Food Systems Major

March 27, 2024

Valerie Lam

Tell us about your background and why you chose UW? I was born and raised in Hong Kong; a city rich in diversity. I chose to come to the United States for my education—particularly the UW—because the UW School of Public Health (SPH) is highly ranked as one of the best schools for public health…

November 20, 2023

Elissa Fong

Tell us about your background and why you chose UW? I am a second generation Chinese American from Pasadena, California. My family is from Hong Kong where food is a big part of our culture. What drew me to UW was the broad range of subjects that I could study and the variety of unique…

August 26, 2023

Carlos Morales

As a business owner of a small restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, Carlos Morales sourced foods from a local farmers market. When Morales shared with his customers the story of where the food came from, he noticed both their disconnect with the land and their desire to understand how food is produced. From those conversations, Morales…

June 27, 2023

Pike Place Food Access Intern

Gained practical experience in addressing food insecurity and promoting access to healthy food options in the community. Assisted with a variety of seasonal programs aimed at providing fresh produce to community members who may not have regular access, including distributing weekly produce allotments, educating people with limited resources on how to choose healthy food options…

Mobilizing Community to Support BIPOC Farms (Washington Farmland Trust Team 2)

The team partnered with Washington Farmland Trust (WFT) to research ways to mobilize federal, state, and local support for BIPOC farmers in emergency weather situations. The team also developed a set of videos to connect farmers with federal emergency assistance, showcase historical information about BIPOC farmers, and increase online exposure to WFT’s volunteer programs. Community…

Mobilizing Community to Support BIPOC Farms (Washington Farmland Trust Team 1)

The team partnered with Washington Farmland Trust to create emergency weather resources for BIPOC farmers. Deliverables include Instagram reels giving context to the inequities that this population faces, as well as an informational poster that guides farmers on what to do before, during, and after an emergency weather event. Community Partner: Rosemary Martin, Washington Farmland…

Conducting Surveys to Better Understand Urban Garden Contamination Across King County (Soil Health Justice Initiative Team 3)

In collaboration with two other partner teams, these students worked with the Soil Health Justice Initiative, an ongoing research project that examines soil health contamination in King County community growing spaces. The group helped administer and analyze the results of a survey to assess how gardeners are exposed to soil contaminants in urban gardens. In…

Conducting Surveys to Better Understand Urban Garden Contamination Across King County (Soil Health Justice Initiative Team 2)

In collaboration with two other partner teams, these students worked with the Soil Health Justice Initiative, an ongoing research project led by Dr. Melanie Malone that examines soil health contamination in King County community growing spaces. The group helped advertise, administer, and analyze the results of a robust survey seeking to capture how gardeners interact…

Conducting Surveys to Better Understand Urban Garden Contamination Across King County (Soil Health Justice Initiative Team 1)

Farm to Preschool Farm Cards (Farm to Preschool Team 2)

The team worked with the Seattle Farm to Preschool Program to help address gaps in food security, promote local food production, and address the importance of preschool-aged nutrition education. They created an illustrated card deck that features local farmers with a range of identities (cultural, ethnic, gender, etc.) and highlights sustainable farming practices and nutrition…