The 27 pristine white coats displayed on the Gulbenkian Amphitheater stage on October 13 seemed almost weightless. Yet, as each Nutrition and Dietetics graduate stepped forward to don one, she shouldered a heavy responsibility: safeguarding the health, safety, and well-being of the patients she would serve.

LAU Provost Gregory Heileman described the white coat as a symbol of trust and expertise. “It tells people that you’re someone they can turn to for help, reassurance, and care.”

Ministry of Public Health Director General and LAU alumnus Weam Abou Hamdan (MS ’10; MBA ’22) echoed the sentiment.

“The white coat is a covenant: A promise to your patients, your community, and your own conscience that you will place their well-being before your convenience, and their trust before your pride,” he declared, urging the graduates to honor that promise throughout their careers.

Dr. Abou Hamdan explained how cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and malnutrition stretch healthcare resources, and that the ministry actively invests in fighting them.

“The most powerful tool we have against [these conditions] is not a drug or a hospital bed,” he continued with a meaningful look toward the class of 2026. “It is nutrition.” Dr. Abou Hamdan noted how LAU had equipped him with the tools to approach challenges with professionalism.

Retracing the history of the Nutrition Program, School of Arts and Sciences Dean Haidar Harmanani credited the faculty who sat in that very room for building a tradition from the ground up, forming generations of devoted nutritionists and dietitians. “Eleven classes have stood where you are standing,” he told the assembled students. “Every one of those graduates is quietly standing behind you today.”

Department of Nutrition and Food Science Chair Rana Rizk elaborated on LAU’s impact-oriented culture and encouraged the newly inducted dietitians to carry the torch of that legacy as they transition to clinical practice.

She expressed confidence that the new dietitians would rise to the occasion. Their readiness, she noted, was already evident in their hands-on experience and contributions to public health through the department’s evolving curriculum and community outreach initiatives.

“This year,” she said, “we expanded partnerships across Lebanon, including in Lebanese prisons, the South, and the Bekaa, bringing our students closer to communities where needs are real and immediate.”

Congratulating the Class of 2026, she praised the graduates for turning adversity into purpose.

“It has been a privilege to watch you reach this moment,” reflected Dr. Rizk, “and we are immensely proud of you.”