a number of leadership roles, including as Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, School of Agriculture and Home Economics. She was also instrumental in establishing the Center for Research on Diet, creating the Food and Nutritional Science Advisory Board and its scholarship program for students, the George Washington Carver Alumni Endowed scholarship, the Richard Allen & Nora Lee Jones Endowed Scholarship, the Hazel Oates Endowed Alumni scholarship for General dietetics, the Maudie Reynolds Howell Endowed Scholarship, and many others.

Dr. Pace received several grants from a variety of organizations for research and instruction, as she served as principal investigator and Co-PI on numerous research projects at the national and international level.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Greater St. Mark Baptist Church, 3403 Martin Luther King Highway, Tuskegee, Alabama.

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