News & Events
News & Events
Food Systems alumnus James Sherrell receives UW Excellence in Global Engagement Award
June 1, 2026
James Sherrell, a project manager at Harborview Medical Center’s EthnoMed and a graduate of the University of Washington Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Master of Public Health program in the School of Public Health, is the recipient of the 2026 University of Washington Excellence in Global Engagement Award. This award honors a UW community...
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Food Systems students receive 2026 School of Public Health Awards
June 1, 2026
Congratulations to Carmela Stewart and Norma Garfias Avila, University of Washington students in the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health (FSNH) program, who have been awarded 2026 School of Public Health Excellence Awards. This year’s FSNH program recipients have demonstrated high academic achievement and have been inspirational among their peers, faculty mentors, and staff. Carmela Stewart...
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Food Systems faculty receive Distinguished Teaching Award for collaborative team teaching
May 13, 2026
By Kate Stringer Strengthening sustainable, healthy food systems requires countless people working together across professions, disciplines and geographies. Teaching the next generation how to do this work requires the same spirit of collaboration. That’s the perspective of University of Washington School of Public Health faculty Jennifer Otten, Marie Spiker, and Sarah Collier, who have approached...
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UW researchers launch ‘little free pantry’ mapping pilot, internet-connected pantries in Seattle
May 8, 2026 | UW News
Micropantries or community fridges throughout Seattle are the focus of a multi-disciplinary research team at UW which includes Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health faculty member Marie Spiker. This feature story by UW News highlights how the team is approaching data gathering to learn how much the pantries are used by placing weight and motion sensors.
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Graduate students present practicums at 2026 MPH Practicum Symposium
April 8, 2026
Five Master of Public Health (MPH) students from the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health program participated in the 2026 MPH Practicum Symposium sponsored by the University of Washington School of Public Health held Apr. 8, 2026. The event showcases student work and the significant contributions more than 100 students, faculty mentors, and community partners have...
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What is food systems, nutrition, and health?
March 5, 2026 | UW Daily
The Daily, UW’s student newspaper, highlights the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health major, citing the interdisciplinary aspects of the program and multiple opportunities students experience both in the classroom and through the capstone project.
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How to implement Washington state’s 20-minute school lunch rule
February 25, 2026
Once served and seated, a student in grades K-5 must have at least 20 minutes to eat. This is the new requirement for Washington state elementary schools, based on The Time for Meals rule (WAC 392-157-125), which goes into effect in the 2029-30 school year. The rule requires that schools provide students in grades K-5...
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Alumni experiences transitioning into professional practice and hiring managers’ perspectives
February 20, 2026
We recently connected with a group of our University of Washington Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics (GCPD) alumni about their experience after finishing the program. Our graduates consistently reported a smooth transition from graduation to professional practice. The time between graduating, taking the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam to gain the RDN credential, and...
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My thoughts about the concerning new Dietary Guidelines for Americans
January 19, 2026 | The Seattle Times
Alumna Carrie Dennett (MPH/GCPD ’13) who is now working as a registered dietitian, nutrition therapist and body image counselor in the Pacific Northwest shares her thoughts on the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans in an article published in the Seattle Times. In the article, Dennet interviews FSNH faculty Marion Neuhouser who is head of the Cancer Prevention Program at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and also served on the 2015-20 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
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UW study abroad course explores food, equity, and public health in Morocco
January 15, 2026
Public Health Morocco: Food, Equity, and Health – A Moroccan Exploration of the Social Determinants of Health is an early autumn 2026 study abroad program which follows inquiry-based and experiential methods to explore how societal differences—in terms of gender, socioeconomic status, religion, immigrant status, geographic region, urbanicity—affect food access, nutrition, and health in Morocco. The...
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