Dining Services nutrition team leader wins Illuminating Excellence Award
Ashley Foster, assistant director of culinary nutrition and risk management for Virginia Tech Dining Services, received the award from the Premier Foodservice program.
Students get to enjoy delicious and safe food on campus thanks in part to accurate nutritional data. Photo by Darren Van Dyke for Virginia Tech.
Assistant Director of Culinary Nutrition and Risk Management for Virginia Tech Dining Services, Ashley Foster was awarded the 2025 Illuminating Excellence Award in nutrition by the Premier Foodservice program.
The award highlights outstanding leadership in institutional-scale nutrition and dietary safety, reflecting the impact of Foster's expertise and efforts to improve nutritional data accuracy and accessibility across Dining Services.
Foster has supported Dining’s nutrition program for over a decade. She now leads the team overseeing nutritional data, including allergen safety, for all food served in the 47 dining venues on the Blacksburg campus.
In Foster's role, she helps ensure food quality and safety for all dining guests and advocates for the standards set by Dining Services. She also conducts exhaustive procurement reviews with suppliers to assess the safety of product changes and determine item approvals. With those expectations set, she validates compliance with food quality and safety standards.
“I’m honored to receive this award as it reflects the hard work done by the team,” said Foster. “As a leader, my responsibility is to champion my team's efforts in maintaining the high standards of food quality and safety we uphold in Dining Services.”
The nutrition team's work supports Dining's continuing expansion of appetizing and healthy eating options for all patrons, including those with dietary restrictions.
