By Charlotte Ormond
Excitement filled the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Monday night as the aroma of delicious food drifted through the air.
NBC’s “Today” personality Joy Bauer captivated a crowd of students and alumni with her cooking demonstration, interactive game show, impromptu “foodie” singalong and extensive nutrition and wellness advice.
Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley and Boris Lushniak, the dean of the School of Public Health, joined Bauer, class of ‘86. The three nutrition enthusiasts held a “fireside chat” exploring the secrets to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Bauer shared how she’s had a passion for health since youth, participating in several sports, including gymnastics. With athletics being a major part of her life, she quickly learned the importance of nutrition.
Her passion is now shared with millions, as she serves as the nutrition and healthy lifestyle expert on the widely known “Today Show.”
“I just love my job,” Bauer said. “To be able to help people just tweak what’s on their plate and enhance the health and happiness and fulfillment of their life is an amazing feeling.”
Locksley, a former athlete, also knows firsthand the importance of maintaining mental and physical well-being. He explained his process of supporting UMD football players in both these aspects.
“I deal with a lot of first-generation college guys, like myself, who use this brown leather ball as a vehicle to open up doors that could help them in the future. The way you do that is not just physically,” Locksley said. “You have to reach them mentally.”
The team has access to three full-time nutritionists and six mental health counselors, Locksley shared.
Locksley’s passion for mental health is rooted in personal experience, as his son, who struggled with mental illness, passed away in 2017 at 25 years old.
Now, as a role model and father figure to the young men he coaches, Locksley is committed to providing them with the right resources to maintain physical and emotional health while offering a supportive shoulder to lean on.
“Football is a big, tough man sport, supposedly. But I’ve seen a lot of these guys cry,” Locksley said.
Bauer shared that she walks four to five miles daily, claiming that it brings her “inner peace” and helps maintain her physical and mental well-being.
Locksley and Bauer stressed the importance of consistency in health — establishing small, attainable goals every day.
“I always tell people to have that big goal and think about it all the time, but then have weekly goals that are realistic and tangible and enduring,” Bauer said. “You can keep checking those off, and that’s your pat on the back, which fuels you to keep going forward.”
Senior communications major Jackie Tofts and senior dietetics and nutrition major Sophia Fox were among the students in attendance.
Tofts shared her biggest takeaway from the night:
“People have the tendency to be so hard on themselves when it comes to health or have this all-or-nothing attitude, but I think it’s the little steps along the way and giving yourself grace and motivation,” she said.
Bauer hosted a food trivia session after the fireside chat where she shared fun food facts, including which foods are highest in vitamin C, best for lowering cholesterol and beneficial for improving eyesight.
Bauer concluded the night with a cooking demonstration where she prepared “turtle dates,” a date topped with peanut butter, pecans, chocolate and sea salt. Each audience member had the chance to taste the sweet treat.
After a reception filled with a plethora of delicious and healthy foods, guests departed with satisfied appetites and renewed motivation for their health journeys.
Featured image: Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley joins Joy Bauer to prepare “turtle dates” for the audience. Photo by Charlotte Ormond, February 24, 2025.