Andrea Massop Ramos '85

Andrea Massop Ramos Joins Falk College Advisory Board

Andrea Massop Ramos ’85, an award-winning clinical nutritionist, private health chef and entrepreneur, was named to the Falk College Advisory Board in January.

Massop Ramos is the founder and CEO of Healthy FRIENDZ Nutrition, which provides interactive culinary arts experiences to build confidence and inspire healthy habits in young people. She is also an adjunct professor at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), where she teaches clinical nutrition to future health professionals.

In addition, Massop Ramos serves as a nutrition consultant to the CBS television series “Survivor,” working with contestants post-show to assist with nutritional deficiencies resulting from the competition.

She also offers a personal chef service, working with clients who have health issues, such as hypertension or diabetes, or are just looking to eat more healthily. "I go into my client's kitchen and prepare the foods they like using natural, fresh and wholesome ingredients that take their ethnicity into account," says Ramos. “If you can learn how to eat, you can learn how to live.”

Nutrition is actually a second career for Massop Ramos. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Syracuse University, intending to pursue medical school after a year off to travel. She got a job at Piedmont Airlines (now American) to help facilitate that travel, which led to a 20-year career. Prior to taking early retirement, she served as operations manager, responsible for the safe and on-time operation of equipment.

Massop Ramos continued in the transportation industry, working for Metro North Railroad as an operations manager overseeing 900+ locomotive engineers and conductors. After nine years, she was promoted to the office of system safety as an accident investigator, a first responder for all train accidents and incidents in her territory. She retired in 2017. 

But Massop Ramos says her interest in science and wellness never left her. While at the railroad, she earned a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from NYIT. Subsequently, she created a health and wellness working group for railroad employees, Healthy4You, initiating health fairs and advising employees on weight reduction. 

After earning a certificate in entrepreneurship from Hofstra University, she launched Healthy FRIENDZ in 2018. “My goal is nutrition education for young people with an emphasis on fresh foods,” she says. “But I’m doing that in a fun, interactive way rather than just speaking to them.”

She was recognized by New York State in 2018 as an Oustanding Woman of the Year for her community service work in the area of children's nutrition.

Massop Ramos runs her interactive programs in schools across Long Island, as well as in libraries or other community spaces. “Anywhere that has the space,” she says.

The students contribute to preparing the meal and then get to taste test at the end.

Massop Ramos will be holding a workshop for students at Falk College later this month when she is on campus for her first board meeting. On the menu: spaghetti squash with two sauce options (meat and vegan), strawberry medley salad, and a chia pudding for dessert.

Massop Ramos says her motivation for joining the Falk advisory board is simple: “Anything I'm involved with that has made an impact in my life, I like to give back to,” she says. “Although the Falk College didn’t exist when I was an undergraduate, it hones in on everything I stand for.”

Giving back is nothing new. She’s been mentoring students through Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs since she was an undergraduate herself. “My most recent student is graduating in May with a degree in physical therapy,” she says.

Massop Ramos also chairs the CHIPP program for the Theta Iota Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., which provides food for elementary students during the weekends and holidays. She is also on the advisory board of the NYIT student food pantry and is the diversity chair for nutrition entrepreneur dietetic practice group for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.