Polina Pine
Polina Pine Receives Grant for Nourish Chicago
Polina Pine, PhD, Senior Lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been awarded a $50,000 HEALTH EQ Grant to support Nourish Chicago, a community-driven initiative focused on nutrition education and sustainable living practices.
“Dr. Pine’s work connects science and public health, empowering communities through accessible knowledge,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Nourish Chicago embodies Loyola’s commitment to engaged learning, and this grant will expand its impact on nutrition education.”
Nourish Chicago empowers low-income communities across Chicagoland by partnering with local organizations to offer hands-on workshops, interactive events, and educational activities for families, children, and seniors.
The Health EQ Collaborative promotes interdisciplinary solutions to community health disparities through education, research, and partnerships. With this grant, Nourish Chicago will expand its reach, bringing engaging and accessible nutrition education to communities beyond Loyola’s campus.
“I have had the privilege of collaborating with Chicago communities where access to education is often seen as a luxury,” Pine shared. “Many community members, especially children, turn to social media for information, which can present facts in ways that are not always unbiased or universally understandable.”
Through games, activities, and mini-festivals, Nourish Chicago makes learning about nutrition and fitness both fun and scientifically grounded—at no cost to participants.
“I have always been mission-driven, with a deep commitment to making highly rigorous education accessible to everyone,” Pine stated.
One of Nourish Chicago’s key initiatives is Healthy Chemistry on Your Plate, a hands-on cooking class that combines practical skills with scientific insights. Each session includes a scientifically designed activity pamphlet and a professionally produced instructional video, created with the support of Loyola’s Media Services team.
These sessions are led by student volunteers and designed for long-term sustainability—after brief training, community members can continue running the programs independently.
“This means that even after the grant concludes, the project remains self-sustaining,” Pine emphasized.
Beyond its community partnerships, Nourish Chicago collaborates with various Loyola schools and departments, including the Stritch Medical Student Nutrition club and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Student Chapter at Loyola. Together, they are developing a new initiative to engage future physicians in nutrition education.
Additionally, Nourish Chicago has fostered meaningful relationships with community leaders who teach fitness classes, integrating movement with an understanding of biochemical processes. The goal is not only to support professional athletes but also to inspire a love for fitness and sports in people of all ages and skill levels.
“By making these activities accessible and incorporating movement into everyday life, we help participants see fitness not just as exercise but as a key to overall well-being––deeply connected to the science of how our bodies function,” Pine explained.
Pine’s dedication to STEM education in health-related fields has been recognized throughout her career. In 2022, she received the St. Ignatius of Loyola Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2024, she was recognized as a Sujack Master Teacher. Her research and pedagogical interests include active learning, inclusive teaching methods, and bridging the transition from high school to college STEM programs.
For a decade, Pine has advised Loyola students pursuing medical, dental, and other health professions, while also assisting Stritch School of Medicine with its matriculation process.
“Over the past 10 years at Loyola, I have had the privilege of teaching incredible students who enrich our biochemistry discussions by bringing in insights from courses like bioethics, forensic sciences, cell biology, environmental science, psychology, sociology, and more,” she reflected.
Deeply inspired by Loyola’s mission of cura personalis—care for the whole person—Pine makes meaningful connection between these disciplines and the biochemical concepts explored with Nourish Chicago.
“Our students are not just eager to learn; they’re passionate about applying their knowledge beyond the classroom—engaging with their communities, helping others, and making a real difference in the world,” Pine said.
Looking ahead, Pine hopes to develop an engaged learning course and secure additional funding, committed to expanding Nourish Chicago’s impact.
Learn more about Polina Pine and follow along with Nourish Chicago.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”
Polina Pine, PhD, Senior Lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been awarded a $50,000 HEALTH EQ Grant to support Nourish Chicago, a community-driven initiative focused on nutrition education and sustainable living practices.
“Dr. Pine’s work connects science and public health, empowering communities through accessible knowledge,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Nourish Chicago embodies Loyola’s commitment to engaged learning, and this grant will expand its impact on nutrition education.”
Nourish Chicago empowers low-income communities across Chicagoland by partnering with local organizations to offer hands-on workshops, interactive events, and educational activities for families, children, and seniors.
The Health EQ Collaborative promotes interdisciplinary solutions to community health disparities through education, research, and partnerships. With this grant, Nourish Chicago will expand its reach, bringing engaging and accessible nutrition education to communities beyond Loyola’s campus.
“I have had the privilege of collaborating with Chicago communities where access to education is often seen as a luxury,” Pine shared. “Many community members, especially children, turn to social media for information, which can present facts in ways that are not always unbiased or universally understandable.”
Through games, activities, and mini-festivals, Nourish Chicago makes learning about nutrition and fitness both fun and scientifically grounded—at no cost to participants.
“I have always been mission-driven, with a deep commitment to making highly rigorous education accessible to everyone,” Pine stated.
One of Nourish Chicago’s key initiatives is Healthy Chemistry on Your Plate, a hands-on cooking class that combines practical skills with scientific insights. Each session includes a scientifically designed activity pamphlet and a professionally produced instructional video, created with the support of Loyola’s Media Services team.
These sessions are led by student volunteers and designed for long-term sustainability—after brief training, community members can continue running the programs independently.
“This means that even after the grant concludes, the project remains self-sustaining,” Pine emphasized.
Beyond its community partnerships, Nourish Chicago collaborates with various Loyola schools and departments, including the Stritch Medical Student Nutrition club and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Student Chapter at Loyola. Together, they are developing a new initiative to engage future physicians in nutrition education.
Additionally, Nourish Chicago has fostered meaningful relationships with community leaders who teach fitness classes, integrating movement with an understanding of biochemical processes. The goal is not only to support professional athletes but also to inspire a love for fitness and sports in people of all ages and skill levels.
“By making these activities accessible and incorporating movement into everyday life, we help participants see fitness not just as exercise but as a key to overall well-being––deeply connected to the science of how our bodies function,” Pine explained.
Pine’s dedication to STEM education in health-related fields has been recognized throughout her career. In 2022, she received the St. Ignatius of Loyola Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2024, she was recognized as a Sujack Master Teacher. Her research and pedagogical interests include active learning, inclusive teaching methods, and bridging the transition from high school to college STEM programs.
For a decade, Pine has advised Loyola students pursuing medical, dental, and other health professions, while also assisting Stritch School of Medicine with its matriculation process.
“Over the past 10 years at Loyola, I have had the privilege of teaching incredible students who enrich our biochemistry discussions by bringing in insights from courses like bioethics, forensic sciences, cell biology, environmental science, psychology, sociology, and more,” she reflected.
Deeply inspired by Loyola’s mission of cura personalis—care for the whole person—Pine makes meaningful connection between these disciplines and the biochemical concepts explored with Nourish Chicago.
“Our students are not just eager to learn; they’re passionate about applying their knowledge beyond the classroom—engaging with their communities, helping others, and making a real difference in the world,” Pine said.
Looking ahead, Pine hopes to develop an engaged learning course and secure additional funding, committed to expanding Nourish Chicago’s impact.
Learn more about Polina Pine and follow along with Nourish Chicago.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”