Biography

Mike Tarnapoll is a recent graduate of Cornell University. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Nutritional Sciences and completed the Didactic Program in Dietetics. As an undergraduate, he was an active leader and three-year letter winner on the Varsity Men’s Heavyweight Rowing Team. As an elite athlete, he seamlessly integrated nutrition research and evidence into his diet to optimize his athletic performance. He also actively served as a bridge to span the gap between nutrition theory for athletic performance and its application to the real life choices his teammates made.

Mike has also had extensive experience in both academic and professional settings; he has served as a teaching assistant for NS 2470 - Food For Contemporary Living, worked as a line cook for the Taverna Banfi restaurant, advocated for the licensure of dietitians in the state of New York, aided in original research for nutrition publications, and completed a nutrition practicum at a long-term care facility.

In his final semester as an undergraduate student, Mike, as a member of a high-functioning team of NS 4880 students, hosted a Game of Thrones-themed dinner at Alice Cook House, a university dining hall. As head of recipe and menu development, he integrated the event theme with nutritional parameters (concurrent with Cornell Dining’s “Eat Well Cornell” program) into the dinner’s menu items. To ensure event success, he created production schedules for recipe testing, worked with the Executive Chef to make certain all food was prepared by the night of service, and helped the back of house staff execute the dinner during the event.

In his athletic, academic and professional endeavors, Mike has exhibited dedication to excellence, teamwork, and leadership and an ability to excel in stressful situations. He is originally from Columbus, Ohio, but would like to live somewhere on the east coast. He enjoys rowing, weightlifting, and finding innovative ways to prepare traditional food dishes.