research projects for food

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• 25 Jan 2021
• Working Paper Summaries

India’s Food Supply Chain During the Pandemic

Policy makers in the developing world face important tradeoffs in reacting to a pandemic. The quick and complete recovery of India’s food supply chain suggests that strict lockdown measures at the onset of pandemics need not cause long-term economic damage.

• 08 Jun 2020

Food Security and Human Mobility During the Covid-19 Lockdown

COVID-19 represents not only a health crisis but a crisis of food insecurity and starvation for migrants. Central governments should ensure that food security policies are implemented effectively and engage with local governments and local stakeholders to distribute food to migrants in the immediate term.

• 29 May 2020

How Leaders Are Fighting Food Insecurity on Three Continents

The pandemic could almost double the number of people facing food crises in lower-income populations by the end of 2020. Howard Stevenson and Shirley Spence show how organizations are responding. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 31 Jan 2019
• Cold Call Podcast

How Wegmans Became a Leader in Improving Food Safety

Ray Goldberg discusses how the CEO of the Wegmans grocery chain faced a food safety issue and then helped the industry become more proactive. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 15 Nov 2018

Can the Global Food Industry Overcome Public Distrust?

The public is losing trust in many institutions involved in putting food on our table, says Ray A. Goldberg, author of the new book Food Citizenship. Here's what needs to be done. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 15 Mar 2018

Targeted Price Controls on Supermarket Products

Governments sometimes consider targeted price controls when popular goods become less affordable. Looking at price controls in Argentina between 2007 and 2015, this study’s findings suggest that new technologies like mobile phones are allowing governments to better enforce targeted price control programs, but the impact of these policies on aggregate inflation is small and short-lived.

• 26 Jun 2017
• Research & Ideas

How Cellophane Changed the Way We Shop for Food

Research by Ai Hisano exposes cellophane's key role in developing self-service merchandising in American grocery stores, and how its manufacturers tried to control the narrative of how women buy food. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 31 May 2017
• Sharpening Your Skills

10 Harvard Business School Research Stories That Will Make Your Mouth Water

The food industry is under intense study at Harvard Business School. This story sampler looks at issues including restaurant marketing, chefs as CEOs, and the business of food science. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 18 Nov 2016

Standardized Color in the Food Industry: The Co-Creation of the Food Coloring Business in the United States, 1870–1940

Beginning in the late 19th century, US food manufacturers tried to create the “right” color of foods that many consumers would recognize and in time take for granted. The United States became a leading country in the food coloring business with the rise of extensive mass marketing. By 1938, when Congress enacted the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the food coloring business had become a central and permanent component of food marketing strategies. This paper shows how food manufacturers, dye makers, and regulators co-created the food coloring business. Food-coloring practices became integrated into an entire strategy of manufacturing and marketing in the food industry.

• 16 May 2016

Food Safety Economics: The Cost of a Sick Customer

When restaurants source from local growers, it can be more difficult to assess product safety—just another wrinkle in high-stakes efforts to keep our food from harming us. Just ask Chipotle. John A. Quelch discusses a recent case study on food testing. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 15 May 2007

I’ll Have the Ice Cream Soon and the Vegetables Later: Decreasing Impatience over Time in Online Grocery Orders

How do people’s preferences differ when they make choices for the near term versus the more distant future? Providing evidence from a field study of an online grocer, this research shows that people act as if they will be increasingly virtuous the further into the future they project. Researchers examined how the length of delay between when an online grocery order is completed and when it is delivered affects what consumers order. They find that consumers purchase more "should" (healthy) groceries such as vegetables and less "want" (unhealthy) groceries such as ice cream the greater the delay between order completion and order delivery. The results have implications for public policy, supply chain managers, and models of time discounting. Key concepts include: Consumers spend less and order a higher percentage of "should" items and a lower percentage of "want" items the further in advance of delivery they place a grocery order. Encouraging people to order their groceries up to 5 days in advance of consumption could influence the healthfulness of the foods that people consume. Similarly, asking students in schools to select their lunches up to a week in advance could considerably increase the healthfulness of the foods they elect to eat. Online and catalog retailers that offer a range of goods as well as different delivery options might be able to improve their demand forecasting by understanding these findings. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Student Projects

Explore recent student work from our undergraduate and graduate programs.

What is North Korean Food?

This project involved the creation of an infographic featuring North Korean foods that are largely unknown to the rest of the world in an effort to diversify the type of information available on North Korean

Project Type(s): MPH Fieldwork

Author(s): Irene Yoon

Program(s): Master of Public Health, RDN Training

How to increase plant-based meal consumption at UW: a fieldwork experience

Created a short lecture on how to increase student consumption of plant-based offerings at UW in order to help UW meet their Sustainability Action Plan goals. The lecture centers choice architecture-informed

Author(s): Stephanie Turner

Increasing Statewide Support for Eating Disorders Among Adolescents

Partnered with the Washington State Department of Health to create a healthcare provider-facing informational handout about adolescent eating disorders to increase awareness and share resources. Detailed types

Author(s): Kimberly Siu

Program(s): Master of Public Health

Exploring Connections Between Markets and Health: A Collaboration with Slow Food International

Collaborated with Slow Food International to support a webinar exploring the connection between farmer’s markets and health. Synthesized findings and external research into an editorial for marketing

Author(s): Lauren Perkins

WSDA 2022-2023 Farm to School Purchasing Grants’ Post-Grant Survey and Purchasing Data Analysis

Analyzed 2022-2023 Farm to School Purchasing Grants’ post-grant survey and purchasing data to produce key impact metrics. These key metrics will be used to report the impact of the 2022-2023 Farm to School

Author(s): Kana Ogaki

Laying a foundation for a human centered design (HCD) hub within the Government of Tanzania to innovate nutrition solutions

Crafted workshop materials and activities for an initiative to build capacity for the use of Human-Centered Design (HCD) at the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC), focusing on innovative solutions for

Author(s): Cecilia Msogoya

Assessing the Marketing Environment of Online Grocery Retail

Designed a scorecard protocol to evaluate and rank online grocery retailers based on the influence of their marketing practices on accessibility and consumer choice of nutritious foods. Community Partner:

Author(s): Christina Lin

Community Nutrition Outreach with Hunger Intervention Program

Partnered with the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) to assist in their mission to increase food security for underserved populations in North King County. Provided nutrition education, cooking demonstrations,

Author(s): Kara Ikeda

High Impact Obesity Prevention Standards (HIOPS) in Pennsylvania

Conducted qualitative research to identify the policy-to-practice implications of HIOPS implementation into early childhood education (ECE) licensing regulations in Pennsylvania. Presented findings to Keystone

Author(s): Khang Ho

A Taste of the Season: Creating Community Nutrition Education Materials for Seattle’s Refugee and Immigrant Seniors

In partnership with registered dietitians at Tilth Alliance, created culturally tailored nutrition education materials for an in-season vegetable (Swiss Chard) and presented the materials to refugee and

Author(s): Mary Fudge

Food Security & Sovereignty in Alaska Native Communities

Conducted a literature review exploring papers that document food security and health in Alaska Native communities as well as how agriculture grants and programs do or don’t align with Alaska Native needs

Author(s): Robyn Burnside

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Educational Toolkit

The FFVP toolkit will serve as a complementary nutrition education resource for staff, teachers, students, and parents at participating Seattle public schools. It is a compilation of materials that include

Author(s): Allison Burkhalter

NutriNavigator

Worked with the Pike Place Market Foundation to develop NutriNavigator, a lesson plan and digital map, for 6th grade students to gain a deeper understanding of the nutritional value of diverse foods commonly

Author(s): James Sherrell

Using Non-linear, Machine Learning Methodology to Assess the Potential Metabolomic-Based Biomarkers of Total Fat and Percentage Fat Intake Using a Controlled Feeding Study

Project Type(s): Master's Thesis

Author(s): Caroline Nondin

Program(s): Master of Science

• Marian L. Neuhouser

The Basics of Nutrition for Cancer Prevention: A Guide for Patient Populations and Partners Affiliated with the American Cancer Society

Created a concise and informative handout presenting practical and evidence-based information promoting healthy eating habits to individuals with cancer so they – or those caring for them – can

Author(s): Kunal Patel

Pediatrician Survey: Assessment of Feeding Difficulties in Primary Care

Pediatricians in Washington state tend to delay referring children for assistance with feeding difficulties, compounded by long wait lists for this needed support. There is now an effort to create an improved,

Project Type(s): MPH Practicum

Author(s): Emilee Vann

Diabetes Education and Stakeholder Outreach for Immigrant/Refugee Populations in Seattle

Ethnomed provides translation services, cultural mediation, and community expertise for UW Medical Centers in their work with refugee and immigrant communities from five different countries. The

Integrating ExerciseRx into Primary Health Clinics

This project outlines the strategic integration of ExerciseRx, a cutting-edge digital health platform, into primary health clinics to enhance health outcomes through personalized exercise plans. The

Exploring the Role of High School Athletic Trainers in Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Eating Disorder Early Detection, Prevention, and Return to Play

Worldwide prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents is increasing and current research suggests that in the United States and Europe, 5.5-17.9% of young women and 0.6–2.4% of young men have

Author(s): Victoria Jansen

Assessing SNAP-Ed Materials Through Equity and Empowerment Rubric

SNAP-Ed (the educational arm of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) produces programming and educational materials to assist SNAP-Ed implementation agencies in presenting nutrition and lifestyle

Author(s): Mayra Gutierrez

Nutrition Interventions in Pediatric Intestinal Failure from Short Bowel Syndrome: A Case Report

Intestinal failure from short bowel syndrome is a complex condition that impairs nutrient and fluid absorption. Without appropriate monitoring and treatment, it can result in significant morbidity, organ

Project Type(s): MNT Concentration Clinical Poster

Author(s): Savannah Stelzer

Program(s): Master of Science, RDN Training

Personalized Nutrition for Type 2 Diabetes in the Era of Continuous Glucose Monitors

Recent advancements in continuous glucose monitors have been beneficial in supporting diabetes medical nutrition therapy. These monitors provide clearer insights into post-prandial glucose response (PPGR)

Author(s): Jordyn Fantuzzi

Dietary Inflammatory Index Scores of the 3-Week Habitual Diet at a State Hospital

This project assessed the inflammatory potential of patients’ diets at a state hospital. The findings showed that their daily nutrient intake was inversely associated with a risk of depression and

Author(s): Danny Beery

Trauma-Informed Nutrition: A Critical Resource for Houseless Youth

Utilizing a trauma-informed, harm-reduction approach to nutrition delivery, Teen Feed’s meal program is committed to providing nightly meals that create safety and trust through consistency and

Project Type(s): Master's Capstone

Author(s): Andrea Litzow

• Margaret Chaykin

Teen Feed Volunteer Outreach and Fundraising

Given Teen Feed’s status as a small, community-based organization, their greatest potential for volunteer and fundraising growth is in reaching out to their neighbors in the community they serve. This

Policies to End Hunger in Washington State: Campaign Development for the Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition 2023 Legislative Priorities

The 2023 Washington state legislative session coincided with a landscape of unprecedently high rates of food insecurity and hunger that were anticipated to climb significantly given the complex impacts of the

Effect of Cocoa Extract Supplementation on Mental Health and Risk of Incident Late-Life Depression: A Secondary Analysis of the COSMOS Trial

A secondary analysis of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) Trial investigating the effects of cocoa extract supplementation on subjective mental health and incident late-life

Author(s): Daniel Beery

Teen Feed Balanced Meal Checklist

A simple document to help Teen Feed volunteer teams create balanced meals for their patrons based on the Healthy Eating Research (HER) nutrition guidelines. Community Partner: Teen Feed This project was

Author(s): Kristina Tribley

Teen Feed: The Hidden Value of Design in Food Presentation

Many factors influence food intake and health outcomes, especially in a population of individuals experiencing houselessness, trauma, and food-insecurity. This handout for Teen Feed volunteers outlines how a

Farm to Early Care and Education in Washington: A Statewide Survey and Report

Dietary habits linked to the incidence of chronic disease are developed early in life. Created to address these habits, Farm to Early Childcare and Education (Farm to ECE) initiatives incorporate local food,

Author(s): Katie McConaughy

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

Project Type(s): Undergraduate Internship

Author(s): Mirshaputri Munir

Program(s): Food Systems Major

• Alissa Bilfield

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

Project Type(s): Undergraduate Capstone

Author(s): Rosamarie Bateman, Allison Gray, Nicholas Heimbigner, Daniel Wen, Yuxin Becca Yang

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

Author(s): Jordan Doan, Sophie Heeter, Daniel Lennon, Khylee North, Anne Yan

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

Author(s): ZhiJie Liang, William To, Hyesoo Won

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

Author(s): Tien Chi, Mei-Lin Mina Hung, Yuqing Li, Anna-Maya Sipila

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

Author(s): Ethan Blight, Oscar Joya-Fernandez, Andy Ma, Hunter Wade

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

Author(s): Rachel Christensen, Michelle Hyland, Dakota Kesterson, Jinghong Harry Liu, Tala Soror

Local Farm Cards for the Seattle Farm to Preschool Program (F2P) (Farm to Preschool Team 1)

Author(s): Darieli Arroyo, Jayme Courtney, Andie Salgado-Martinez, Maddy Wiesenhahn

Network Development with Farm to Early Care Education (F2ECE) (Farm to Early Care and Education Team 2)

The team created and facilitated an online networking space to connect Farm to Early Care and Education providers in Washington State to enhance collaboration and communication, promote equity and inclusivity,

Author(s): Nancy Gallacher, Maeve Jacobs, Melissa Lin, Emma Tinsley

Farm To Early Care and Education (F2ECE) Forum Outreach (Farm to Early Care and Education Team 1)

The team created education and outreach materials to increase public awareness of Farm to Early Care and Education (F2ECE), a Washington state Farm to School program. F2ECE will be able to share the

Author(s): Kayla Evans, Kimberly Lopez-Villegas, Marisa McTighe, Dung Jojo Tran, Hannah Wheatcraft

Danny Woo Community Garden Traditional Knowledge Documentation (Danny Woo Community Garden Team 2)

The team sought to raise awareness about the Danny Woo Community Garden’s history and mission and document its senior gardeners’ traditional knowledge to pass on to new generations. They gathered

Author(s): Jiwon Lee, Laila Gin Pajimula, Rita Teng, Olivia Tubao, Hannah Whobrey

Danny Woo Community Garden Traditional Knowledge Documentation (Danny Woo Community Garden Team 1)

The team created a multilingual booklet documenting traditional knowledge held within the Danny Woo Community Garden. By conducting several interviews with the local gardeners, the team captured information

Author(s): Intana Cody Bounma, Rachel Capili, Dailin Li, Rebecca Mendelson, Yixun Lavender Wang

University of Washington Workplace CSA Benefit Feasibility Study (CSA Innovation Network Team 2)

Through surveys and interviews, the team investigated the market feasibility of a workplace CSA (W-CSA) program at the University of Washington. The team researched local producers and reviewed data analyzing

Author(s): Jewell Barnes, Alexandra Mahaffey, Danalin Gwenne Matro, Mirshaputri Talita Munir

Feasibility of a Workplace CSA Program at the University of Washington (CSA Innovation Network Team 1)

Collaborating with the CSA Innovation Network, the team sought to define the elements of a successful workplace CSA (W-CSA) program and determine the feasibility of implementing a W-CSA at the University of

Author(s): Alexandra Anthony, Elizabeth Fleck, Angela McCown, Hannah McDavid, Liran Zimand

Connecting BIPOC Farmers to Local and USDA Resources and Grants (Black Farmers Collective Team 2)

The team collaborated with the Black Farmers Collective to gather information on local and federal resources and grants, ranging from farm start-up processes to USDA grant applications to community engagement

Author(s): Kristine Nguyen, Kaila Red Bow, Xiaohan Lilith Ren, Emi Ufford

Connecting BIPOC Farmers to Local and Federal Resources (Black Farmers Collective Team 1)

The team aggregated resources for BIPOC farmers in a living, online database as part of a larger grant process for the Black Farmers Collective. This project was one part of a larger effort to address and

Author(s): Antonia Cai, Ashley Casmirri, Amy Doan, Lukas Motta

Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Accessibility Pilot Project: Supporting Farm Vendors

To make SNAP incentive programs more accessible and equitable and to reduce the stigma of using SNAP incentives, the Washington State Departments of Health and Social and Human Services have partnered to pilot

Author(s): Anastasia Powell

The Regenerative Power of Seaweed in Soil Fertility and Human Health

The purpose of this research was to examine seaweed/kelp from indigenous and food systems, nutrition, and health perspectives. Interviews and academic research were evaluated to give context to seaweed’s

Project Type(s): Undergraduate Research

Author(s): Kaila Red Bow

• Eli E. Wheat

Investigation of the Correlation Between Food Science and Oral Health

The purpose of this internship was to investigate the bidirectional relationship between nutritional and oral health by critically examining information gained through clinical observations, the results of

Author(s): Becca Yuxin Yang

UW Campus Food Systems

The purpose of this internship was to learn about the UW Seattle campus food system’s economic and environmental sustainability. The student helped the UW Farm harvest and record the volume of produce

Author(s): Corey Maloney

Exploration of the Association Between Family Eating Habits in Adolescence and Intuitive Eating in Young Adulthood

This research explores and evaluates the relationship between college students’ current level of intuitive eating and their parents’ or primary caregivers’ feeding style during the students’

Author(s): Carmen Wilkinson

• Cristen L. Harris

Master Composter/Sustainability Steward Intern

Participated in the Spring 2023 Master Composter/Sustainability Steward Program, as well as assisting with program coordination and outreach. Managed Tilth’s worm bins at the Good Shepherd Center. Community

Author(s): Anna-Maya Sipila

Differences in state-level accessibility to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Collected and recorded 2023 data from all 50 U.S. states to compare SNAP policy choices from past USDA data. This will show state-level trends, eligibility criteria, and participant

Author(s): Dakota Kesterson and Carlos Morales

• Pia Chaparro

An Exploration of a WIC Staffing Model Allowing Intermediate Nutrition Risk Appointments to Be Completed by Bachelor-Level Nutrition Consultants

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requested an examination of WIC staffing models in all US states to determine the feasibility of allowing bachelors-level nutritionists to perform intermediate

Author(s): Megan Fisher

Who is Farming? Exploring the Diversity of Ideas on the UW Farm

This study strives to understand more about the diversity of ideas on the UW Farm and in the larger food system. The intern interviewed several UW Farm workers, including students with different areas of focus

Author(s): Hsin-Yu Huang

Nutrition Training Outreach to RDNs in Under-Resourced WA Counties

The Washington State Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN) Nutrition Network aims to improve access to evidence-based nutrition care for the organization and their families by providing

Evaluating the Impact of Changes in the Service Delivery of WIC and First Steps in King County

Worked with Parent-Child Health Programs to design, conduct, and analyze semi-structured, qualitative interviews with clients of the First Steps and WIC program. Conducted 27 interviews across six different

Author(s): Marah Zinnen

Coaches Reference: Eating Disorders and Amateur Cycling – Context, Red Flags, and Resources

Created a website to provide stage cycling coaches with supportive nutrition information for their athletes. Includes detailed nutrition guides, research about athletes and eating behaviors, and counseling on

Assessment and Evaluation of an Interprofessional Practice Education Event for Students of the UW Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics and School of Pharmacy Program

Assessed and evaluated student participation in and feedback of an Interprofessional Practice Education (IPE) event with UW graduate students from the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics and School of

Author(s): Si Bui

Connecting Columbia City Families with Nutritional Resources and Produce: Back-to-School Nutrition Night and Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt

Developed informational resources for parents and facilitated a “farm food treasure hunt” at the Columbia City Neighborhood Farmers Market Back-to-School Nutrition Night event. Community Partner:

Workplace Lactation Support with UW WorkLife and the Whole U

Partnered with UW programs to raise awareness of the importance of breast milk and breast feeding, describe the challenges lactating employees face in the workplace, direct non-lactating staff to resources for

Providing a CACFP-Supportive “Snack Cheat Sheet” for the Dale Turner Family YMCA

Worked with the YMCA to create a snack “cheat sheet” adhering to the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines. Community Partner: Dale Turner Family

SCH Celiac Disease Program: Assessing Equity & Strengthening Resources

Completed a needs assessment of the program to learn how it could be more equitable for family participants. Provided an enhanced Celiac Program resource guide and updated patient enrollment listing, prepared

Author(s): Kathryn McConaughy

Nutritional Assessment and Training of Latinx Parents of the Elementary School Program at El Centro de La Raza

Assessed both the health and nutrition knowledge and the training on nutrition to Latina/o parents of students in El Centro de la Raza’s Elementary School Program. The aim of this project is to strengthen a)

Author(s): Jonathan Lara

Nutrient-Rich Foods in Western African Food Supply: Applying Nutrient Profiling Models to the FAO Food Composition Table for Western Africa (WAFCT 2019)

This study aimed to adapt and apply nutrient profiling models to the FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Table for Western Africa (WAFCT 2019) to identify locally available nutrient-dense foods across different food

• Adam Drewnowski

Qualitative Analysis and Development of Communication Materials for the Mama Aweza Trial in Kenya

The Maternal Administered Malnutrition Monitoring System (MAMMS) project in Kenya aims to enhance screening coverage for childhood acute malnutrition, leading to early identification and reduced costs for

Designing a Produce Prescription Program (PRx) to Address Food Insecurity in the Pacific Islander LGBTQIA+ Population of King County, WA

This project examined how a produce prescription program (PRx) could be developed to address the highest risk of food insecurity and chronic disease in the Pacific Islander LGBTQIA+ community in King County.

Providing Medically Tailored Meals to Older Adults with Sound Generations’ Meals on Wheels

Sound Generations works to address the unique needs of the aging community in King County, Washington, by connecting older adults to community resources and providing food security, transportation, health and

Author(s): Joanne Lum

Nutrition Education with Hunger Intervention Program

Partnered with Hunger Intervention Program and their mission to increase food security for underserved populations in North King County to provide nutrition education and cooking demonstrations to children and

• Elizabeth Kirk

Community-Informed Strategic Plan for Healthy Food Access in King County

Worked with the Washington State Department of Health’s Healthy Eating Active Living Program (HEAL) to review two community engagement reports (HEAL Evaluation Final Report 2022 and Food Insecurity in

Author(s): Jennifer Urban

Tukwila Village Farmers Market Cookbook

Completed a recipe booklet for the Tukwila Village Farmers Market featuring flexible, affordable recipes that center on produce available at the market (which is SNAP Market Match eligible). The booklet is

Qualitative Data Review and Analysis: We Feed WA Pilot Food Program

We Feed WA (WFW) provides emergency food for people experiencing hunger through partnerships with local or regional food producers, farmers and ranchers, processors and distributors, and hunger relief

Author(s): Mayra Gutierrez, Andrea Litzow, Emilee Vann

WSU Global Health Promotion: Grocery Vouchers

Completed research, data analysis, and a literature review focusing on digital/web-based nutrition education interventions for remote college students. Community Partner: WSU Global

Teen Feed: Trauma and Food, Notes for Meals

Created a handout outlining food texture, taste, spice, and digestion aids to consider during meals with Teen Feed clients who have experienced trauma. This handout was informed by the documented association

Nutritious and Tasty: Teen Feed Volunteer Guide to Feeding Adolescents

Using Teen Feed client feedback and behavioral research, created a guide to help volunteers create satisfying, nutritional meals for the organization’s teen clients. Provides easy options for adding

How to Talk About Food: A Guide for Teen Feed Volunteers

Drafted a simple document for Teen Feed volunteers and staff on how to talk with teens about food without communicating harm. Encourages client-facing workers to avoid labels, limit personal commentary, and to

Teen Feed: Foods to Choose From to Create Balanced Meals

Created a short document providing a list of healthy foods falling under the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as example meals tailored to various dietary patterns (e.g., vegetarianism, veganism,

Author(s): Oluseyi Shonuyi

A Visual Adaptation of the HER Guidelines Table for Teen Feed Volunteers

Developed an “at-a-glance” version of the Healthy Eating Research (HER) Guidelines Table with example images of foods within the categories of “often”, “sometimes”, or

Teen Feed Meal Evaluation Tool

Created a meal evaluation tool (“Meal Checklist”) for Teen Feed volunteers to use before or after building their meals. Google Form questions both gather information on and help guide volunteers

Author(s): Kathryn McConaughy and Marah Zinnen

Teen Feed: Build Your Own Healthy Meal Challenge

Prepared a guide with a list of healthy or “choose often” options for each food category so clients can combine items they like and build their own version of a healthy, balanced

Teen Feed: Population and Impact

Designed a handout for Teen Feed to utilize when soliciting donors and volunteers, which provides an overview of their adolescent client population and their unique nutrition needs and the impact the

Author(s): Victoria Jansen and Mayra Gutierrez

Teen Feed: Ensuring Physical and Emotional Safety at Mealtimes

Used the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) model to create a fact sheet and guide for Teen Feed volunteers to use when building their client meals. Focuses on supporting both the emotional and nutritional

UW Farm Strategic Planning Capstone Projects, Winter 2023

Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health capstone projects for winter 2023 helped advance the UW Farm’s ongoing strategic planning process which was initiated in 2021. Students built upon Phase I of the

Ground Truthing Phase 1 of UW Farm Strategic Plan with UW Farm Advisory Committee

The team provided ideas and recommendations to benefit the UW Farm based on focus group feedback from members of the Farm Advisory Committee on Phase 1 of the organization’s strategic plan. Community

Author(s): Abdullahi Ahmed, Jheazelle Cadiente, Lily Gridyushko, Heteng Zhang

Ground Truthing Phase 1 of UW Farm Strategic Plan with UW Registered Student Organizations

The team partnered with the UW Farm and Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on campus to uncover the importance of student engagement within Phase 1 of the UW Farm strategic plan. Feedback gathered through

Author(s): Wendy Celaya-Ibanez, Yawen Wei, IsabellaRose Anegbeode, Carmen Wilkinson, Sidney Johnson

Ground Truthing Phase 1 of UW Farm Strategic Plan with UW Campus Sustainability Fund

The team analyzed preliminary interviews and focus group results to help advance Phase 1 of the UW Farm’s strategic plan, focusing on strengthening collaboration between the UW Farm and the Campus

Author(s): Denise Elizabeth Korompis, Qingqing (Wendy) Zhang, Xi Peng, Dominic Madden

Ground Truthing Phase 1 of UW Farm Strategic Plan with UW wǝɫxǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House

The team utilized community feedback through qualitative interviews to integrate Indigenous food sovereignty and perspectives into recommendations toward the furthering of Phase 1 of the UW Farm Strategic

Author(s): Tajanee Chappel, Wen Huei (Vivian) Chen, Rodolfo (Rudy) Franco, Celine Liulamaga, Brenda Leyva Rojas

UW Farm Strategic Goal #4: Contribute to UW Food Security, Food Sovereignty, and Sustainability – Team 2

This project leverages established relationships to improve cross-campus buy-in and funding of Farm initiatives by visualizing the current and potential stakeholder network, uniting motivated students, and

Author(s): Lauren Schwartz, MaKayla Kelby, Makenna Schumacher, Olivia Meader Yetter

UW Farm Strategic Goal #4: Contribute to UW Food Security, Food Sovereignty, and Sustainability – Team 1

This team addressed one of the UW Farm’s strategic goals: Contribute to UW Food Security, Food Sovereignty, and Sustainability. The group developed educational deliverables for First Year Programs to

Author(s): Dana (Cameron) Baker, Kayla Guzman, Hannah Risher, Johnny Nguyen, Zerui (David) Liao

UW Farm Strategic Goal #3: Support Inclusive Community Building and Empowerment – Team 2

The team’s goal was to promote inclusive community building and empowerment through addressing the barriers that prevent student involvement at the UW Farm. This project brings the Farm to students

Author(s): Annete Alcantar, Ariana King, Megha Sonhi (*some members not listed)

UW Farm Strategic Goal #3: Support Inclusive Community Building and Empowerment – Team 1

One of the UW Farm’s strategic goals is to support inclusive community building and empowerment. In order to address barriers to engagement with the Farm, this team developed four events to promote

Author(s): Dawn Dang, Hwi Lin (Kevin) Kim, Qianqi (Kate) Wang, Nathaniel Lesure

UW Farm Strategic Goal #2: Deepen Student Understanding of Urban Food Production Systems – Team 2

This project focuses on the UW Farm’s strategic goal of deepening student understanding of urban food production systems. The team concentrated on strengthening the academic side of student engagement by

Author(s): Weiyi (Jeremey) Shi, Xuecheng (Snow) Yu, Cassadey Porter, Taylor Kesselring (*some members not listed)

UW Farm Strategic Goal #2: Deepen Student Understanding of Urban Food Production Systems – Team 1

The project goal was to deepen student understanding of urban food production systems by creating a well-rounded minor program in Urban Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Washington. The team

Author(s): Ayn Kurzenhauser, Danzengquying (Quying Danzeng), Sarah Armbruster, Shixi Zhang, Carson Strange

UW Farm Strategic Goal #1: Meet Academic Demand – Team 2

The UW Farm is a great resource for students across all disciplines at the University of Washington, yet there is a desperate need for funding and staffing to meet academic demand as presented in the

Author(s): Corey Maloney, Mckenzie Egan, Phoebe Chen, Renee Hopper

UW Farm Strategic Goal #1: Meet Academic Demand – Team 1

This project aims to meet academic demand for urban farming demonstrated by students as presented in the UW Farm’s strategic plan. The team delivered a UW Farm directory with university and local farm

Author(s): Della Floyd, Ayse Koyun, Lanxuan (Mary) Xu, Yongyi (David) Liu, Li-Ting (Lisa) Chou

Characterizing Burnout Among U.S. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory

This study examines the prevalence of burnout in Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) and characterizes it across demographic and work-related

• Lingtak-Neander Chan

Afghan Foods Nutrition Education

Author(s): Norma Garfias Avila

Is a Traditional Mexican Diet Better Suited for Mexican-Descent Women?

This study evaluates whether the the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including the USDA-provided Spanish translation, are effective for adopting and maintaining a healthy diet aimed at improving health

Farm System Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey-Based Analysis of Impacts and Adaptations among Farmers in Washington State

This survey analysis attempts to identify how impacts and adaptations of the COVID-19 pandemic varied amongst farms in WA state based on specific resilience characteristics: robustness, adaptability and

Author(s): Anna Fogel

• Sarah Collier

Healthy Food, As Told by TikTok: A Thematic Analysis of the Most Liked #healthyrecipes on TikTok

Thematic analysis revealed that the most popular TikTok creators of “healthy” recipes characterize healthy food as some combination of utilizing practical skills to maintain a home cooking routine,

Author(s): Kaitlin Sandberg

• Michelle Averill

Effect of Low vs High Eating Frequency on Perceived Appetite, Plasma Appetite Hormones, and Appetite Relationships: A Component of the Frequency of Eating and Satiety Hormones (FRESH) Study

This study concludes that three versus six eating frequencies per day did not have an independent effect on appetite measures through a randomized cross-over trial that controlled for various factors,

Author(s): Trey Lee (Jerry) Hill

Insights from Washington’s COVID-19 Response: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of WIC Remote Services and Expanded Food Options Using the Re-aim Framework

This study assesses the reach and effectiveness of the COVID-19-programmatic changes instituted by Washington State WIC; the processes, facilitators, and challenges involved in their implementation; and

Author(s): Evelyn Morris

• Jennifer Otten

Changes in Eating Habits Among Eating Competent and Non-Eating Competent College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Recent research reveals that eating context, as well as underlying stress, were the primary drivers of changes in eating habits experienced by U.S. undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This

Author(s): Jennifer Dearden

Eating Competence and Gender Identity Are Significantly Associated with Weight-And-Body Shame-And-Guilt, Eating Concerns, and Weight Satisfaction in Undergraduate Students

This study, which surveyed a large sample of undergraduates at the University of Washington, determined that eating competence and gender identity are significantly associated with: weight-and-body

Author(s): Kaitlin Benjamin

Disordered Eating and Eating Competence in Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on Symptom Severity

This study seeks to assess the frequency at which disordered eating impacts patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), evaluate the level of Eating Competence (EC) among patients with IBS, and determine

Author(s): Kate Evans

Family Feeding Dynamics: Using Ellyn Satter’s Models to Address Adolescent Weight-Based Concerns

Author(s): Olivia Ramoino

Development of a Weight-Inclusive Nutrition Education Toolkit

Updated protocol: outpatient follow-up chart note template, going home with a feeding tube: a needs assessment.

Author(s): Ana Portilla

Patient with COVID Leading to Multisystem Organ Failure Including ESRD with CRRT

Author(s): Trey Lee Hill

Advancing Nutrition Assessments in the ICU

Author(s): Sarah Haack

Histamine Intolerance and the Low Histamine Diet

Nutrition and glycemic management in type 2 diabetes, data science intern at cedar street capital llc.

Analyzed data, designed menus, evaluated products, and solved problems together with nutritionists and economists related to real-world circumstances and challenges.  This included designing and

Author(s): Jingnan Yuan

Social Media Intern at HONE

Produced marketing content for a startup company related to their food product.  Observed how the complex components in the food system and the supply chain interacted with social and cultural interactions

Author(s): Fang-Wen Wen

Laboratory Assistant Internship at Chondrex, Inc.

Assisted in research working on developing antibodies against and allergens such as gluten and developing antibody assay kits to fight against pathogenesis of dysbiosis and low immune function.  Connected to

Author(s): Mizuki Suda

Internship at the University of Washington Farm

Wrote weekly sections for a public newsletter discussing nutritional information, cultural relevance of foods, and recipes.  Used knowledge from the various food systems connected to the farm to evaluate and

Author(s): Gina Marie Joy Simon

Nutrition as Intervention in Genetic Disease

Assisted in research being conducted between PXE (pseudoxanthoma elasticum), a rare genetic condition, and diet. Created clear and simple graphic materials that were distributed to study participants that

Project Type(s): Undergraduate Internship, Undergraduate Research

Author(s): Ruby Price

Internship at the Common Acre

Developed working relationships with community partners who received harvested food and gained more knowledge about planning, growing, and contributing to local food security.  Learned about the organizations

Author(s): Tiana Powell

Fresh Food and Sustainability Intern and the UW Food Pantry

Managed food that is provided to the UW pantry from food service and redistribed in order to reduce waste.  Worked with pantry customers towards alleviating the stress of food insecurity by providing a safe

Author(s): Julia M Meyer

Internship at the Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ)

Gained experience in the nonprofit sector of food justice advocacy and policy work.  Evaluated current policy initiatives that directly impact food sovereignty and/or security and added to the research that

Author(s): Fotimakhon Ibrokhim

Food Security Internship at the University of Washington Farm

Worked in collaboration with the UW Farm and UW Food Pantry, to explore food from not only a field experience in organic farming, but also management and evaluating data to better understand food security and

Latin American Nutrition Guide for Providers

Proposal for new parenteral nutrition protocols at university of washington medical center.

Author(s): Molly Knowling

Proposed Protein Supplementation Protocol for Critically-Ill Surgical Patients Receiving Enteral Nutrition Support DRAFT

Author(s): Cairo Archer

The Role of Adiposity in the Association of Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Metabolic and Clinical Markers in Healthy Adults on Controlled Diets

Using a study of healthy adults on controlled diets, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) were positively associated with adiposity, markers of inflammation, insulin resistance, and satiety hormone leptin. These

Stress and Eating Behaviors of Dietitians Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Registered dietitians were surveyed using assessment tools for perceived stress, orthorexia nervosa risk, and eating competence. Stress was found to be inversely associated with eating competence, but was

Author(s): Josh Floberg

Race, Disability, Gender, Age, and Income Among Participants of United Way King County’s Door Dash Program as Compared to King County Residents Living Below the Federal Poverty Level

This project was completed as part of NUTR 596: Nutrition Practice

Author(s): Allie Seroussi

• Lina Pinero Walkinshaw

Nutrition Support Assessment in Gastrointestinal Surgery Patients

This capstone project involved a review of inappropriate and improper cases of nutrition support in gastrointestinal patients at University of Washington Medical Center – Montlake. This project was

Farm Connections to Culture, Identity, and Health: Food Justice Strategies for Restoring Historically Marginalized Communities in South Seattle-King County through Urban and Local Agriculture (Team 2)

Washington Farmland Trust expressed interest in impacts of displacement and land discrimination on historically marginalized communities, in addition to the impacts of reconnecting these communities to farms

Author(s): Henry Tran, Katie Kauffman, Maya Bui, Mikayla Blevens, Agustin Estrada

Paying Respect to the Unceded Land of the Duwamish Tribe (Team 1)

In partnership with Washington Farmland Trust, a case study focused on the Duwamish Hill Preserve, a park in the City of Tukwila that showcases historical seating areas, native plants and crops, and traditions

Author(s): Yusheng Yan, Kristin Tianwei Hu, Ruby Robins, Sammy Ruiz, Emily Kim

Climate Resilient Agriculture (Team 2)

Viva Farms currently does not have a climate resilience plan. Our project provides them with a plan that consists of future climate predictions, as well as mitigation and adaptation methods. Community Partner:

Author(s): Jennifer Phan, Katie Ehrig, Vicki Nguyen, Summer Cornell, Melanie He

Washington Cascadia Region Agricultural Resiliency Plan (Team 1)

Viva Farms, a Seattle-based non-profit incubator/training farm has already begun to see some of these negative impacts, including record heat waves and wildfire smoke. Micah Anderson, the Farm and Education

Author(s): Meredith Kruger, Amara Cunningham, Mizuki Suda, Eric Douangdara, Roy Junlang Lin

Developing an Equity Framework for the Viva Farms Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture (Team 2)

We developed a racial justice and equity educational plan to be implemented in tandem with the 9 month Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture at Viva Farms in Woodinville, WA. Equip farmers with the information

Author(s): August Burwell, Madi Huskey, Lizzie Zimmerman, Vickie Fang-Wen

Viva Farms Racial Justice and Equity Engagement Plan (Team 1)

A seven-module compilation of resources and practical steps to facilitate active and ongoing learning for the staff of Viva Farms as they identify their organizational commitment to racial justice and equity.

Author(s): Tiana Powell, Zehraa Al-Hamad, Emily Waltenburg, Adriana Castaneda, Abby Ellis

Nourish and Inspire: Creating Communications to Connect Local BIPOC Farms, Culturally Relevant Cooking Classes, and Community Food Security (Team 2)

Plant Based Food Share, a local Seattle non-profit, was looking for ways in which they could improve their current communication methods and strategies to spread awareness about the organization and all that

Author(s): Wendy Yang Lu, Carina Yu Jong Chan, Alexandra Wei Nam Ma, Hannah Haojing Chen, Lily Kahane

Nourish and Inspire: Creating Communications to Connect Local BIPOC Farms, Culturally Relevant Cooking Classes, and Community Food Security (Team 1)

Developed marketing materials to increase community participation in The Plant Based Food Share and assisted the organization in its vision to reduce food insecurity by providing resources for low-income,

Author(s): Kayla de Vera, Christina Romeo, Tammie Cheung, Annie Nguyen, Nathaniel Dobosz

Yes Farm: Final Project (Team 2)

Engaged in community outreach by creating a survey to understand the demographic of those who interact with the YES FARM and what types of cultural plants they would want more accessible to them. Through our

Author(s): Eugene Yang, Alana Nguyen, Joyce Li, Steven Shan Marzan, Emma Baoxin Huang

Invitation to YES Farm: Utilizing Plants to Create Inviting Spaces That Promote & Celebrate Diversity (Team 1)

Researched and developed a plant map for Yes farm to navigate their work in redesigning Yes farm entrances. This project is geared towards incorporating plants in order to create an inviting space for

Author(s): Rahma Arale, Elizabeth Herrera, Kenny Rui Ou, Sandra Nguyen

Beacon Food Forest User Assessment: Discovering methods on building an informed survey

Conduct online research to help community partners learn about what to include in and how to write proper survey questions, and how to distribute and test the survey for usability Community Partner: Beacon

Author(s): Yuni Zhang

Beacon Food Forest User Assessment: Final Project

Generated an informed user assessment survey regarding Beacon Food Forest to understand who is using Beacon, what users gain from the garden, and what the garden is still lacking. The survey outcome will serve

Author(s): Yuri Hwang, Hafsa Mohamoud

Addressing Food Insecurity through Community-led Partners Proposal (Team 2)

Aimed to address Washington’s food insecurity issue through developing a community-based food assistance project. Created a food distribution plan for Farmstand Local Food’s We Feed WA proposal through

Author(s): Sage Yiming Guo, Hsin-Yu Huang, Hailey Menssen, Jacob Iyall, Justina Woo

Addressing Food Insecurity Through Community-led Distribution Partnerships: Farmstand Local Foods and Pacific Coast Harvest, Neighborcare Health, and Rising Star (Team 1)

We worked alongside Farmstand Local Foods/Pacific Coast Harvest and NeighborCare Health to address structural inequities that lead to food insecurity in the United States. This was achieved by developing a

Author(s): Katie Yee, Tansy Huang, Cindy Ziwen Sun, Kambria McDonald, Courtney Campbell

Danny Woo Community Garden: The Safety & Sustainability Guide for Gardeners to Reduce Rodent Infestation (Team 2)

Explored natural deterrent solutions to minimize rodent infestation in rural gardens. Our goal is to maintain a sustainable and equitable food system at the Danny Woo Community Garden free of rodenticides and

Author(s): Jackie Ramos, Christian David Stammer, Reem Abraham, Veronica Ritchie

Improving Food Safety and Sustainability: Minimizing the Effects of Rodents in an Urban Community Garden (Team 1)

For our Food Systems Capstone project, we collaborated with the Danny Woo Community Garden to suggest methods to decrease urban rodent infestations and their associated damage to gardeners’ crops. We

Author(s): Helena Wang, Zhiru Li, Michelle Davidson, Nima Sherpa

Community-Driven Consumer Behavior Change for City of Seattle Human Services Department (Team 2)

Researching, identifying, and analyzing effective methods to increase access to nutritionally dense and plant-based foods for the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department to help guide community-driven

Author(s): Valeria Uber Kellogg, Christina Gonzalez, Sophia Ching-Yu Yang, Delmaris Jones, Andrea Tang

Community-Driven Consumer Behavior Change Team 1: Moving Towards Culturally Relevant, Environmentally Friendly Whole Foods

For our capstone, we compiled multiple campaigns & research articles to evaluate how strategies can be implemented to increase access to healthy, environmentally friendly, and plant-based foods for

Author(s): Bingbing Xiaobing Zhang, Pam Napisa Chansiri, Ally Siu, Peyton Fairservice, Tania Aronowitz

Community Engagement: Incorporating Social Media into the Food Action Plan (Team 2)

Partnered with the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment to develop a recommendation on the public engagement process for the final update of Seattle’s Food Action Plan. Assessed how

Author(s): Sophie Wolfson, Yuyan Chen, Yuchen Zhang, Catherine Oh

Designing Community Engagement for Seattle’s Food Action Plan (Team 1)

Research on different cities’ food action plans to increase public engagement. Developed 4 strategies to increase Seattle’s residence engagement with the upcoming food action plan. Community Partner:

Author(s): Nicolle Jingyi Zhou, Connie Kening Huang, Sindy Hsin Ying Hsieh, Sophia Danielle Mathews

Increasing Gardening in Early Care and Education in Washington State

Author(s): Chelsea Whealdon

Promoting Equity Within WA SNAP-Ed Curricula

Author(s): Rachel Ross

Strengthening Lactation Support For Small and Sick Newborns

Cultural adaptations for washington snap-ed curriculum, team nutrition grant & scratch cooked recipe development for highline school district.

Author(s): Beth Faw

Improving Produce Prescription Processes

Author(s): Amy Ervin

Mapping the Garden: Creating sitemaps for current & future Green Square

Created three maps for the University of Washington Tower Green Square representing the current state, future expansions and a 3D model using Adobe Illustrator, Miro, Figma, And SketchUp. Community Partners:

Author(s): Bethany Wang, Sharon Feng, Crystal Luu, Talon Hull, Jeffrey Balaoing

True Cost Accounting: Document an ongoing budget to keep this project going in the medium to long term

Examined the financial and social resources required for the successful completion of the University of Washington Green Square Project. Developed a budget that includes income from the Campus Sustainability

Author(s): Yushu Xiao, Alessandra Lorence, Tia Flora, Nathan Tran

Finding the Money: Develop proposal for the next Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) grant

Utlized data, field trip experiences as well as new suggestions and ideas to write a proposal for the Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) grant to support improvements to Green Square during the 2023-2024

Author(s): Francis Viloria, Kellie Weaver, Tyler Vongkhamchanh, Darcy Cai, Adrianne Lopez

Scope of Work: Create plan for the 2022 seasonal student worker position(s)

Investigated the scope of labor required for the forthcoming seasons of Spring, Summer, and Autumn at the UW Tower Urban Garden Space in order to develop a plan for the seasonal worker student position. By

Author(s): Kyra Bilgic, Lydia Leu, Terry Nguyen, Jessica Ruelas, Aarti Tandon

Living Systems: Support soil health through a practical plan

Assessed the soil quality at the UW Tower Green Square to help support both the soil and possible future urban agriculture practices. Understanding the soil and how to best amend the quality will set up a

Author(s): Ruohan Hong, Michael Li, Nghia Thai, Jessica Ketner, Jesus Mendoza

Mind the GAP (Good Agricultural Practices): Maximize the food donation potential of the space through crop planning & food safety

Developed a plan for how the UW Tower’s Green Square Garden will grow produce to donate to the UW Food Pantry. The goal is to grow produce year-round to supply the pantry with fresh produce, so that food

Author(s): Mia Luna, Erika Reinhardt, Adriel Liau, Hussain Al-Hamad, Avery Kennedy

Placemaking: Design & maintenance for multiple uses

Created a plan of action that would expand the appeal of the UW Tower’s Green Square and allow it to support multiple uses. This project includes welcoming diverse community populations, urban

Author(s): Jesus Untalan, Adrienne Quan, Anita Pham, Yuchen Cui, Leila Guerzon

Story-telling in the Garden: Create a communication plan for the garden

Researched effective means of communicating the stories of UWTower’s Green Square project. The goal was to increase engagement with the outdoor space by creating a welcoming area for all through the combined

Author(s): Sage Choi, Rumi Conley, Morgan Restivo, Chloe Huang, Anthony Lu

Why & For Whom: Vision ideal uses and determine accessibility

Engaged with the vision for UW Tower Green Square to contribute to food system sustainability and equity. Community Partners: Cheryl Wheeler (UW Tower Green Team); Jacinda Luna (UW Tower), Troy Swanson (UW

Author(s): Emma Washburn, Ashli Choi, Madilyn-Linh Lai, Sam He, Gian Hong

Research to Promote Corporate Accountability for Racial Justice Among Food and Beverage Companies

Big food & big soda – assessing commitment to racial justice: a case study, uw nutrition clinic, office of nutrition services: wic, welcome to washington wic project, king country breast feeding coalition, great grocer project, developing nutrition education materials for the hunger intervention program (hip), outreach intern for food systems, nutrition, and health.

Gained hands-on experience with communication and outreach for food systems, nutrition, and health major. Collaborated with staff on information sessions and panels.  Wrote and delivered introduction of

Author(s): Christina Gonzalez

Healthy Food as Told by Tiktok: A Mixed Methods Content Analysis of #healthyrecipes on Tiktok

Author(s): Olivia Banerjee

SNAP Policy Changes During COVID-19

Policy makers made several changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to mitigate rising food insecurity related to economic and social challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief

Culturally Relevant Food In Seattle & King County

This project highlights culturally relevant food in Seattle and King County that are resources available within the emergency food system. This project was completed as part of NUTR 596: Nutrition Practice

Race, Disability, Gender, Age, and Income Among Participants of United Way King County’s DoorDash Program as Compared to King County Residents Living Below the Federal Poverty Level

This project is an analysis describing demographics of people living below the federal poverty level in King County, and compares these demogaphic characteristics to those fo the United Way King County

College Students’ Perception of SNAP and Strategies to Increase Participation

Food bank delivery programs: best practices across the u.s..

The United Way of King County (UWKC) has been running a county-wide food bank delivery program since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020). To provide the best and most efficient service UWKC

Strategies for the Provision of Culturally Relevant Foods

This brief intends to answer the question: “What have food banks and community food programs nationally done to best address providing culturally relevant food?” Though significant efforts have

Assessing Demographics of United Way King County DoorDash Clients vs. Low-income King County Residents

The United Way of King County (UWKC) partnership with the DoorDash delivery program seeks to fill the gaps in regional food bank services during the Covid-19 pandemic, and better serve populations facing acute

Federal Emergency Food Responses to COVID-19

The public health emergency of COVID-19 increased hunger (1). From 2019 to 2020 household food insecurity rose from 10.5% to 11.8% adding an additional three million people. Food insecurity was experienced to

SNAP and Emergency Food System Use and Users: A Report for UWKC

The original research questions for this project are, “What is the relationship nationally between SNAP program users, and emergency food system users/clients? What are the characteristics of who uses each

United Way of King County DoorDash Delivery Program: Analysis and Recommendations

In this project, students worked with the United Way of King County (UWKC) to evaluate and assess its UWKC-DoorDash Program, a food delivery service which delivers healthy meals to families and helps relieve

Author(s): Kaitlin Benjamin, Jenn Dearden, Amy Ervin, Kate Evans, Beth Faw, Norma Garfias Avila, Sarah Haack, Trey Hill, Evelyn Morris, Ana Portilla, Olivia Ramoino, Rachel Ross, Kaitlin Sandberg, Allie Seroussi, Jen Urban and Chelsea Whealdon

Program(s): Master of Public Health, Master of Science, RDN Training

• Jessica Jones-Smith

Impacts of the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax on Perceived Healthfulness of Sweetened Beverages

This study analyzes pre-tax and post-tax survey data collected from Seattle and comparison area residents to compare differences in the perceived healthfulness of sweetened beverage consumption and drink types

Author(s): Lauren Sawyer

A Qualitative Investigation of Resilience Among Small Farms in Western Washington: Experiences During the First Growing Season of COVID-19

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on directly marketing small farms in western Washington State, with a focus on farmers’ experiences with

Author(s): Danielle (Dani) Ladyka

Macrophage Accumulation and Lipid Loading in Diabetic Kidney Disease

This study investigates the direct effects of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein accumulation in diabetic kidney disease

Author(s): Kazue Yoshida

The Association of Food Insecurity and Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Youth and Young Adults with Diabetes: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

This study examines the relationship between household food insecurity (i.e., access to nutritionally adequate and safe food) and disordered eating behaviors (i.e., restriction, bingeing, insulin manipulation,

Author(s): Emahlea Jackson

• Jason Mendoza, MD, MPH

Weight Bias in Clinical Care: Assessment of an Interprofessional Session for Health Sciences Students

This study assesses the impact of an educational session on weight stigma among health profession students. The results of a pre- and post-session survey suggest a change in the level of empathy and awareness

Author(s): Diana Aguilera

Screen Time in Early Care and Education Settings: Current Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities

Author(s): Stephanie Winterbauer

Nutritional Concerns in Substance Use Disorders

Author(s): Maryann Ruiz

Developing a Nutrition Education Curriculum for a Diverse Population of Older Adults at Bellwether Housing

Author(s): Sarah Perlin (and Dorothy Nguyen)

Author(s): Dorothy Nguyen (and Sarah Perlin)

Examination of Early Learning Mealtime Best Practices: Opportunities and Challenges for Specialized Responsive Feeding Practices

Author(s): Jessa Engelken

Eating Disorders Among LGBTQ Individuals & Case Report

Disorders of fluid balance in a patient with a resected pituitary tumor, understanding employer perceptions and implementation of nutrition.

Author(s): Alexandra Garrity

Laying the Groundwork for Glycemic Index Education for Type 2 Diabetic and Insulin Resistant Patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Inpatient nutrition management of faltering growth for a medically complex child.

Author(s): Danielle Ladyka

The Value of Outpatient Dietitian Contact Time for Adolescents With Restrictive Eating Disorders

Supporting early learning provider wellness and healthy relationship with food, building a more resilient & equitable food system in seattle.

Community Partners: City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment Analyzed resilience framework from Boston, MA in order to add recommendations to Seattle Food Action Plan and build more resilient

Author(s): Grace Kwak

The Making of Composting with College Roommates

Integrated research on the benefits of composting and experimentation by getting roommates to start

Author(s): Min Chang

The Organic Food Industry in China

Investigated the barriers that exist in the resilience and equity of Chinese organic food system and provided

Author(s): Ada Li, Siyu Zhao, Victoria Tran, Xinyu Wang

Analysis of Decreasing Arable Lands Issue in China and Korea and Strategies for Supporting Local Farmers

Assessed the impact of natural hazards and urbanization on the loss of arable lands in China Yangtze River region and Korean Gyeonggi province and introducing three possible solutions to help local communities

Author(s): Jingyi Yao, Regina Yin, Jingnan Yuan, Ji Eun Choi

An Exploration of Food Delivery Industry in Shanghai and Its Impact On Workers Welfare, Environment and Public Health

Explored and made recommendations for the food delivery industry in Shanghai, China during COVID-19 pandemic with intention to improve the system’s ability to respond to disruptions, strengthen and economy,

Author(s): Yide Cai, Ian Zhong, Siyi Guan

Where’s Our Food?

Community Partners: Plant Based Food Share; Farestart; King County Local Food Initiative Partnered with Farestart, Plant-Based Food Share, and King County Local Food Initiative with goal of improving food

Author(s): Sophia Lin, Shoka Araki, Madison Moore, Leah Nordberg, Janet Gebreselassie

Community Partners: Plant Based Food Share; Farestart; King County Local Food Initiative Created food map and pamphlet that highlights BIPOC farms in the greater Seattle area to increase awareness as well as

Author(s): Alaina Matsuda, Kimmy Kim, Adrian Rodriguez, Maddy Keegan, Taya DeLong, David Telix

Incorporating Food Justice as a Value within Homeless Youth Shelters

Community Partner: Youthcare’s Orion Project In partnership with YouthCare and the Orion Center, produced an interactive food justice document and editable food budget model, which seeks to encourage staff

Author(s): Christina Giang,Albert Kidd, Gina Simon, Amy Nguyen, Ebba Getachew

Community Partner: Youthcare’s Orion Project This project served as a beginner’s guide to food justice. Created poster and brochure to introduce the movement, the values, and the necessities of food

Author(s): Liz Elton, Brynn Bench, Mariam Khalil, Jessica Garnica, and Jingjin Zhao

Viva Farms Farm Safety and Injury Prevention Training Program

Community Partner: Viva Farms Provided clear and concise materials addressing disability and injury prevention for students and

Author(s): Anna Sahlin, Jin Sun, Aidan Collins, Anna Chan, Sal Sepulveda

A Growing Need for Accessible Agriculture at Viva Farms

Community Partner: Viva Farms Collaborated with Viva Farms in Woodinville, Washington to investigate the community’s need for increased accessibility on the farm site with a focus on disability and injury

Author(s): Tessa Hignight-Roberts, Zoe Valencia, Laura R. Valle, Naomi von Ruden, Emily Sakaida

Building a Digestate Distribution Pathway in our Community

Community Partner: University District Food Bank Designed pamphlet, infographic, and comprehensive map to better distribute nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer from the University District Food Bank (UDFB)

Author(s): Sierra Einarsson, Jingwei Gong, Melody Guo, Havik Kouroupis, Taylor Strozyk, Guanlin Yu

Expanding Culturally Relevant Food Choice

Community Partner: University District Food Bank Partnering with the University District Food Bank to focus on providing resources for the food bank to obtain customer feedback on experience and food

Author(s): Katya Bloom, Hongzhou (Philip) Liao, Casey Chong, Danielle Lam, Ronan Spannuth

Community Partner: University District Food Bank In partnership with the University District Food Bank, focused on expanding culturally relevant food choice in food banks. Research methods included direct

Author(s): Richard Wu, Maryam Ahmadi, Brian Le, Yida Gao, Gyurme Lhazey

Policy, Systems & Environmental (PSE) Strategies at Food Banks: What’s been successful?

Community Partner: Solid Ground Partnered with Solid Ground, an anti-poverty and social services organization based out of Seattle, Washington, to research what policy, systems, and environmental (PSE)

Author(s): Eva Anderson, Kaley Chen, Curtis Harris, John Jin, Julissa Salas

Community Partner: Solid Ground A Collaborative Project with Solid Ground showcased a conglomeration of national strategies through various case studies. Used Solid Ground methods to implement and

Author(s): Varenna Knowles, Leina Seeley, Ian Grant, Mylynn Prak, Chase Raines

Creative Land Tenure Options for Farmers in King County

Community Partner: SnoValley Tilth In partnership with SnoValley Tilth, researched and proposed two creative land tenure options for application to King County which would provide farmers in King County an

Author(s): Isabella Danilyuk, Mercedes Lam, Ari Lui, Chloe Moore, Adela Wang

Community Partner: City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment Part of the goal of building a more resilient and equitable food system for the City of Seattle, this project identified the

Author(s): Tessa Jantz, Pamela Chan, Anna Xu, Jingzhou (Jimmy) Wang, Tammy Nguyen

Community Partner: City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment Partnered with the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment to give recommendations on the City’s next Food

Author(s): Kwan Yee Vivian Leung, Raisa Bermudez, Nikki Hogan, Ruihan Xu, Kathy Nguyen

An Exploration of Local vs. Industrial Meat Production

Community Partners: City of Seattle Farm to Table Program Worked with Farm To Table to create an infographic for educators at partner schools, encouraging the purchase of locally raised foods and identifying

Author(s): Charlie Sonmore, Kelsey Summers, Julia Meyer, Kiana Rose Camilon, Connor Pittman

Community Partners: City of Seattle Farm to Table Program; Nourishian for Life  By researching local and industrial meat production’s environmental impacts and creating an infographic and fact sheet,

Author(s): Alyn Sanchez, Brandon Liebmann, Mia Williams, Rain Jiang, Wenyan Ma

Building Food Systems Towards Food Sovereignty

Community Partner: Yes Farm In partnership with Yes Farms, created a community-owned digital map of local food systems across South Seattle, West Seattle, and the Duwamish Waterway. The map consists of local

Author(s): Anthony London, Diane Vivio, Sarah Capetillo, Fotima Ibrokhim, Hannah Jordan

Community Partner: Black Farmers Collective; Yes Farm In collaboration with Yes Farm, created a gardening curriculum targeted at middle school and high school-aged BIPOC urban youth. Curriculum includes

Author(s): Ally Womack, Chris Dang, Zhane Spates, Katie Schroder, Jane Karumba

UW Farm Production Internship

Created recipes for seasonal produce being distributed to the food pantry, as well as filmed and produced cooking videos for them with accessibility, flavor and convenience in

Author(s): Sophia Danielle Sulla Mathews

Dietary Supplement Perception and Usage Pattern Among Chinese Elder Population

This project explores the factors that influence Chinese older adults’ buying and using patterns of dietary supplements, so that the results may shed light on future regulations as well as policy

Author(s): Melody Guo, Amber Li

A How-To Guide: The Nutrition Education Internship

Published accessible and sustainable recipes, and nutrition facts on The UW Farm’s newsletter, “The Weekly Dirt.” Created a guide for future interns that discussed the pillars of

Author(s): Tania Aronowitz

Recipe Resources for a Virtual Camp Leo

Investigating demographic characteristics associated with reporting changes in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, developing a family meal guide for bellwether housing.

Author(s): Sarah Perlin

Creating Culturally Appropriate Nutrition Resources for Vietnamese and Somalian Residents of Bellwether Housing

Author(s): Dorothy Nguyen

Virtual Health Assessment for Athletes With Intellectual Disabilities

The wholeu project, article development for the whole u employee wellness program at university of washington, the school breakfast participation project.

Author(s): Kelly Wolffe

Farm to Table Needs Assessment

Author(s): Laura Tripp

The Effects of High and Low Glycemic Load Diets on Subjective Mood and Energy Levels in Normal Weight and Overweight/Obese Adults

Author(s): Kara Breymeyer

Advocating for Farm to Early Care and Education in WA

Developing culturally relevant asian meals for sound generations’ meals on wheels, maximizing the reach and impact of wa snap-ed resources, promoting and supporting nw tribal food sovereignty through policy, culturally relevant breastfeeding support among childcare providers in the child and adult care food program (cacfp), virtual health assessment for athletes with intellectual disabilities, an intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding by creating continuing medical education training modules for healthcare providers.

Author(s): Laura Blasi

Evaluating Employers’ Needs and Intentions to Implement Evidence-Based Healthy Eating Practices in the Workplace

• Anne-Marie Gloster

Exploring the Relationships between Dietary Intake of Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teachers and Nutrition Best Practices in ECE Centers

Food served in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) setting can account for over two-thirds of the diet of children in full-time care, and evidence-based best practices related to nutrition are recommended to

Author(s): Jessica Wolf

Associations between Neighborhood Sociodemographics and Prevalence of Beverage Marketing among Food Retail Stores in Seattle, WA

This study aims to assess the prevalence of in-store and exterior sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and non-SSB advertisements in Seattle, WA by neighborhood income and racial/ethnic

Author(s): Samuel Vinci

Natural Disaster Subsidy for Farmers in Taiwan

Assessment of existing Taiwanese Council of Agriculture protocols that support farmer subsidies following natural disasters and research into strategies to improve the quality of that support and overall

Author(s): Kai-Yu (Carrie) Hsueh, Yu-Wei (Vernnica) Tseng

Washington State Farmer Resource Map

In partnership with Washington Farmland Trust (formerly PCC Farmland Trust) and Farm to Farmer, creation and distribution of a survey to inventory and map available resources needed by farmers and landholders

Author(s): Morea Daley, Quinton Hazen, Jill Ann Leszynski, Ashley Rose Valle, Huiyu (Stella) Zhou

Protecting Native Pollinators

In partnership with Viva Farms, production of educational outreach materials for farmers and consumers that increase awareness about services provided by native pollinators, research into successful native

Author(s): Wendy Chi, Emily Kwong, Esther My Nguyen, Lily Xu, Ellie R York

Immigrant Senior Meal Site Resource Guide to Local Foods

In partnership with Tilth Alliance, creation of resources for immigrant seniors to find affordable, locally grown foods in their

Author(s): Yuting (Zoey) Han, Billy Lee, Wesley Howard McLain, Siena Isabella Ruelas, Megumi Sara Tamai

Growing Rooftop Roots Across the Community

In partnership with the University District Food Bank, creation of a compelling case for developers to incorporate rooftop agriculture to extend access to local

Author(s): Elena Fazeli, Eric Lin, Estelle Yeri Park, Julia Y'Nhi Tran, Brendan James Welzien

Food Web or Food Trap

In partnership with City of Seattle Farm to Table Program and Nourishian for Life, production of an infographic and a one-pager examining the effect of industrial and local food systems on the environment and

Author(s): Jaehyun Kwon, Kimberly Nicole Lum, Mengyu Ma, Som Maya Subba

Food and Farm Business Support Center – Survey and Analysis of Collaborations and Partnerships from Across the US to Support Food and Farm Entrepreneurship

In partnership with King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks and Business Impact Northwest, research and analysis of partnerships and collaboration between nonprofits and public agencies from

Author(s): Carolyn Christensen, Erykah Holland, Karissa J Marshall, Yiyin (Kathryn) Zhang

Development of a Grassroots WA State Sustainable Agriculture Resiliency Survey

In partnership with Washington Young Farmers Coalition, development of a survey of Washington farmers to understand the economic role of smallholder agriculture in Washington and the threats farms are facing

Author(s): Molly Lane Evans, Luis Israel Fernandez, Julia Mikulikova, Katherine Thuy Trang Nguyen, Alondra Vaca

Creating Accessible Food Systems Through Education and Community

In partnership with Yes Farm, a project of the Black Farmers Collective, production of materials and resources for about healthy food systems in Seattle, using storytelling to share via social media and use as

Author(s): Kamariee Alcaraz, Dasom Chung, Rachel C Goodall, Nicole Lazar, Elena Marie Noyola

Capturing the Benefits of Regional Food Systems to Impact Policy and Practice in Early Learning Food Access Programs

In partnership with City of Seattle Farm to Table Program and Farmstand Local Foods, production of materials explaining the benefits of locally grown food, with consideration of regional food systems

Author(s): Hui-Hsin (Coco) Chuang, Cielo Gatmen, Rachel Lee, Sierra Brianne Marlow, Cindy Zhu

The Effect of Diets Rich in Low-Fat or Full-Fat Dairy Foods on Insulin Sensitivity: The Influence of Other Dietary Factors

Author(s): Merideth Murray

• Mario Kratz

Participant Perceptions on a Fitbit and Facebook Intervention for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study

Author(s): Evelina Miropolsky

Diet Quality and Food Additive Exposure in Children with and without Celiac Disease

Author(s): Erin McDonnell

• Johanna W. Lampe

The Effect of Eating Frequency on Sleep Quality Among Healthy Adults: A Component of The Frequency of Eating and Satiety Hormones (FRESH) Study

Author(s): Veronica Lenoski

Patient Perspectives on Nutrition Providers’ Phenotypes and Attitudes About Weight During Treatment for Atypical Anorexia Nervosa

Author(s): Meredith Blumenthal

Association between Food Swamps and the Diet Quality of Household Food Purchases in a Nationwide Sample

Author(s): Sara Woolcock

Exploring Barriers and Facilitators of Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Program Adoption in Washington State Farmers Markets: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Author(s): Shira Stern

“This Program is a Make or Break Scenario for Me:” A Qualitative Study on Participant Perceptions of a Grocery Store Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program

Author(s): Sophia Riemer

Defining Food Systems Diplomacy

Author(s): Divya Pahwa

Interprofessional Perceptions of Dental Providers’ Engagement in Childhood Obesity Prevention

Author(s): Anna Mowell

Food Insecurity is Associated with Depression among a Vulnerable Workforce: Early Care and Education Workers

Author(s): Ivory Loh

Association of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on Dietary Quality Among Children in the U.S. National School Lunch Program

Author(s): Kelsey Kinderknecht

Impact of Walking School Bus Programs on Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations

Author(s): Nicole Cramer

The Impact of Low-Fat and Full-Fat Dairy Consumption on Metabolic Health: A Randomized Dietary Intervention Trial

Project Type(s): PhD Dissertation

Author(s): Kelsey Schmidt

Program(s): PhD, RDN Training

A Local Policy Process for Promoting Healthy Food Access with the King County Board of Health

Development of a culturally relevant diabetes nutrition resource, auburn school district summer meals evaluation, a unified, trusting force: recommendations for the food access and aggregation community team, reducing food waste in emergency food organizations, strategies for healthier and culturally relevant food at king county food banks, post-discharge lactation support for mothers of infants who discharged from a nicu: recommendations for seattle children’s hospital’s nicu guidelines, nourished and active in early learning: planning focus groups to inform a professional development training curriculum, creating culturally appropriate educational content: coping with an eating disorder during ramadan, feeding in the setting of serosal tear repair and small bowel obstruction, developing a graduate level introductory food systems course, social and emotional learning in the school cafeteria, promoting lgbtq+ student-athlete well-being at the university of washington, eating disorder screening across disciplines in the sch adolescent medicine clinic, supporting the local food system during the covid-19 pandemic, city of seattle farm to table design project.

In this project students worked with the Seattle Human Services Department and Farm to Table program leadership (both at the City and with Farmstand Local Foods) in order to learn more from program

Author(s): Diana Aguilera, Cairo Archer, Jessa Engelken, Josh Floberg, Anna Fogel, Lexie Garrity, Molly Knowling, Dani Ladyka, Dorothy Nguyen, Sarah Perlin, Maryann Ruiz, Lauren Sawyer, Allie Seroussi, Stephanie Winterbauer, Kazue Yoshida

Protein Quality Assessment: Exploring the Role of Plant-Based Protein in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Understanding racism and race bias in dietetics: developing a public resource document, a community based participatory evaluation of the washington state fruit and vegetable prescription program, lunch for all: a resource for friday harbor students with type 1 diabetes, resource development for seattle childcare centers enrolled in the farm to table program, understanding the needs of “no-cook” clients at the u district food bank, cultured milk and egg proteins: an analysis of the policy and regulatory environment in selected geographies, camp leo diabeducation nutrition curriculum outline, an examination of sleep pattern characteristics and healthy eating index scores among students in circadian biology class.

Author(s): Tucker Reiley

The Impact of Low-Fat and Full-Fat Dairy on Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Author(s): Imashi Fernando

Low-Income Workers’ Perceptions of Wages, Food Acquisition, and Wellbeing

Author(s): Lindsay Beck

A Systematic Review Characterizing Farm Direct Marketing Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities

Aim: Perform a systematic review to understand the current state of direct marketing in the United States and identify common challenges, strategies, and opportunities to improve direct marketing

Author(s): Casey McCoy

Have Inequities in BMI Widened for a Nationally Representative Cohort of Kindergarteners?

Aim: The primary objective of this study was to determine if inequities in growth trajectories measured by BMI between white and non-white groups have widened in school-aged

Author(s): Alicia Yang

Helping Without Harming: Exploring the Current State of External Child and Adolescent Wellness Programs

Objectives of project: Assess the current state of weight management approaches in child and adolescent wellness programs, and conduct a literature review to inform recommendations for child and adolescent

Author(s): Caity Robinson

Challenges and Opportunities of School Meal Programs in Five South King County School Districts

This project assists Public Health – Seattle & King County in their work towards developing a school food program that grows the local food economy while reducing hunger among youth in King County

• Mary Podrabsky

WA State Feeding Teams: A Needs Assessment Identifying Strengths and Barriers to Utilizing the Registered Dietitian

Children who experience feeding/swallowing difficulties would benefit from intensive feeding therapy. An interdisciplinary approach to treating severe feeding disorders is needed to improve quality of life for

Author(s): Rochelle Adriano

Feeding in the Setting of Therapeutic Hypothermia for Neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has improved mortality and decreased neurologic disability in neonates with HIE. While TH has become routine in NICU’s globally, there is no consensus the optimal nutrition

Author(s): Madison Delmendo

Promoting Positive Body Image on College Campuses: Body Positive Week at Seattle Pacific University

Author(s): Samantha Tengs

The Impact of Low-­fat and Full-­fat Dairy Consumption on Glucose Homeostasis

Project Type(s): Public Student Presentations

Review: Probiotic Supplementation and NCAA Student Athlete Care

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in food products & fertility.

Author(s): Jeani Hunt-Gibbon

Guideline for Frequency of MNT/DSME at Endocrine & Diabetes Care Center

Author(s): Mary Heid

Nutrition Requirements for Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

Author(s): Jenny Goodyear

Developing Nutrition Guidelines for Outpatient Adults on Oral Ketogenic Diets at Harborview Medical Center

Creating policy briefs for infant & child nutrition & physical activity: a case study for dietitians’ participation in policy, identifying feeding practices and nutritional requirements for low birth weight infants in low-and middle-income countries.

Author(s): Sam Vinci

Starting the Conversation: Exploring Dietitians’ Attitudes and Perspectives of Weight-Related Interventions in a Pediatric Health Care System

Planning a photovoice project to evaluate a fruit and vegetable prescription program, sweetened beverage tax 6-month evaluation.

The purpose of this practicum was to contribute to the Domains of Food Access section of the evaluation, summarize federal, state and local programs addressing food access and their recent policy change.

• Anju Aggarwal

The Nutrition Care Process for Infertility

Prenatal hand expression of breast milk for women with low risk of pregnancy complications, methods for updating and major changes to the first steps education modules, seattle public opinion: syringe services programs and safe injection facilities.

This qualitative research study assessed the current state of public opinion in Seattle regarding syringe services programs (SSPs) and the potential implementation of a supervised injection facility

Author(s): Sarah Forrest

Program(s): Nutrition Minor

FINI Grocery Store Rx Program Assessment of Program Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation & Maintenance

Students partnered with Washington State Department of Health to provide a comprehensive assessment of the​ Grocery Store Rx​ program​ assessing program reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation,

Author(s): Laura Blasi, Meredith Blumenthal, Emahlea Jackson, Kelsey Kinderknecht, Veronica Lenoski, Ivory Loh, Erin McDonnell, Anna Mowell, Merideth Murray, Divya Pahwa, Sophia Riemer, Shira Stern, Laura Tripp, Kelly Wolffe, Sara Woolcock

Program(s): Master of Public Health, Master of Science, PhD, RDN Training

Exploring the State of U.S. Soil Health Legislation: A Qualitative Policy Analysis

Body mass index and breast cancer risk among pre- and postmenopausal brca1/2 mutation carriers, physical activity levels, physical health, and mental health in early childcare education (ece) providers and their relationships to physical activity policy and practices within ece centers, gene transcription in monocytes from chronic kidney disease and healthy patients.

The purpose of the current pilot study was to compare gene transcription in monocytes from early stage Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) subjects with matched Healthy controls, focusing on genes linked to

Author(s): Greg Wisont

• Michael Rosenfeld

UW Seattle Campus Food System

Explored the relationship between alternative and mainstream food systems on campus and how both function as a whole to create the University of Washington’s Seattle campus food

Author(s): Fotima Ibrokhim

Retail, Dietary Trends, and the Food System

This project researched popular dietary trends and broader food purchasing decisions in the U.S. Examined the food system within a retail

Author(s): Kai-Yu (Carrie) Hsueh

The Relationship Between the Use of Social Media and the Student Farm

Conducted a review of the use of social media by UW Farm and made recommendations to further increase its positive

Author(s): Xiaotong (Cindy) Zhu

Nutrition Education

Researched and wrote The Nutrition Corner and This Week’s Recipe for the weekly UW Farm Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Author(s): Huiyu (Stella) Zhou

Food Pantry Liaison and Nutrition Education

Served as UW Food Pantry liaison, providing gleaned produce and simple, inexpensive recipes for Food Pantry customers. Researched and wrote The Nutrition Corner and This Week’s Recipe for the UW Farm weekly

Author(s): Molly Evans

Development of Breastfeeding Education Posters for the Maternal & Child Health Ward at Naivasha District Hospital in Naivasha, Kenya

Tools to decrease food insecurity.

This internship at Harborview Medical Center resulted in food resource brochures that listed food banks, farmers markets, and school programs; included a map; and were color-coded to make each resource easier

Author(s): Grayson Zacky

#MeToo: How does hashtag activism around #MeToo spur cultural and institutional changes?

This two-part study looked at how the use of the hashtag #MeToo created a cultural change as people began to publicly acknowledge sexual harassment and assault as issues and sought to understand how #MeToo led

Author(s): Praphanit Doowa

Food Insecurity and Diabetes Self-Management among Youth and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Author(s): Kimberly Polacek Ortiz

Is There a Role for Myeloid Cell-derived Versican in Diabetes-accelerated Atherosclerosis

Author(s): Katie Osterbauer

Use of a Nutrient Rich Foods Index to Study the Effect of Seattle’s Minimum Wage Ordinance on Supermarket Food Prices by Nutrient Quality

Author(s): Catherine House

Development and Implementation of The Wellness Project for Sororities at The University of Washington

Author(s): Natalie Zimmer

Compliance to a Prescribed Eating Frequency Protocol

Author(s): Tracey Tran

An Evaluation of Current Lunchroom Food Waste and Potential Food Rescue Programs in a Washington State School District

Author(s): Courtney Schupp

Dietary Intake of Overweight and Obese Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer Before and After a Lifestyle Intervention

Author(s): Britt Myer

An Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Through Creation of Body-Size Inclusive Spaces

Author(s): Leilah Korbines

• Melissa Gunnarson

Increasing Utilization of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs Among Low-Income King County Populations: Perspectives and Recommendations from Stakeholders

Author(s): Liz Gore

Pre-operative Weight Loss Requirements: are they Beneficial?

Author(s): Kaitlyn Wright

Parent Perceptions on a Walking School Bus Program among Low-Income Families: A Qualitative Study

Author(s): Katie Teller

Development of a Blenderized Tube Feeding Recipe for Inpatient Use at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Author(s): Erin Phelps

Diet Quality and Circulating Sphingolipids: The Strong Heart Family Study

Author(s): Emily Conner

Exploring and Expanding Resources for the Phenylketonuria (PKU) Population Through Community Survey and Recipe Testing with HowMuchPhe.org

Author(s): Holly Anderson

Developing a Guideline for the Use of Branched-Chain Amino Acids to Treat Hepatic Encephalopathy at UW Medical Center

An ileus for the ages, updating inpatient blenderized tube feeding policy at seattle children’s hospital, clinical case presentation of persistent inflammatory, immunosuppressed, catabolic syndrome (pics), gut intuition: a curriculum designed to help adolescents develop a healthy relationship with food through intuitive eating, body positive week at seattle pacific university, supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap) incentive structures and purchasing patterns at farmers markets (fm), applying a re-aim framework to curriculum fidelity to evaluate snap-ed direct education in washington state.

Author(s): Sophia Wang

Marketing Body Positivity to College-Age Students at Seattle Pacific University

Identifying gaps in data for food assistance program eligibility and participation in washington state, increasing participation in school meals by overcoming parent perceptions, assessing the need for nutrition services with the fetal alcohol syndrome diagnostic and prevention network clinic, food insecurity screening at seattle children’s adolescent medicine clinic: current methods and recommendations.

Author(s): Elizabeth Gore

The Seattle Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax: A Case Study in Policy

Author(s): Anna E. Bradshaw

Resource Development for Cafeteria Operators Implementing WA DOH Healthy Nutrition Guidelines

Development of sports nutrition handouts for ultimate frisbee athletes, development of a food safety plan for gap certification at the uw farm, resource development for the cdc sodium reduction in communities program grant, using traditional ground-truthing to assess the food environment in three seattle neighborhoods, needs assessment & education roll-out at 3 snohomish food banks, validating smartphone- and computer-based technologies with gps for activity tracking.

The purpose of this study was to validate a newly developed computer-assisted instrument, Karma, against a traditionally used GPS instrument and a smartphone-based application, MapMyRun (MMR), to study

Analysis of Child Undernutrition Intervention Priorities Among Nutrition Stakeholders from Multiple Low and Middle-Income Countries

• Scott Ickes

“Diabeducation” at Camp Leo: Nutrition Education for Elementary-aged children with Type 1 Diabetes

Fini fruit and vegetable prescription program: a comparison of clinical implementation strategies, perceived patient experiences, and voucher redemption rates.

Prepared by University of Washington students in NUTR 531 during winter quarter 2018. Evaluates the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program by analyzing prescription issuance and voucher issuance and

Author(s): Rochelle Adriano, Nicole Cramer, Madison Delmendo, Jenny Goodyear, Imashi Fernando, Mary Heid, Jeani Hunt-Gibbon, Lindsay Lau, Cecile Marshall, Casey McCoy, Evelina Miropolsky, Tucker Reiley, Caitlin Robinson, Sonni Tadlock, Samantha Tengs, Samuel Vinci, Jessica Wolf, and Alicia Yang

Examination of the Associations Between Indices of Maternal Capabilities on Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and Nutrition Status Among Children in East and Southern Africa

Author(s): Courtney Davis

A Review of Smartphone Diet-Tracking Applications: Usability, Functionality, and Coherence with Behavior Change Theory

This study reviewed the most popular iOS and Android diet-tracking apps to ascertain usability, characterize functionality, and the degree to which app features align with current behavioral

Author(s): Shuhao Lin

Is Routinely Checking Gastric Residual Volume an outdated practice in the ICU Setting?

Author(s): Theresa Bergholz

Assessment & Treatment of Iron Deficiency without Anemia Among Female Collegiate Athletes

Author(s): Kelly Finan

Dehydration and Nephrolithiasis in a 67-­‐year-­‐old Distance Runner: a case study on Medical Nutrition Therapy and the Transtheoretical Model

Author(s): Molly Haas

Active Aging Program Development: A Pike Market Senior Center and Pike Place Market Protection & Development Authority Collaboration

Author(s): Julian Whitford

Body Positive Week on a College Campus

Author(s): Amanda Spoden

Development and Production of “How Foods Affect Blood Sugar: A Guide for Iraqi and Syrian Patients with Diabetes” for EthnoMed

Author(s): Toi Sennhauser

Motivational Interviewing Training for Multidisciplinary Adolescent Healthcare Providers

Author(s): Lauren Rice

Facilitating Healthy Changes at Food Pantries through the Development and Utilization of a Standardized Environment Assessment Tool

Author(s): Gaelen Ritter

WA State’s Health and Physical Education K-12 Learning Standards in Seattle Public High Schools

Author(s): Lauren Mozer

Using the Healthy Food Pantry Assessment Tool to Implement Environmental Interventions at the Stanwood Camano Food Bank

Author(s): Monica Lazarus

Expanding Support for CSA’s in Low-Income Communities within King County from the CSA’s Perspective

Author(s): Cathy Huang

Finalizing and Stewarding Washington State’s 25-Year Vision for a Healthy, Just and Sustainable Food System

Author(s): Chris Benson

Stress, Obesogenic Dietary Behaviors, and Obesity in Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic Women

Author(s): Sepideh Dibay Moghadam

• Shirley A.A. Beresford

Physical Activity and Subclinical Measures of Atherosclerosis: Study Replication and Sensitivity Analysis

Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance did not affect supermarket food prices by processing category, exploration of learning goals and learning outcomes in two community kitchens in seattle.

• Donna B. Johnson

Farmers Market Use and Perceived Barriers to Farmers Market Access Among SNAP Recipients in Washington State

A qualitative study on the development and adoption of the first state-wide comprehensive food service guidelines for improving the health and productivity of state employees, characteristics of bariatric patients on home parenteral nutrition, school lunch entree components before & after implementation of the healthy, hunger-free kids act of 2010: a secondary data analysis, changes in self-efficacy and outcome expectations from child participation in bicycle trains for commuting to and from school.

This study examined the effects of a bicycle train intervention on child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy and parent outcome expectations in a diverse, low socioeconomic status (SES)

A Qualitative Study of U.S. Food Waste Programs and Activities at the State and Local Level

In the United States, 40 percent of all food intended for human consumption is lost or wasted. This has economic, environmental, and social consequences that justify the involvement of public agencies.

Association of Whole Grain Intake with Diabetes and Subclinical CVD in the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis: A Sensitivity Analysis

A dietary pattern that includes whole grains is widely believed to provide numerous health benefits, such as a reduction in chronic disease risk factors like inflammation, insulin resistance, and subclinical

Player-Reported Fluid Intake and Measured Hydration Status in NCAA Division I Football Players During Fall Training Camp

This study was designed to assess the fluid intake, hydration status, and levels of fatigue and muscle soreness among collegiate athletes. The sample consisted of forty-six National Collegiate Athletics

Examining Food Procurement Characteristics in Washington State Child Care Settings

The purpose of this analysis is to characterize the food procurement practices of licensed center (Centers)- and family home-based (FHCCs) ECE programs in Washington State and to explore the relationships of

Development of Nutrition and Eating Disorder Resources/Handouts for University of Washington Sororities

Understanding barriers to accessibility in washington state farmers markets.

Presented March 9, 2017. This project was completed in the course NUTR 531: Public Health

Program(s): Master of Public Health, Master of Science

Self-Reported Perceptions and Practices of University Students Who Adhere to Special Restrictive Diets: A Pilot Study

Author(s): Toni Fiordalis

Assessing Sodium Content of Foods in Two Seattle-King County Food Banks

Author(s): Sarah Craven

Trends in Prices of Fresh vs. Ultra-Processed Foods: Analyses of Seattle-King Country Prices from 2004-16

Author(s): Terry Hawk

An Analysis of the Adoption and Implementation of Breastfeeding Policies in Washington State Clinics

Author(s): Shelly Johnston

Increasing Farmers Market Access among Low-Income Shoppers in Washington State: Understanding the Role of Peer-to-Peer Programs

Author(s): Danielle Hamilton

Exploring Factors that Influence Adoption and Implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in Washington State

Author(s): Kayla Bell

Diet and Adipose Tissue Inflammation

Author(s): Lisa Weigle

Eating Perceptions of University Students Who Are Following a Special Restrictive Diet: The Food and Health Survey

Author(s): Francesca Simonella

Intestinal Dysmotility Resulting in Ileorectal Anastomosis: A Nutrition Case Study

A case study of non-pharmacologically treated type ii diabetes, a summary on the current research surrounding updated 2016 aspen guidelines on the usage of probiotics in severe acute pancreatitis in the critical care setting.

Author(s): Sophie Kauffman

Seattle’ Children’s Hospital Menu Change Recommendations to Support Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Author(s): Kaiulani Swan

Feeding Tube Referrals Among Head, Neck and Esophageal Cancer Patients at Multicare Regional Cancer Center

Author(s): Jamie Clayton

Development of a Patient-Centered Nutrition Education Handout to Promote Low Sodium Intake in Diabetes

Evidence to support standardizing preoperative weight loss for bariatric program.

Author(s): Sepideh Dibay

Developing A Culturally Relevant Diabetes Education Tool for An Ethiopian Patient Population

Author(s): Mei Yook (Lisa) Woo

Advancing the 25-Year Vision for Washington’s Food System: Materials for Stakeholder Engagement &Funding Development

Wic authorization in king county halal stores: benefits and barriers, body positive week: program development, implementation and evaluation, the good food bag evaluation: impacts of a unique food access program, low- vs. high-glycemic load diet: effects on postprandial plasma free fatty acid levels.

Author(s): Sarah Yanez

Gardening for Health: Patterns of Gardening and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on the Navajo Nation

The association between vitamin k2 intake and glucose homeostasis in individuals with and without chronic kidney disease.

Author(s): Hsin-Hui (Katty) Tseng

Sodium in School Lunches Before and After Implementation of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010

Author(s): Torissa Sorenson

Evaluation of Select Food Additive Exposures in Children with Crohn’s Disease

Author(s): C. Kaulani Swan

The Relationship of Diet Quality and Blood Serum Lipid Levels in a Population at High Risk for Diabetes: The Strong Heart Family Study

• Amanda Fretts

Comparison of Objectively and Subjectively Measured Sedentary Behavior in Men with Prostate Cancer and a History of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy Use

Smarter lunchroom evaluations in snohomish county promoting fruit & vegetable consumption in elementary schools.

Author(s): Tori Sorenson

Glutathione in Parkinson’s disease

Author(s): Laurie Mischley

Program(s): PhD

The Effect of Glucose vs. Fructose Beverages on Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation

Author(s): Jessica Kuzma

Analysis of Media Coverage on Breastfeeding Policy in Washington State

Author(s): Alessandra DeMarchis

Cost, Quality, and Availability: Comparing Winter Produce in Supermarkets & Farmers Markets

This project was completed in the course NUTR 531: Public Health

Author(s): Christine Benson, Emily Conner, Sarah Craven, Kelly Finan, Molly Haas, Terry Hawk, Cathy Huang, Monica Lazarus, Lauren Mozer, Kim Polacek Ortiz, Lauren Rice, Gaelen Ritter, Julian Whitford, Amanda Spoden, and Jess Fowler

Accuracy of Volumetric vs. Weight Measurement in Nutrient Analysis for Research

Author(s): Emma Partridge

Food Shopping Trip Characteristics Before and After the Light Rail

Author(s): Jessica Jew

Evaluation of Patient Characteristics, Indications, and Effectiveness of Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) Therapy in Obese Adult Patients

Author(s): Jisun Park

The sodium potassium ratio: adherence to guidelines in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Author(s): Emily Kurlak

• Joseph (Chris) Delaney

Effects of excessive energy intake from fructose- vs. high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)- vs. glucose-sweetened beverages on fasting plasma IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations

Author(s): Katrina Hoch

Association Between Soda Consumption and Body Mass Index in the University of Washington Twin Registry

Author(s): Anna Eney

Exploring the Use of Seattle’s Farmers’ Market Incentive Program (“Fresh Bucks”) by Household Food Security Levels

Author(s): Elizabeth Hulbrock

Measuring Plate Waste: Validity and Inter-Rater Reliability of the Quarter-Waste Method

Author(s): Katherine Getts

Factors influencing water consumption at school among adolescents in King County, Washington: A qualitative study based on the Social Ecological Model

Author(s): Nora Downs

Early Enteral Feeding in the Pediatric Acute Care Setting

Suggestion on revision of goals of length growth rate for preterm infants, providing human-derived hmf to infants in the nicu at seattle children’s hospital, first foods: developing a nutrition education curriculum for refugee and immigrant mothers.

Author(s): Catherine Karlak

Patient-centered, evidence-based responses to common questions and comments about nutrition for diabetes

Changes in pediatric hospital wide thickening protocol in response to events and evidence, kids’ meals: restaurant assessment in king county, development of a culturally tailored visual reference tool for latino patients with diabetes, the feasibility of health information signs at the point-of-sale for sugary drinks, nutrition screening quality improvement at the university of washington high-risk infant follow-up clinic.

Author(s): Lisa Eberly

Restaurant Kids’ Meals: Feasibility Study & Policy Options

Strengthening human milk banking systems through an integrated approach: a global perspective, healthy eating strategies in brown, nicollet, le sueur and waseca counties.

Author(s): Jamie Bachaus

Demographic, Physical, and Behavioral Characteristics Associated with TV Parenting Practices Among Latino Parents of Preschool-Aged Children

Diesel exhaust exposure and n-acetyl-cysteine supplementation in-utero and atherosclerotic lesion progression.

Author(s): Jenna Harrigan

Taxomic and Functional Characterization of Human Gut Microbes Involved in Dietary Plant Lignan Metabolism

Author(s): Isaac Elkon

Compliance with an Intense Dietary Intervention and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes

Snap-based incentives for healthy food access: comparing socio-demographic factors of snap shoppers at farmers markets to snap participants in washington state, time for lunch at school.

Author(s): Kayla Bell, Theresa Bergholz, Jamie Clayton, Toni Fiordalis, Danielle Hamilton, Shelly Johnson, Sophie Kauffman, Tiffany Ku, Megan Morris, Emma Partridge, Kelsey Schmidt, Toi Sennhauser, Francesca Simonella, Tori Sorenson, Kaiulani Swan, Katty Tseng, Lisa Weigle, and Mei Yook (Lisa) Woo

The Association between Baseline Fructose Consumption and Baseline Biomarkers of Inflammation in a Randomized Controlled Feeding Trial

Author(s): Ke (Claire) Luo

Restaurant Response to the San Francisco Toy Ordinance: Changes in Toy Marketing and Children’s Menu Options

Author(s): Sara Diedrich

The Cost of Healthy Foods in Seattle, WA: Price Trends from 2004-2014

Author(s): Katherine Freeman

Adherence to Micronutrient Supplementation in Bariatric Patients

Author(s): Qianxiong (Cherry) Zheng

Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity in a Pediatric Population

Author(s): Ge (Lilly) Wang

An Examination of Nutritional Outcomes from an Intensive Outpatient Pediatric Feeding Program for Children with Feeding Difficulties

Author(s): Carrie Ramsdell

Effects of State and Federal Legislation on a Sample of Local Public School District Wellness Policy Scores over Time

Author(s): Alexandra Kaufman

Red Cell Distribution Width and Fall Events in Older Adults

Author(s): Anna Heninger

The Influence of Caregivers and Meal Decision Makers on the Nutritional Content of Fast Foods Purchased for Children

Author(s): Doris Chung

Proper Formulas for a Hemodialysis Patient on Tube Feeding

Medical nutrition therapy for pediatric cystic fibrosis patients.

Author(s): Lilly Wang

Medical Nutrition Therapy for Polytrauma and Open Abdomen after Motor Vehicle Crash

Medical nutrition therapy for short bowel syndrome.

Author(s): Claire Luo

Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Nutrition Management

Author(s): Srilekha Karunanithi

Mr. M: Cystic Fibrosis and SVC Syndrome Complications

Nutrition support of an acute myeloid leukemia patient, promising strategies for improving participation in physical activity in king county.

Author(s): Jonae Perez

Process-Driven Policy Mapping: Farm to Fork in King County

Author(s): Maia Kurnik

Food Program Needs Assessment for the Garfield Teen Life Center

Recommendations of effective strategies for reducing consumption and availability of sugary drinks in seattle/king county, development of healthy lifestyle changes curriculum for puget sound christian clinic, can school lunches deliver better nutrition without sacrificing palatability an evaluation of nutritional adequacy of school lunches in urban washington state.

Author(s): Diana Reid

Assessing the Impact of Post-Purchase Barriers on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Secondary Analysis of a Survey of SNAP Recipients at Seattle Farmers Markets

Longitudinal associations between home food environment and diet quality in children, differential effects of fatty acids on an in vitro model of hepatocyte steatosis, eating well and paying less: a study of positive deviance.

Author(s): Cara Davis

Comparison of Gut Microbial Community in Infants and Toddlers with and without Phenylketonuria

Author(s): Melissa Edwards

Relationship between socioeconomic status and fruit and vegetable intake among Washington middle school students

Author(s): Marina Mednik-Vaksman

Association between objective measurement of walking activity and neighborhood walkability

Author(s): Liang-Dar Hwang

• Glen E. Duncan

Metabolome response to glycemic load in a randomized, controlled, crossover feeding trial in humans

Author(s): Sally Barton

Variation in WIC Cash-Value Voucher Redemption Rates among American Indian Reservation Communities In Washington State

Author(s): Kimberly C. McLaury

Socioeconomic trends in household food expenditures: Comparing objective food shopping receipts vs. Self-reports

Author(s): Zhongyuan Liu

A comparison of the effect of consuming a fructose-, glucose-, or aspartame-sweetened beverage on ad libitum caloric intake

Author(s): Laura Tobias

Predictors of Responsiveness to Vitamin D Supplementation and Outcomes Assessment in Patients Undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

Author(s): Jessica Kim

Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 response to vitamin D supplementation in obese and non-obese men and women

Author(s): Kelly Ahern

Barriers to WIC Benefits Redemption among Participants in Washington State abstract

Author(s): Shelly Najjar

Development of the DESK (Disinhibited Eating Score for Koreans) Questionnaire: Examining the relationship between eating cues and food intake in the corporate-working population of Seoul, Korea

Author(s): Young Mee (Mya) Kwon

Relationship between parental use of praise and child weight outcomes in the FOCUS pediatric obesity study

Author(s): Carrie Dennett

Female Athlete Triad

Author(s): Marc Zimmerman

Outpatient Nutritional Counseling for a Roux en Y Gastric Bypass Patient

Nutrition support of a 30-week preterm infant with severe intrauterine growth restriction in the neonatal intensive care unit, an olympic pole vaulter’s 50-year journey through nutrition support.

Author(s): Allison Parker

Multiple Gun Shot Wounds to the Abdomen

Worksite wellness marketing materials and best practices, reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in a hospital cafeteria.

Author(s): Krista Ulatowski

Developing a social media program to accompany a classroom-based nutrition education intervention

Improving meal quality and nutrition education in seattle parks and recreation teen programs.

Author(s): Elisabet Eppes

Assuring frozen meal satisfaction of Meals on Wheels clients

Evaluation of the food for fertility program, the washington state community feeding team survey, contextual data report, an environmental assessment of childhood obesity on the quinault indian reservation.

Author(s): Kimberly McLaury

How foods affect blood sugar: A guide for Vietnamese patients with diabetes and their providers

Author(s): Elizabeth Aong

Development of Breastfeeding Education Protocol and Educational Content at UWMC

Author(s): Mya Kwon

Obtaining nutritional information for dietary assessment

Metabolism of plant lignans by human intestinal bacteria.

Author(s): Seth Yoder

Chronic stress alters serum lipids: effects due to “stress eating” versus metabolic changes

District market: a pilot marketing study, assessing green space as a correlate of physical activity among twins.

Author(s): Isabel Kanholm

Do screen time policies matter? The association between the presence of screen time policies in child care facilities and child care provider knowledge, provider advocacy and facility practices

Acquired copper deficiency post-roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery: a systematic review.

Author(s): Amanda Wood

The association between access to water and sugary-sweetened beverage consumption in 37 schools in King County

Drinking water access project, prevalence of anemia and use of red cell distribution width as a predictive tool in a bariatric surgery population.

Author(s): Kelly Peterson

Assessment of parenting stress as measured by the parenting stress index-short form related to treatment and management of a child with phenylketonuria

Author(s): Angela Thanh Tam Stevenson

Eating Frequency, Disease-Related Biomarkers and Appetite

Author(s): Martine (Petey) Perrigue

Relationship between aerobic fitness and academic achievement in Seattle secondary school children

Author(s): Jamie Kowatch

Self-efficacy of monitoring eating choices associated with autonomy, fruit and vegetable intake and BMI in the MOVE’M Study

Author(s): Kailee Farnum

Restricted eating behavior in children with PKU and HPA

Author(s): Sarah Bailey

Is healthy happy? The affective impact of the Renton Menu Labeling Project in an adolescent population

Author(s): Katherine Potestio

The use of 100% fruit juice as a fruit and vegetable equivalent in snacks served in federally-subsidized child care homes

Author(s): Juli Louttit

The effect of meal preparation time on food expenditure and menu quality in family child-care homes in King County, Washington

Author(s): Emily Faerber

Associations among grade, sex and free and reduced price lunch eligibility with use of nutrition labels in middle and high school students

Effects of voluntary running on inflammation and tumor progression in mice.

Author(s): Jorming Goh

• Warren Ladiges

Uncontrolled Type 1 Diabetes

Nutrition for optimal performance: men’s baseball, nutritional deficiencies status post gastric bypass surgery and the nutrition care process, from prone to upright: a case study in the challenges of feeding in the trauma icu.

Author(s): Michelle Averill

Program(s): RDN Training

Nutrition Support of a Traumatic Brain Injury Patient with Atlanto-Occipital Dislocation Complicated by Mental Illness

Nutrition care of severe acute pancreatitis (sap).

Author(s): Sara Bailey

The WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program in King County: A Qualitative Evaluation

Meals on wheels meal reduction strategy prioritizes seniors at greatest nutritional risk.

Author(s): Lola Stronach

The Art & Science of Message Communication: The Development of a Nutrition Education Lesson

Creating nourishing food systems: a policy resource guide for local governments in washington state.

Author(s): Katie Potestio

Farm to School Tool Development: Guidance for farm direct purchasing and kitchen produce handling in a large district central kitchen foodservice model

Author(s): Angela Tam

An action guide for institutional and environmental change related to sugar-sweetened beverages

Author(s): Bridget Igoe

A twin study of the relation between age at dieting onset and to adult BMI and dieting behaviors

Author(s): Erin Enriquez

Comparing food desert and non-food desert residents by key socio-demographic variables, distance to supermarkets, supermarket type by price, diet quality and obesity in King Co, WA

Author(s): Lola Sachiko Stronach

What’s on the menu? An evaluation of the foods served in Federally-subsidized child care homes

Effects of differentially sweetened beverages on hepatic and adipose tissue de novo lipogenesis in healthy young adults.

Author(s): Sarah Shimer

Fast-food consumption and the fast-food environment

Author(s): Richard Lau

Washington State Dept. of Agriculture Farm-to-School Project

Author(s): Kelly Ahern, Elizabeth Aong, Carrie Dennett, Sepideh Dibay Moghadam, Melissa Edwards, Erin Enriquez, Isabel Kanholm, Srilekha Karunanithi, Jessica Kim, Young Mee (Mya) Kwon, Zhongyuan Liu, Kimberly McLaury, Marina Mednik-Vaksman, Shelly Najjar, Allison Parker, Diana Reid, Cole Schindler, Laura Tobias, Krista Ulatowski, Seth Yoder, and Marc Zimmerman.

Clinical outcomes following pre-and post-operative vitamin D supplementation in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients

Author(s): Charlotte Neilson

Area-level measures of deprivation predict food patterns among 7th grade students in Washington State

Author(s): Russell Owen

The effects of high- and low-glycemic load diets on subjective mood and energy levels in normal weight and overweight/obese adults

Nutritional support in a critically ill trauma patient: a case study.

Author(s): Barbara Pullar

Nutritional Management of a Morbidly Obese Compulsive Overeater

Author(s): Rachel Myhre

H1N1 Gone Awry: A Case Study

Chylothorax: diagnosis and nutrition management.

Author(s): Elena Dan

A Case Study from the Neurosurgical ICU at Harborview Medical Center

Author(s): Molly Acheson

Cholestasis in Neonatal, Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant

Author(s): Heather L. Snively

Teaching Traditional Diet and Environmental Justice to Urban Youth Participating in the Native Youth Enrichment Program’s Digital Storytelling Workshop

Author(s): Dara Carlson

Adding a Sodium-Reduction Component to the Energize Your Meetings Program

Author(s): Jenni Ross

Hematological Testing Rates at Public Health Seattle

Author(s): Yvette Fierce

Disaster Preparedness for Children with Special Nutrition Needs

Upgrading access to nutrition education materials for the child nutrition program, wic family food access project.

Author(s): Sarah Bailey, Elisabet Eppes, Emily Faerber, Kailee Farnum, Bridget Igoe, Jamie Kowatch, Richard Lau, Juli Louttit, Kelly Peterson, Katie Potestio, Sarah Shimer, Lola Stronach, Angela Tam, and Amanda Wood.

Policy Analysis of Standards for Institutional Purchasing of Food by State Government

Author(s): Molly Acheson, Kara Breymeyer, Elena Dan, Yvette Fierce, Julianne Gibson, Nelly Gozdek, Dara Kimmel, Rachel Myhre, Charlotte Neilson, Russell Owen, Barbra Pullar, Jennifer Ross, Heather Snively, Cynthia Spencer, Jason Williams, and Casey Wilson

Evaluating King County School Nutrition Wellness Policies

Author(s): Amanda Buhl, Anna Carroll, Joyce Chen, Amy Hendrickson, Lisa Higgins, Meghan Lyle, Kate Murphy, Sandi Navarro, Mari Obara, Elizabeth Payne, Shauna Pirotin and Ophelia Woo

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Research Projects

RELATED PROJECTS

Research Grant Program projects

Our global Research Grant Program is fueling innovation in alternative proteins, accelerating research, and fostering a global ecosystem for a sustainable and just food system.

• Active projects
• Previous projects

Explore our funded research projects

Explore our range of funded research projects, where we actively contribute to shaping the future of the alternative protein field and celebrate past successes. Our grant program is committed to scientific excellence and innovation, creating an environment that encourages progress and discovery.

Active grant projects

Dive into the dynamic landscape of groundbreaking initiatives shaping the future of food systems. These projects are dedicated to answering crucial questions, overcoming technical challenges, and sparking new opportunities—all with a focus on nourishing the world, safeguarding the environment, and fostering innovation.

Neutron scattering during extrusion of meat analogs

Sustainable chicken mushroom mycelia production technology

Plant proteins: structuring through processing, transform ‘waste-to-microbial protein’, multi-omic profiling for cultivated seafood, understanding cooling die scalability and protein texturization, genome-scale metabolic model of porcine cells, optimizing growth media for bovine cells, sustainable proteins from agave bagasse fermentation, model-guided optimization of alt protein, plant-based marbled meats, conversion of fish fibroblasts to muscle cells, antinutrient-free plant albumin, macroalgae- and maillard-derived seafood flavor, byproducts-to-lipids: techno-economic analysis, enzymatic treatment of hemp ingredient, seafood flavors from fungal fermentation, algal extracts for cell media, a novel media recycling system, mycelium fermentation, fish culture microcarrier nutrient delivery, alternative plant-based seafood flavors, alternative seafood flavors in storage, peanut meal solid state fermentation, reproducing salmon aroma, plant-based transferrin media substitutes.

Making fibrous cultivated meat

Learn about Dr. Mohamadmahdi Samandari’s research to integrate intramuscular fat and textural fibers into cultivated meat at University of Connecticut.

Melt-spinning marbled meat

Learn about Dr. Jay Park’s research on fiber melt spinning to biomimic intramuscular fat marbling in alternative proteins at UMass Lowell.

Hybrid scaffolds for cultivated chicken

Learn about Dr. Aline Bruna da Silva’s research on hybrid scaffolds to create 3D cultivated chicken at the Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG).

Turning mushrooms into fish

Learn about Dr. Olga Lucia Mondragon-Bernal’s research to biomimic fish fillets with fungal proteins at Federal University of Lavras (UFLA).

Low-cost differentiation medium for seafood culture

Learn about Dr. Rees’s research to develop low-cost differentiation media for cultivated seafood at Defined Bioscience.

Controlling texture of filamentous fungi

Learn about Dr. Leonie Johanna Jahn’s research to control the texture of filamentous fungi for mycelium-based whole-cut meats at DTU Biosustain.

Stacking plant protein sheets

Learn about Dr. Hanry Yu’s research to recreate the texture of thick animal meats by stacking layers of plant protein sheets at A*STAR.

Differentiation and cell lines for cultivated carp

Learn about Dr. Mukunda Goswami’s research to develop cell lines from carp and characterize their differentiation at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

3D Printing pulses into fish

Learn about Dr. Luciano Paulino Silva’s research on 3D printing whole-cut fish and seafood from pulses at Embrapa.

Electrospinning plant protein fibers

Learn about Dr. Fabiana Perrechil Bonsanto’s research at Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) to create whole cuts of plant-based meat from electrospinning.

Diversifying cultivated meats

Learn about Dr. Kelly Schultz’s research to develop hybrid scaffolds for cultivated meat structuring, nutrient sensing, and scaleup at Lehigh University.

Self-aggregating proteins

Learn about Dr. Lutz Grossmann’s research to use self-aggregating proteins to develop a low-energy extrusion process for whole-cut plant-based meats at UMass Amherst.

Assembling organoids into meat

Learn about Dr. Iftach Nachman’s research to assemble skeletal muscle organoid building blocks into thick whole-cuts at Tel Aviv University.

Texturizing proteins and fiber

GFI grantee Dr. Girish Ganjyal at Washington State University is texturizing proteins and fiber to make better plant-based meat.

Rooted in science, growing exponential impact

Scientists are using GFI funding to create the next wave of plant-based and cultivated meat.

Previous grant projects

Reflect on the research successes that have contributed to the advancement of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system. These initiatives have answered fundamental questions and paved the way for continued exploration and growth in addressing critical challenges.

The Frozen Farmyard: A cell line repository

Modeling cells and bioreactor hydrodynamics.

Seafood cell lines

Learn about Dr. Kevan Main and Dr. Cathy Walsh’s work at Mote Marine Laboratory to develop cell lines and methodology for cultivated seafood.

Myosatellite lines from Atlantic salmon

Through the GFI grant program, the Kaplan lab is developing myosatellite lines for cultivated Atlantic salmon at Tufts University

Making muscle cells

Learn about Dr. Ori Bar-Nur’s research to convert bovine and porcine fibroblasts into proliferative myogenic progenitor cells at ETH Zurich.

Lowering the cost of growth factors

Learn about Dr. Peter Stogios’ research engineering improved and lower-cost growth factors for cultivated meat at University of Toronto.

Optimizing media for chicken cells

Learn about Dr. David Block’s work to perfect growth media for cultivated chicken at University of California, Davis.

Formulating media with macromolecular crowding

Learn about Dr. Connon and Dr. Gouveia’s work at Newcastle University, UK to formulate growth media for cultivated meat with macromolecular crowding.

Biomanufacturing scaffold-free cultivated meat

Learn about Dr. Yuguo Lei’s research to develop an integrated solution for biomanufacturing large-volume cultivated meat at Penn State.

Machine learning for fish growth media

Learn about Dr. Reza Ovissipour’s research using machine learning to optimize growth media for fish cells at Virginia Tech.

Developing marbled cultivated beef

GFI is developing marbled cultivated beef with Dr. Amy Rowat at University of California, Los Angeles

Smart scaffolds for cultivated meat

Learn about Dr. Oded Shoseyov’s research to develop cost-effective “smart scaffolds” for the cultivated meat industry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Cellular building blocks

Learn about Dr. Marcelle Machluf’s work designing cellular building blocks for cultivated meat with at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

3-D printing bioinks

Learn about GFI grantee Dr. Sara Oliveira’s work 3D bioprinting scaffolds for cultivated meat the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory in Portugal.

Plant-based scaffolds

GFI is building plant-based tissue scaffolds for cultivated meat with Dr. Masatoshi Suzuki at University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tissue-engineering whole-cut chicken

Learn about Dr. Vivian Feddern’s research to tissue-engineer whole-cut chicken at Embrapa.

3D fiber scaffolds for shrimp

Learn about Dr. Nataraja Yadavalli’s research to develop edible nanofiber scaffolds for Pacific white shrimp at CytoNest.

Reducing cell culture media cost

Learn about Dr. Burridge’s research to produce low-cost animal skeletal muscle cells at Northwestern University.

Algae scaffolds for cultivated fish

Learn about Dr. Federico Ferreira’s research to develop scaffolds for cultivated fish from algae and plant materials at University of Lisbon.

Integrating sensors into bioreactors

GFI grantees Dr. Ivana Gadjanski and Dr. Vasa Radonic are integrating sensors into bioreactors for cultivated meat production.

Designing cost-effective bioreactors

Learn about Dr. Marianne Ellis’s work at University of Bath to reduce the cost of bioreactors for cultivated meat production.

Co-culturing cells

GFI grantee Dr. Mariana Petronela Hanga is researching culturing different cell types at the same time.

Computational modeling

GFI grantee Dr. Simon Kahan at the Cultivated Meat Modeling Consortium is using computational modeling to improve bioreactor design for meat cultivation.

Breeding peas and sorghum

Learn about Dr. Dil Thavarajah’s work at Clemson University to breed organic pulse and cereal crops for improved protein biofortification.

Characterizing quinoa protein

Learn about Dr. Ofir Benjamin’s research characterizing quinoa protein for plant-based meat production at Tel Hai College.

Valorizing agricultural side streams

GFI grantee Dr. Marieke Bruins at Wageningen University in the Netherlands is valorizing agricultural side streams for alternative proteins.

Exploring cassava leaf proteins

GFI is exploring cassava leaf proteins with Dr. Ana Carla Kawazoe Sato at Brazil’s University of Campinas.

Scaling cashew apple supply

GFI grantee Dr. Dionisio is researching cashew apples as a raw material for plant-based meat and solving scale-up challenges in the supply chain.

Identifying pea protein off flavors

Learn about Dr. Jian Li’s work at Beijing Technology and Business University to identify off flavors in pea protein and improve plant-based meat.

Red seaweed protein

Learn about Trophic LLC’s research developing plant-based meat ingredients from red seaweed protein through GFI’s grant program.

Proteins under pressure

Learn about Dr. Ciara McDonnell’s work to establish high-pressure processing and high-pressure thermal processing parameters for plant proteins.

Fat encapsulation

Learn about Dr. Ricardo San Martin’s research incorporating oleogels into plant-based meat at University of California, Berkeley.

Integrating sensors into extrusion

Learn about Dr. Filiz Koksel’s work at the University of Manitoba to integrate sensors into plant-based meat extrusion.

Microstructure engineering

Learn about GFI grantee Dr. Mario Martinez’s work at the University of Guelph engineering microstructures for whole-muscle plant-based meat.

Functional protein fractions

GFI grantee Ms. Miek Schlangen is making functional protein fractions for plant-based meat at Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

Shear cell technology

GFI grantee Dr. Birgit Dekkers at Rival Foods in The Netherlands is developing shear cell technology to make whole cuts of plant-based meat.

Creating fiber-like structures

Learn how GFI grantee Dr. David Julian McClements is developing an alternative to extrusion for producing plant-based meat at the University of Massachusetts.

Muscle-like structures from pulse proteins

Learn about Dr. Zata Vickers’s research to develop muscle-like structures from pulse proteins to improve the texture of plant-based meat.

Texturizing seaweed proteins

Learn about Dr. Yoav Livney’s work at The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology texturizing seaweed proteins for plant-based seafood.

Connective tissue from plant fibers

Learn about Dr. Xiaonan Sui’s research to engineer connective tissues from plants at the Northeast Agricultural University in China.

Fermenting flavor bases

Learn about GFI research grantee BZ Goldberg’s work at The Mediterranean Food Lab to develop better flavors for plant-based meat using fermentation.

Oat protein fermentation

Learn about cutting-edge research to use fermented oat protein to develop plant-based meat.

Characterizing bean proteins

Dr. Caroline Mellinger at The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) is exploring bean protein as ingredients for plant-based meat.

Research Grant Program

Looking for grant opportunities? Explore GFI-funded projects that are driving innovation and breaking boundaries in alternative protein research.

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Food Safety Research Information Office (FSRIO)

About fsrio.

The  Food Safety Research Information Office  (FSRIO) supports the research community by collecting, organizing, and disseminating food safety information in accordance with the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.

Explore FSRIO

An introduction to fsrio.

The Food Safety Research Information Office (FSRIO) is aligned with the  Research, Economics, and Education (REE) mission area  of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was created by the  Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998   (7 U.S.C.A. & 7654 Sec. 615) and was formally launched on July 2, 2001. 

The mission of FSRIO is to provide the research community and the general public with information on publicly funded, and to the maximum extent practicable, privately funded food safety research initiatives.

The purpose of the FSRIO information products is to prevent the unintended duplication of food safety research and to assist the executive and legislative branches of the Federal Government and private research entities with assessing food safety research needs and priorities. FSRIO works in partnership with a working group that consists of scientific experts in food safety across the USDA.

Key Information Products

Food safety research projects database.

The Research Projects Database provides users with information on current food safety research projects from both U.S. and international government and non-government organizations.

Research Publications (Food Safety)

An automated feed of the latest food safety research publications released from more than 200 peer-reviewed journals, including FDA/USDA specific publications.

Featured Topics

• Call for applications to 2 large scale, cross programmatic projects entitled “ USDA-ARS Grand Challenge on Integrated Food Safety Solutions for Salmonella ”. Deadline is May 17, 2024.
• U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD)  grants for scientists, graduate and postdoc fellows. 
• ARS student opportunities from usajobs.gov for interns , and those seeking postdoctoral fellowships . Learn about other Temporary and Term positions .
• The HHS, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal .
• USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)  Food Safety Outreach Program  grants.
• USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)  Agriculture Risk Management Education (ARME)  grants.
• The  April 2024 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  showcases  Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) resources .
• The  February 2024 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  showcases  articles relevant to E.coli .
• The  January 2024 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, showcasing articles relevant to chemical contaminants   available in the  Research Publications  section.
• The  December 2023 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, highlighting articles relevant to produce safety and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)   available in the  Research Publications  section.
• The  November 2023 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, showcasing articles relevant to Bacterial Pathogens, Viruses, and Foodborne Illness   available in the  Research Publications  section.
• The  October 2023 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, showcasing articles relevant to Salmonella Research   available in the  Research Publications  section.
• The  August 2023 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, highlighting the new "About FSRIO" video which is available on the main FSRIO webpage.
• The  June 2023 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, highlighting research projects relevant to research on chemical contaminants available in the  Research Projects Database  section.
• The  May 2023 FSRIO Monthly Newsletter  has been released, showcasing articles relevant to Food Safety Modernization Act available in the  Research Publications  section.
• Growers can find county-level temperature changes through a new zone map on the USDA ARS Freeze Date Tool .
• Dairy producers can enroll in the USDA 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage Service .
• The USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information System (ESMIS) ’s World Agricultural Production database includes "monthly reports on crop acreage, yield and production in major countries worldwide."
• The USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023-2026: Cultivating Scientific Innovation [PDF, 48 pages]  presents a near-term vision for transforming U.S. agriculture through science and innovation, and outlines USDA’s highest scientific priorities.
• USDA Proposes Declaring Salmonella an Adulterant in Breaded Stuffed Raw Chicken Products | USDA (April 25, 2023), a significant first step that builds on FSIS’s 2022 proposed regulatory framework [usda.gov] to reduce salmonella infections linked to poultry products.
• The Meat, Poultry, and Egg Product Inspection Directory [fsis.usda.gov]  is updated weekly and the current edition replaces all previous versions. It is a listing of establishments that produce meat, poultry, and/or egg products regulated by USDA FSIS. 
• FSIS Strategic Plan for 2023-2026 [fsis.usda.gov] is available .
• The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) provides access to foodborne and intestinal data through an interactive tool:  NARMS Now: Integrated Data [fda.gov] .
• NECAFS Produce Safety Handbook for Buyers [necafs.org]  is an online tool to support compliance with produce safety standards across the Northeast region of the U.S.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Biden-Harris Administration Invests $59 Million to Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies [usda.gov] .

FDA Takes Action Aimed at Helping to Ensure the Safety and Effectiveness of Laboratory Developed Tests

• Apr 29, 2024

H-E-B Issues Voluntary Recall for 3-Ounce Cups of Creamy Creations Ice Cream in Select Flavors

• Apr 27, 2024

FDA Roundup: April 26, 2024

• Apr 26, 2024

NSF and USDA join forces to boost innovation in agricultural robotics

• Apr 25, 2024

FDA Roundup: April 23, 2024

• Apr 23, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) manages the  Predictive Microbiology Information Portal (PMIP) [ars.usda.gov]  to assist food companies in the use of predictive models. This portal contains:

• The  Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) [ars.usda.gov]  a package of models that predicts the growth and inactivation of foodborne bacteria under variable environmental conditions.
• The  ComBase [ars.usda.gov] , a database of quantitative microbiological or kinetic data collected from different laboratories.
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) maintains the  Kitchen Companion [PDF, 50 pages]  and the  Food Safety Basics resources [fsis.usda.gov] .
• North Dakota State University (NDSU) has a  Food Storage Guide [PDF, 16 pages]  available online.
• Food Marketing Institute maintains the  FoodKeeper [fmi.org]  application with helpful hints about food preparation, handling, and storage.
• National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) maintains a website that focuses on  canning and other means of preservation [nchfp.uga.edu] .

Biosensor technology is used for the rapid detection of pathogens in our food supply. Please visit   the   U.S. Food and Drug Administration's   New Era of Smarter Food Safety [fda.gov]  resource for more information.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the United States government agencies that regulate food safety.

• AskUSDA [usda.gov]
• Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) [fsis.usda.gov]
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) [aphis.usda.gov]
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) [ams.usda.gov]
• Small Business Assistance [fda.gov]
• Contact us [cdc.gov]
• Contact us about Agriculture [epa.gov]

Use the National Agricultural Library's  Ask a Question  form. 

Questions are answered by  FSRIO  Technical Information Specialists with expertise in food safety.

Phone:   (301)504-5022

To sign up for the ARS  Food Safety and News  Listserv go to  USDA Agricultural Research Service (govdelivery.com)

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Completed Research Projects

Agriculture

The agricultural community needs to improve nutrient use efficiency for modern cropping systems to ensure agronomic viability and environmental quality. This will require a different approach to nutrient management: the use of adaptive management concepts and processes. This project will develop technical and educational tools to encourage adaptive management.

The expansive growth of solar photovoltaics (PV) in Massachusetts has helped make the state a leader in renewable energy production, but there have been public concerns regarding the development of agricultural lands for solar PV electricity production. In response to these concerns, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) included provisions in the new state solar energy program which limit conventional ground-mounted solar arrays on farmland, while encouraging innovative "dual-use" technology. Under the new Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, there is a significant financial incentive for dual-use systems which limit shading and obstructions, and require continued agricultural production on the land below and around solar arrays.

People depend on vegetables to provide major portions of the nutrition for healthy diets. For several years, the mineral nutrient elemental concentrations in vegetables has declined. The decline has been associated with the development of new cultivars of vegetables that have lower concentrations of nutrients than heirloom cultivars. Breeding of crops for accumulation of nutrients has potential for developing nutrient-rich vegetables but has not received much attention in genetic improvement of vegetables.  Cultural practices may give great and practical process for enhancing nutrient concentrations in vegetables, and cultural practices concerning fertilization to enhance nutrients in vegetables will be a priority in this project. Organic fertilization of crops is required for certification of organic produce. Producing equal yields and equal nutrient contents in organically fertilized vegetables compared to vegetables fertilized with chemicals are challenges. The research in this project will evaluate cultural methods that may be employed to enrich nutrient contents in vegetables through practices of fertilization organically or conventionally.This project includes a series of related experiments to assess nutrient accumulation in vegetables, primarily lettuce, in response to selection of cultivars of crops and management of fertilization. Organic fertilization will be compared to conventional practices of fertilization to determine growth and composition of lettuce in field plot and greenhouse investigations. Investigations concerning hydroponic production and modification of soil-based or peat-based media with organic or microbial amendents will be conducted to assess the effects of these amendments on productivity and nutrient composition of produce from vegetables.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are defined as particles with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nm. As particle size decreases the reactivity of the surface atoms could increase dramatically. These unique properties make nano-sized particles valuable engineering materials because of their extraordinary strength, chemical reactivity, electrical conductivity, or other characteristics that the same material does not possess at the micro- or macro-scales. ENPs are being exposed to different environmental niches via deposition of airborne NPs, application of agrochemicals containing NPs, accidental spills, land application of sewage sludge biosolids, and landfill leachates. There the environmental risks of ENPs are attracting increasing attention from both the public and scientific communities due to their toxicity to organisms. The main pathways through which MNPs are introduced to arable soils are the application of sewage sludge (biosolids) and irrigation with treated wastewater. These agricultural practices are common in many countries including USA. Contamination of agricultural soils with ENPs is of great concern due to their uptake by crops, thus posing the problem to food safety and exposure to humans. To ensure safe application of biosolids and irrigation with treated wastewater containing ENPs, there is an urgent need to investigate the fate of ENPs in the soil-water-planMass Agricultural Experiment Stationt system and to evaluate the associated risks. Therefore, this research will determine the environmental fate and process of several types of ENPs and their plant uptake and translocation in soil-water-plant systems. Also, we will study how ENPs affect the availability and uptake of other contaminants (e.g., metals and antibiotics) by plants. The results of this study are expected to help us understand how these ENPs interact with soil and water reactive components (e.g., DOM, clays). In addition, we will better understand the retention, bioavailability, uptake and translocation, transformation and phytotoxicity of ENPs in soil-waterplant system. Also, we can provide useful data for assessing the mobility, exposure and risk of ENPs in agriculture and the environment in general.

This research continues exploration of biological (non pesticide) control of a series of invasive plant and insect species that affect crops and forests.

African trypanosomes are flagellated protozoa that cause sleeping sickness in people and Nagana in domestic animals. These diseases are fatal if left untreated. The diseases are endemic in the humid and semi-humid zones of Africa affecting a landmass of 10 million km 2 and 36 countries. Trypanosomiasis precludes cattle-based agriculture from much of this area and threatens up to 60 million people, of whom about a half million are presently infected.

It is known that legumes generally respond to existing N in the soil. When soil N is relatively high, legumes prefer to use soil N rather than to engage in symbiosis with rhizobia. However, the ecophysiological responses of legumes to existing soil-N level and the changing climate - including temperature changes and precipitation dynamics impact rhizobia nodulation - have not been studied in actual field conditions. This study seeks to understand these responses in order to improve N management, maximize the benefits of legumes, reduce off-farm inputs, and enhance soil health. Moreover, growth and N accumulation of legumes is heavily dependent upon the nitrogen-fixing performance of the microbial partner recruited by the host legume. Native rhizobia strains in the Northeast that associate with faba bean (Vicia faba) and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), two multi- purpose legumes newly introduced by the current project team to the area, have not been identified. In this project, native strains will be recovered from nodules, genetically sequenced, and their performance will be compared with elite strains maintained at USDA.  

This research will examine possible affects of climate change on certain agricultural crop plants. It will include experiments that will allow prediction of how timothy and alfalfa plants will respond to future elevated CO2 and O3 levels.

This research involves modeling of cell growth, metabolite production rates, and product yields on various feedstocks using a variety of target organisms that can perform the bioprocess. These emphases need to be addressed prior to commercial implementation of generation of biofuels and industrial precursors from hydrothermal vent microbes.

The market for specialty foods targeted for Latino populations is especially strong in New England. While most of these foods are imported, many can be locally grown, offering a strong and increasing market for local farmers. We will work to evaluate germplasm of Latin American specialty crops with the objective of identifying parental materials to initiate a breeding program for these crops.

This project focuses on male equine infertility from several perspectives: 1) understanding at the molecular level the mechanisms of the causes of male infertility; 2) Methods to be developed during this project could easily be translated to standardized tests in the clinical laboratory; 3) Understanding of male infertility at the molecular level could provide rational strategies to treat infertile stallions and/or improve assisted reproductive technology.

This project will develop and diversify Crambe (an oilseed crop) and brassica (mustard green) species as dedicated bioenergy crops for biodiesel production. The proposed strategy will increase crop biomass and seed yields while growing these crops on marginal and heavy-metal-contaminated lands, thus increasing both yield and arable acreage.

This effort will develop local production and post-harvest practices to assist Massachusetts farmers to produce high quality Chinese medicinal plants with uniform levels of bioactive constituents. This will ensure the type of plant material desired by practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. This will benefit growers, practitioners, and those in need of healthcare. The establishment of Chinese medicinal herbs in Massachusetts could provide an income source for small farms and help maintain rural farmland.

This project will explore the hypothesis that development of an effective LAMP assay (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) for livestock and avian chlamydiosis will lead to significant reductions in zoonotic disease as well as morbidity, mortality and the reproductive health of farm animals.

The goals of this project are to supply apple growers with new tools that will enable them to continue towards a goal of sustainability while providing local consumers with a safe and healthful supply of fruit. As such, it will research new methods, educate growers, and engage consumers and wholesalers in Integrated Pest Management.

In this project, we will focus on key pest and water management practices for large-fruited, high-yielding cranberry hybrid cultivars. Cranberry fruitworm (CFW) is the most damaging pest insect in MA cranberry and presents a significant hurdle to maximizing yield. An understanding of pest-host dynamics is the key to managing this pest but has yet to be developed for new high-yielding cultivars, especially those most recently introduced. Weed management is critical to long-term sustainability and profitability for cranberry growers since weeds primarily compete with cranberry vines for water, nutrients, and space (Patten and Wang 1994). Herbicides are an important and critical tool needed to ensure proper colonization and vine health during establishment and for the life of the bed. However, we have very little information on the susceptibility of new hybrid cultivars to currently registered herbicides. Fruit rot, a complex disease caused by at least 15 different fungal species, is responsible for a majority of grower losses ascribed to 'poor quality' and is often especially a problem on young beds. In recent years, chlorothalonil fungicide has been the backbone of management for this disease but changes in the European Union have eliminated its use on fruit destined for that market. Most of the alternative materials have specific modes of action that present a higher risk of developing fungicide resistant pathogen populations. A potential contributing factor to poor fruit quality (rot and lack of firmness) is irrigation management both in regards to soil moisture and in its use for cooling the plants. The 2012 Farm Bill identified specialty crop production and research as priorities. This entire project addresses challenges to the production of a specialty fruit crop. USDA priorities for specialty crops research include threats from pests and diseases. Climate change and water are priorities for NIFA programs. In addition, the research proposed is aligned with grower-identified priorities (Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, Cranberry Institute). The primary beneficiaries of this research will be Massachusetts cranberry growers and the handlers who receive the fruit. Growers and handlers in other cranberry regions of the U. S. (Wisconsin, New Jersey, Pacific Northwest) will benefit to the extent that much of the knowledge gained in this project will be transferable to those regions.

Threats to the sustainability of cranberry production in MA and elsewhere in the U.S. come from many sources: consumer demands for sustainable but inexpensive products, commodity pricing in an industry that is currently over-supplied with juice concentrate, changes to industry fruit quality standards, rising costs for energy and pest management products, and changing standards in pesticide use to accommodate global marketing.

 Despite the fact that plants are a rich source of novel molecules, valuable to both basic and applied sciences, only a fraction of the pathways and compounds in plants have been explored. The project proposed here seeks to discover novel plant-produced natural products with unique and valuable properties, as well as the genes and pathways involved in their synthesis. At the core of this effort is an extensive living Plant Cell Culture Library (PCCL) that was recently (2014) donated to UMass by Monsanto.

This project proposes to capture DNA sequences from armored scale insects intercepted at plant quarantine stations, while carefully identifying each specimen in the traditional way by mounting on a microscope slide. The results -- DNA sequences from well-identified specimens—will help us develop a DNA-based system of identification, and also contribute to improving our understanding of the history and diversity of armored scale insects and their relationships with their host plants.

Due to the freeze on the night of May 18th, many fruits were severely injured and subsequent thinners were either not applied or, if they were, used at low rates. It was observed that many fruits had a reduced number of seeds, however fruit harvested were very large. This project is to see if a relationship between seed number and fruit size exists. At normal harvest, large fruits were selected and fruit was weighed. Fruit diameter and the number of aborted and viable seeds were recorded for each apple. There was no correlation between fruit size and seed num

This project will examine methods to control undesirable sprouting in potatoes through breeding, transgenic strategies, or environmentally friendly agents.

This study is expected to reveal differences in one or more aspects of immune components and will aid in the understanding of how chronic exposure to certain organic pesticides may alter immune responses.

This projects involves two aspects of equine operations: manure handling and a comparison of footing materials. This project will evaluate two simple low cost aerated static composting systems for typical small acreage horse and/or livestock operations. In addition, it  will evaluate various footing materials and provide the cost of operation and materials for each used material.

The diverticulated crop organ of the common house fly, which is the major insect vector of numerous human food pathogens (e.g., Escherichia coli) is the major reservoir or storage area for this, and other, important food pathogens. It has also been demonstrated that this is where horizontal transmission of antibiotic resistance to E. coli occurs. Thus, the diverticulated crop organ is an essential component in the transmission cycle between pathogens and human foods/food crops. At the same time, the salivary glands of house fly are directly involved in vectoring pathogens and, are intimately involved in pathogen transmission. Almost nothing is known about the physiological factors involved in the regulation of both crop filling and emptying of the adult house fly. Even more concerning is that we know even less about the effect of various pathogens, either food pathogens or pathogens of the house fly vector, on salivary gland regulation. What effect does the salivary gland hypertrophy virus have on normal crop organ function? A better understanding of how these two essential organ systems are regulated, will give researchers a better picture of how to use this information to explore novel, non-chemical control strategies that can be directed at interfering with the normal regulation of these two organ systems. Ultimately, non-traditional control strategies will be developed that rely on interfering with the function of these two organ systems, both of which are essential to the fly. It is the objective of this project to develop non-traditional control strategies, thus reducing fly resistance to insecticides. Thus, by compromised longevity of the vector, pathogen vectoring, and/or reproductive development of the flies can be interfered with resulting in death, abnormal flight ability, and or reduced fecundity.

Current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms governing plant iron uptake and translocation is limited, as is our knowledge of how these processes are controlled at the molecular level. During this project, we will use molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches to better understand mechanisms of nutrient (i.e., iron) uptake, a stated goal of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The focus of this proposal is on gene discovery, an engine for crop improvement in two important ways. Most obviously, understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for iron uptake and homeostasis is a requirement for genetic engineering approaches to crop improvement. Without knowledge of the genes involved, we cannot know what engineered approaches could be taken. However, public acceptance of engineering approaches is limited, and partly because of this, breeding approaches have been extremely important in currently used efforts to enhance the iron concentration in the edible parts of plants. Many studies have identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) that have small effects. Discovery of additional genes will be essential in identifying the genes underlying these QTL and in understanding their function. At present, limited mechanistic knowledge limits our ability to understand these genes.

Optimal food production by plants requires a sufficient supply of soil nutrients, the most limiting of which is nitrogen. Sustained agricultural productivity has historically been maintained in the rich world by copious application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, with high cost to the economy and the environment. Unique among crop species, legumes produce their own nitrogen nutrient through a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria collectively known as rhizobia. In this symbiosis, the bacteria convert molecular nitrogen into ammonia in exchange for host photosynthate. Studying the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis and fully explore its potential can boost the productivity of legume crops in the short term, and may expand this ability to non-legume crops over the long run. However, the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis is a complex system, and currently we know too few of the molecular players involved. This project will optimize two methods to reduce the activity of a given gene, and use these methods to screen for legume genes required for the function of the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. The result of such endeavors should be a comprehensive list of legume genes playing critical roles in interacting with their rhizobial symbionts, and help unveal crucial biological processes in the interaction between plants and beneficial microbes.

This project addresses, via research and Extension, two important pests affecting tree-fruit and berry production in Massachusetts, the Plum Curculio and the Spotted Wing Drosophila.  The main goal of this project is to evaluate the attractiveness of aromatic compounds to overwintered plum curculio and to other early season pests.

Current agricultural practices on available arable land will not meet the nutritional needs of a population that will reach nine billion people by the middle of this century (Ray et al. 2013). In parallel, climate change will increase extreme weather events, including drought (Dai, 2011, Trenberth et al., 2014), and continued urbanization of farmland is eliminating arable land (Song et al. 2015). There is a clear need for sustainable agricultural innovations that can increase yields and provide food security without incurring environmental degradation. Soil microbes are known to form associations with plants and affect plant health, and in recent years, interest has grown in exploiting the beneficial associations that plants establish with microbes. The plant microbiome abounds with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that can help plants acquire more nutrients from the soil and tolerate stressors like drought (Barnawal et al. 2013, Bresson et al. 2014). PGPR can also control plant pathogens (Chowdhury et al. 2013), promote beneficial mycorrhizal colonization (Labbe et al. 2014), and produce potentially valuable secondary metabolites (Raaijmakers et al. 2012). Finding ways to harness these beneficial microbes to improve crop growth and yield has the potential to ameliorate the challenges imposed by the world's growing population and environmental degradation.

Deficiencies of mineral content in human diets, a causal factor in rising rates of malnutrition worldwide, appear to derive from diminished contents of mineral nutrients in foods of plant or animal origins.This project will provide a foundation of data to help ascertain if the nutrient content of foods can be enhanced through selection of crop varieties and improved nutrition of crops and will assess how dietary habits affect mineral nutrition of humans.

Rootstocks are the most critical element in any orchard system.  It controls disease and insect susceptibility, tree vigor, treeproductivity and fruit quality and maturation.  Many new rootstocks become available annually, and our work evaluates those rootstocks under Massachusetts conditions.  Compiled with evaluations from across North america, we are able then to make very good recommendations regarding rootstock use in orchard systems.  Expected outcomes include increased orchard profitability and a general reduction in orchard canopy volume.  the latter results in lower pesticide requirements.  Further expected impacts include improved fruit quality. 

Three temperate forage grass species (Lolium perrene, Festuca arundinacea, and Dactylis glomerata) will be grown in 6x10 ft plots under field conditions over the summer at the University of Massachusetts Crop and Animal Research and Education Farm in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Each species will be grown in 10 replicates for a total of 30 plots. Five replicates of eachs pecies will be treated as well-watered controls and their soil moisture maintained above 25%, while the other five replicates will remain under a water-reduced treatment, receiving no rain or supplemental water. Water reduction will be imposed through the use of rain-out shelters. The shelters will have sides that could roll up and down in order to maintain ambient temperature and allow maximum air flow through the plots on dry days, but will be rolled down on rainy days to keep the water out. Water-reduction conditions will last for 10 weeks, after which rain shelters will be removed and rewatering begins over a period of three weeks in order to stepwise return soil moisture content to above 25%.

Microbial community composition: Throughout the water reduction period, bacterial communities will be sampled once a week for a total of 10 samples and an additional three times during the recovery period. Several mature but not senescent leaves will be collected from each plot for DNA extraction and bacterial cell counts in order to capture a representative community of the whole plot. Samples will be prepared for 16S rRNA sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform in two separate pools.  Plant health measurements: To understand how bacterial communities change in relation to changes in the plant, several plant health measurements will be taken. Leaf relative water content, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll, and soil moisture will be measured every week. Additionally, non-destructive biomass measurements will be taken periodically by measuring leaf height and plot coverage. Plot coverage will be estimated using an elevated quadrat device. At the end of the water reduction period, plots will be divided in half and destructive biomass sampling of one half will provide above ground fresh weight and dry weight measurements. Additionally, roots will be sampled in 15 cm increments to a depth of 60 cm. After soil removal roots will be dried and dry mass measured. 

Nitrogen fixation rates by leaf microbes: Samples will be collected during field studies in the summer and used to quantify potential and actualized nitrogen fixation in the phyllosphere. Additional questions will be focused on understanding how phyllosphere BNF is impacted by plant host species, temporal dynamics, drought, and recovery. To determine the rate of BNF,stable isotope probing will be conducted at 6 different time points. Three samples will be taken during the drought period (week6, 7, 10) and three each week during recovery. Rate of nitrogen fixation will be determined by measuring incorporation of thestable isotope 15N into the leaf tissue. Leaf cuts of known area will be incubated in an artificial atmosphere containing 80% 15N and 20% O2 for 48 hours under ambient light and temperature. Corresponding control samples will be incubated under normal atmosphere to determine natural 15N abundance. After incubation, samples will be dried at 70°C, weighed, finely ground, and 1-2 mg of plant powder will be weighed in tin capsules and sent to a collaborator at the University of Vienna to determine 15N incorporation using a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer.  Nitrogen fixation rates can then be determined using the following equation where Nleaf is foliar N concentration, Mr is molecular weight of 15N, and t is incubation time:N2-Fix = Nleaf x (at%15Nsample - at%15Ncontrol)/100 x 103/Mr/tBacterial DNA samples corresponding to each timepoint will be taken to determine the absolute abundance of nitrogen fixing bacteria at each time point as well as to determine their taxonomic identity. The absolute quantity of nitrogen fixing bacteria per leaf area for each of the grass species and treatments will also be determined for the same time points using qPCR of the nifH gene. Next, the rate of nitrogen fixation per nifH copy number will be determined for each grass species under normal and water-stressed conditions. By comparing the three grass host species we will gain a better understanding of how phyllosphere BNF inputs are impacted by plant host species. By directly comparing rates under normal and stressed conditions we will understand how BNF will be influenced in the future by climate stress. Identification of nitrogen fixing members of the bacterial community will be achieved by sequencing the phylogenetic marker genes nifH using the Illumia MiSeq platform. nifH identity,diversity, and richness will be added to the models to better understand biological nitrogen fixation in the phyllosphere.

The herbal and botanical product market, estimated at more than US $60 billion in 2003, has been increasing at 6 to 8 % per year. According to the United Nations Comtrade Statistics, the estimated size of the global market for essential oils, fragrances, and flavors in 2013, was US $26 billion, growing an average rate of 8.1% in the past five years. The market for herbal dietary supplements in the United States has reached an estimated total of $6.4 billion, increasing by 6.85% in 2014 as compared with the previous year. Improvements in production of medicinal and aromatic plant products are needed to meet increased market demands.

Early studies have demonstrated that soil microorganisms associated with plant roots can improve plant growth and development through various mechanisms, including increasing available nutrients to plants, synthesizing phytohormones, inducing plant stress tolerance, and suppressing pathogens. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, studies have demonstrated that the use of soil microorganisms (PGPRs) can promote synthesis of secondary metabolites in plants, improving the quality and value of the medicinal and aromatic plants. While commercial PGPRs and mycorrhizal fungi are available for various grain crops and vegetables in the United States, few of these products are available for medicinal and aromatic plants.

In the proposed study, PGPRs and mycorrhizal fungi will be studied for the growth and secondary metabolite synthesis in the Lamiaceae and other herbal families for their use in culinary and essential oil products. The development of PGPRs and mycorrhizal treatment that improve medicinal and aromatic plant yields and secondary metabolite production can lead to increased profits for growers and industries using natural products.

Literature on food composition demonstrates that the mineral nutrient density of vegetables has fallen in the past 50 years. This decline is associated with two factors: declines in soil fertility and with the genetics of plant cultivars that accumulate yield at higher rates than they accumulate mineral nutrients. This research is intended to help develop systems of food crop production that will supply adequate mineral nutrition to people directly through crop-derived foods.

Utilizing food systems to improve nutrition without the need for artificial fortification of food or use of dietary supplements of mineral nutrients is important in ending malnutrition. Malnutrition from deficiencies of mineral elements is reported to be on the rise worldwide, even in the United States. It is estimated that half of the world population suffers from incidences of mineral nutrient deficiencies. These deficiencies limit the physical, intellectual, and mental health activities of the affected people. The deficiencies appear to derive from diminished contents of mineral nutrients in foods of plant (vegetables, fruits) or animal (meats, milk, cheese) origins. With fruits and vegetables, the decline in nutrients is related in part to depletion of nutrients from soils without adequate replenishment with fertilization. Some of the diminished nutrient contents in fruits and vegetables may be related to genetics of new cultivated varieties of produce. Research is needed to develop systems of food crop production that will supply adequate mineral nutrition directly through crop-related foods and from meats and dairy products from livestock and poultry that are provided with adequate mineral nutrition. The research proposed under this project will provide a foundation of data obtained through field, greenhouse, and laboratory research to enable the investigators to pursue studies in planning sustainable food systems for human nutrition and crop production. The research will allow the investigators to obtain data that will help to ascertain if the nutrient content of vegetables and fruits can be enhanced through selection of crop varieties and improved nutrition of crops through fertilization and soil amendments.

This project has three components to increase sustainability in Massachusetts cranberry production:

• development and demonstration of sustainable practices for the management of the most severe pest problems: cranberry fruitworm, fruit rot disease, and the parasitic weed dodder.
• investigation of practices to conserve water and fuel.
• work with growers to implement nutrient management Best Management Practices (BMPs).

This research project seeks to develop better understanding of the iron homeostasis process in corn in order to address biofortification of staple foods with iron.

During estrus, mares can behave in a manner that can make handling, riding, training, or competing these horses difficult. Current methods to suppress estrus behavior during the breeding season, when most horse competition takes place, include: pharmacological treatments; glass marbles; and negative reinforcement. This work will develop strategies to control estrus behaviour without the need for pharmacological treatments or negative reinforcement.

Laminitis is a crippling disease that affects about one-percent of the more than nine million horses in North America, at a cost of over $1 billion annually. The goals of this project are to identify the specific metalloproteinases responsible, in hope of identification of inhibitors that can protect horses at risk.

Plant diseases cause crop loss, reduce food production and threaten global food security (Savary et al., 2012). Focusing on two distinct pathosystems that cause Fusarium vascular wilts and the Basil downy mildew (BDM), respectively, we propose to establish a pipeline to dissect host-pathogen interactions and provide novel means to develop disease resistant cultivars in order to manage plant diseases that threaten food security.

The relationship between domesticated animals and humans is a close one, and has existed for at least ten thousand years. It is important to understand the immune defenses of many animals, in addition to the immune defenses of humans and mice. The goal of our project is is characterize the genetic diversity of a family of immune receptors in domesticated animals and use this information for selective breeding and the design of better vaccines.

This project, a component of a larger effort to annotate the bovine genome (define genes within the genetic code). One goal is to determine whether variations are associated with enhanced or decreased resistance to infectious diseases. We are interested in their receptors that detect the presence of infectious agents as well as the molecules these cells may produce to communicate with other cells in the immune system (known as cytokines or interleukins).

Evaluate pasture management systems with beef and other livestock.

Preventative and therapeutic reproductive management strategies...that are not drug-base will improve animal reproductive performance.  This is a key part of sustaining an agricultural production system that is highly competitive in the global economy. The research proposed here will focus on several important areas. The team continues to conduct studies to identify novel genes and cell function that might contribute to predicting oocyte quality.  The expression of factors that regulate luteal development, function, and regression are also central to improving female fertility in dairy and beef cattle. Likewise, environmental and metabolic stress negatively impact embryonic and fetal survival in cattle and sheep; and therefore, represent an additional area of research focus.

This project is intended to develop effective ways to keep fruit on trees until mature. It is also evaluating the effects of the methods on fruit quality and storage potential.

This project takes a theoretical and empirical approach to study how several aspects of the food supply chain affect the decisions of consumer and firms and their well-being. The research is examining three issues: buyer market power, the vertical structure of markets and benefits and costs associated with mandated labeling of food products.

This multidisciplinary project will promote the use of biochar and bio-oil generated from agricultural/forest organic wastes to enhance small farm sustainability through providing renewable fuel, and improving soil quality and crop productivity, and to improve the environment through sequestrating greenhouse gases and reducing the mobility and exposure of contaminants in soils.

In maize and the grass family, programmed cell death has a particular role to play in floral development. Maize flowers are initially hermaphroditic, but become either male or female through differential organ abortion. In male flowers, the female floral organs (the carpels) stop growing after they have formed, and eventually undergo programmed cell death. Programmed cell death in the carpels of the male maize floret is partially under the control of the transcription factor grassy tillers1. In gt1 mutants, the carpels in male flowers do not abort completely (Whipple et al.; Bartlett et al., 2015). However, gt1 mutant flowers are not fully hermaphroditic, indicating the existence of other genes that act with gt1 to regulate carpel abortion and programmed cell death. Which other genes are involved in carpel abortion? How do they interact with known sex determination genes in maize?

We have designed a series of genetic experiments geared at answering these questions. We will use mutant analysis to investigate whether gt1 is part of known sex determination pathways in maize. In addition, we have isolated four maize mutants where the gt1 mutant phenotype is strongly enhanced and programmed cell death in male flowers is disrupted. Using genetic and genomic tools, we will identify the genes that have been disrupted in these mutants, and work to determine their precise roles in mediating growth repression and programmed cell death.

We will develop a mathematical model that predicts how farmers (or firms) will make decisions when choosing between two markets. The markets we will study include a wholesale market, where farmer's products are no different from all other farmers, and a farm-to-school market where the farmer's products are differentiated (the farmer is known and the products are known to be locally produced). We will then design economic experiments that could be used to test the model's theoretical results. Plans for the design will focus on determining how farmers will allocate their products among the two markets given different levels of transaction costs and market power. We will also work on the design of a preliminary experiment to determine the social preferences of the "farmers." The choices of these "farmers" will then differ according to their social preferences, the transaction costs they face in marketing their products, and the amount of market power they possess and the school possesses.

This research will examine possible affects of climate change on certain agricultural crop plants. It will include experiments that will allow prediction of how alfalfa plants will respond to future elevated CO2 (800ppm) and elevated ozone (O3) (80ppb).

This project will examine the effect of natural diversity on biofuel production efficiency by using a grass energy model organism (Brachypodium distachyon) , and treatment with both biological and thermochemical conversion.

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NIFA’ Food Science and Technology program funds research projects and conducts leadership activities aimed at improving the processes, safety, and quality of foods.

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• developing novel food processing technologies for better quality and nutritional value;
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• Research project that found elevated food insecurity levels in Stevens County expands to a five-county region

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After seeing the economic pressures people were facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Small Towns – an organization connected to the University of Minnesota – Morris – began looking into what challenges their community faced when it came to food security. 

The team found that many people in Stevens County experienced food insecurity. Separate data showed that between 2016 and 2020, more than 250 households in the county received SNAP benefits and free and reduced lunch rates ranged from 16%-45% in the local school districts. 

Of 237 people surveyed in the spring of 2022, at least 22% were food insecure to some degree. The researchers defined food security as “a situation in which an individual or household always has access to sufficient nutritious and culturally acceptable foods that enable a healthy, active lifestyle.” 

Two-thirds of survey respondents indicated they experienced at least one barrier to food access with the top barrier being the time of year (availability of garden produce) followed by distance to food sources. After better understanding the factors behind food insecurity in Stevens County, this year, the center sought to conduct similar surveys and analyses of Stevens and its neighboring counties: Traverse, Douglas, Grant and Polk. 

Grocery store affordability and access

The center’s first food assessment compared the prices of a supermarket in town to Walmart over three different occasions, purchasing items on the USDA’s Thrifty Food plan, which is the USDA’s guideline for a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet for a family of four. The store in town, Willie’s SuperValu, had significantly higher prices than Walmart, which is more than 45 minutes away, and the research found that the people who were identified as food insecure were less likely than other respondents to shop at Willie’s SuperValu. Its prices for the thrifty food plan at the time were 5-10% higher than the national average, and the weekly trip at Walmart was around 33% lower than Willie’s SuperValu, the study found.

For most people who live in Morris, there is a grocery store within two miles of their home. But residents of other cities, like Alberta, Donnelly, Hancock and Chokio have to travel more miles to get to a store. The research found that the transit options in Morris did not provide sufficient access to grocery stores, as some of them, like Rainbow Rider, a public transit system in several West Central counties, have fewer operational hours on weekends. 

“We have a bus system in Morris that can take you to the local grocery store but if students need to go to Walmart or Aldi’s for an expanded selection or cheaper prices, the closest Walmart to Morris is an hour away and the bus doesn’t go from Morris to there, so there’s no immediate access to an expanded grocery store,” said Danny Kenyon, who was an AmeriCorps VISTA team member on the first food assessment. 

Kenyon, who had gone to college in Morris and was familiar with the food shelves in the area, didn’t realize how big of an issue food insecurity was for her county until she worked on this project. 

“I lived there for four years. But when you’re living on campus … a lot of your life is basically in that same five-block perimeter. I realized I didn’t actually know a lot about the community that I’ve been living in,” she said. “I realized both how many people were struggling, but also how many people that were struggling weren’t getting help. We found a lot of people that were making poverty level income or lower according to the census; those numbers did not at all match up with people on SNAP benefits or on WIC benefits or going to the food shelf. There was just a huge difference there between people that really needed help, but weren’t using the resources.” 

She said the food shelf had some people who came more regularly, but many times there would be people who had to pay unexpected bills for one month, which meant they didn’t have money for groceries that week. 

And at the food shelves, certain high-demand items would quickly go. 

“We’d often get milk in and it’d be gone in two days. And then we wouldn’t have another (shipment) for two weeks,” she said. 

Solutions 

Based on the first food assessment, the researchers came up with areas of improvement to address the food insecurity their community was facing, including finding ways to increase access to affordable groceries (including reducing food waste), finding ways to connect residents without stable transportation to food resources, increasing the availability of culturally appropriate foods and creating spaces for more locally grown fresh produce. 

• SBA recognizes SMSU grad Layne Lozinski as Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• Providing some care for the caregiver

This summer, there will be a community garden near the county’s soil and water conservation district office in Morris. It’ll be around 2,000 square feet and will grow things like tomatoes, potatoes, onions, zucchinis, tomatillos and peppers, said Annabelle Scafe, the Americorps VISTA on this project.

Through this project, Scafe has a better understanding of how neighboring counties have also approached this issue. Traverse County, for example, has a community garden where people buy plots and can use them during the summer, she said. 

“We decided the best kind of model for that would be, you can go and get whatever you want from the garden at any time and all of the remaining produce and everything will be donated to the food shelf so that hopefully more people can access it,” Scafe said. 

Expanding to five counties

The research that’s been going on this year began in September and is examining food insecurity in Traverse, Douglas, Grant, Polk and Stevens counties throughout an eight-month period. That means comparing prices across different grocery stores in those counties and also doing the survey to understand what the barriers are to food access. 

“(The team is) looking at two things, one: item availability, they have their list of items. So staples that people would eat, like their milk, grains, vegetables, canned goods, that kind of thing. Are they in the store? And two is what’s the price?,” said Ed Brands, a professor at Morris and project co-lead.

The survey on barriers closes on May 1. The team is encouraging residents of those counties who are 18 years and older to submit responses.

Ava Kian Ava Kian is MinnPost’s Greater Minnesota reporter. Follow her on Twitter @kian_ava or email her at [email protected] .

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Food Safety and Inspection Service

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Food Safety Research Priorities & Studies

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has developed a listing of the top food safety research areas of interest. FSIS has also identified key data gaps and laboratory methods that are needed to fulfill our mission.

While FSIS is not a research funding organization, it recognizes the importance of keeping abreast of the latest scientific endeavors as well as its role in promoting research in areas important to the FSIS mission. This listing supports the three goals of the FSIS Strategic Plan :

• Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health
• Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches
• Achieve Operational Excellence

These priorities are presented as suggestions for researchers interested in pursuing food safety objectives that are relevant to FSIS regulated products. This list of research areas of interest may be useful to researchers who are preparing grants for submission to agencies that fund food safety research (e.g., USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture ( http://www.nifa.usda.gov ), National Institutes of Health ( https://www.nih.gov/ ), Grants.gov ( http://www.grants.gov ), or researchers with resources to conduct such research.

While FSIS is extremely interested in these research areas, this interest does not imply that the data and/or technologies generated by this research will be endorsed by FSIS.

This list represents FSIS' current assessment of priority research that will help further its public health mission; the list will be updated biannually. We encourage researchers to contact Dr. Isabel Walls by e-mail ( [email protected] ) or at (202) 924-1420 and Dr. John Hicks by e-mail ( [email protected] ) or at (301) 504-0840 with questions. We also welcome information about research on related topics not currently listed here.

Research Priorities

Chemicals of potential concern, screening/detection methods.

• Develop or improve rapid methods for screening chemical compounds in FSIS regulated products
• Develop models to estimate chemical residue concentrations in beef, pork, and chicken tissues

Chemical Characterization

• Determine the magnitude and significance of migration of chemicals (e.g., endocrine disruptors) from packaging into FSIS regulated products

Intervention Strategies

• Identify and/or develop and evaluate the effectiveness of pre- and post-harvest interventions to reduce levels of chemical hazards in FSIS regulated products

Biological Hazards

Screening/detection/enumeration methods.

• Identify and evaluate improved sampling methods to ensure statistically relevant samples are collected in the most appropriate manner
• Develop or refine technologies to reduce pathogen detection time, including improved sample preparation methods
• Develop or refine technologies to detect multiple pathogens from a single sample of an FSIS regulated product
• Develop or refine testing methods for quantifying pathogens in meat, poultry, and egg products

Pathogen Characterization

• Develop bioinformatic methods for identifying epidemiologically meaningful patterns in whole genome sequence data
• Develop or refine technologies for virulence/ pathogenicity characterization of pathogens
• Improve our understanding of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens in poultry and cattle
• Develop or refine cooking and cooling models for pathogens in foods
• Determine the contribution of endogenous extra-intestinal sources of pathogens (e.g., lymph nodes) to contamination of FSIS-regulated products
• Evolution and Ecology of Foodborne Pathogens
• Identify and/or develop and evaluate the effectiveness of pre- and post-harvest interventions to reduce levels of pathogens in FSIS regulated products
• Evaluate the impact of regulatory initiatives on food contamination
• Identify consumer or retail practices which compromise the safety of FSIS regulated products
• Generate data to develop public education and outreach to improve food-handling practices

Animal Welfare

• Identify or develop approaches to facilitate humane handling of FSIS regulated livestock

Label Verification

• Develop improved techniques for species identity in raw and processed products

FSIS has identified the following data gaps, where data are needed to inform FSIS policy and guidance documents.  Collecting these data will benefit small and very small producers of meat, poultry, and egg products.

FSIS Data Gaps

1. A study is underway at USDA's Agriculture Research Service in support of this project.

Laboratory Detection Methods

FSIS has identified studies that pertain to validating and optimizing new laboratory methods, that may be adopted in the FSIS laboratory system after the basic research has been completed.

Research Studies

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has developed a list of the top food safety research areas of interest. Below are a list of specific research studies associated with our food safety research priorities. 

1. Preharvest Interventions

2. postharvest, 3. consumer/retail, related resources.

Journal Publications

Quarterly Enforcement Reports

Humane Handling Enforcement

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Food Agility coinvests in collaborative research projects to create scalable, data-driven digital technology for the agrifood industry.

Foragecaster

Ai for cattle monitoring, agri-analytics hub, sustainable sensing for precision agriculture and urban greening, foragecaster: feasibility study, smart farming data ecosystem, framework for sustainability reporting, pig welfare and pork provenance, agriculture production system technology mapping, robotics-ready ai in viticulture, water leak detection, protecting data in digital agriculture, haystack fire prevention, optimised carbon and nutrient management, grazing intelligence, rangelands carbon, farm-wide wifi, wa farm data sharing, clinical mastitis decision support tool, sustainable agribusiness adaptations, kiwi fruit yield prediction, trakka: making data flow, transforming australian shellfish production, predicting green bean harvest and yield, improving avocado exports, sensors for summerfruit, cool soil initiative, enhancing rice provenance and quality prediction , on-farm water demand, critical supply chain intervention points for sensors & predictive algorithms, cherryplus traceability, on-farm experimentation, yarrabilba circular food economy, decision wizard, seafood tracking and traceability, nsw oysters transformation, valuing the environment in viticulture, data-driven regional development - gippsland, predicting harvest timing & yield in intensive cropping, unlocking the power of digital in chicken meat, innovation resources, consultancy.

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Bioinformatics & Health Informatics

Research projects, computational immunology.

T cells are key components of immune responses against viruses and recognize viral molecules by binding to them with their T cell receptors (TCRs). My group is building computational tools to predict what TCRs can bind to using a combination of sequence and protein structure methods. Recently, we published one of the first peer-reviewed approaches to predict the specificity of TCRs. Our method is called SwarmTCR and uses swarm intelligence (an AI-based approach) to predict TCR specificity for a variety of viral antigens. With increasing amounts of data and novel computational methods it should soon be possible to accurately predict what an individual’s immune system can recognize. This will open new avenues for personalized vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, and other transformative treatments within the Precision Medicine paradigm.

Food System: Access, Technology & Education

Addressing food insecurity requires a comprehensive approach that recognizes the complex factors contributing to this global challenge. Presently, our food system prioritizes productivity and profit over people and planet, which has resulted in disproportionate environmental damage, health issues, and food insecurity for marginalized communities, including women, children, immigrants, indigenous populations, and people of color.

Digital Health Information System & Patient Empowerment

Values-driven decision-making is especially crucial for patients living with multiple chronic disease, including cancer, due to the complex treatment choices involved. Navigating through the maze of medical information with limited medical knowledge can be a daunting task. To overcome these challenges and assist patients partner with their doctor in health care decision-making, patients’ empowerment is essential. 

NU Center for Biomedical Informatics Research & Innovation (CBIRI)

The mission of the center is to serve as a coordination and communication vehicle for biomedical informatics (BMI) educational and research activities, and resources; build new collaborations pertinent to both academia and industry by horizontal integration of BMI expertise, resources, and users under one umbrella organization, and to facilitate effective use of BMI resources and expertise in the realms of all types of health research.​

Software Tool Support for Bioengineering Innovation

As the world wide web grows rapidly, a text corpus is becoming increased online at an incredible rate. Managing a corpus of documents is critical for many areas of science, industry, and culture. For example, bioengineering researchers, who study a new generation of advanced materials, frequently need to identify and understand a comprehensive body of literature describing an association between material features of interest. 

A sense of community and knowledge of historical context is critical for trainees to understand the need for responsible research in bioinformatics. This project develops free online modules to enhance bioinformatics training in professionalism, reproducibility, and data and code sharing. With this:

• we build confidence in trainee ability to perform reproducible research,
• support the bioinformatics research workforce, and
• provide a piloted curriculum for other bioinformatics training programs to implement in their own educational settings.

Consumer Health Informatics

Food label literacy is associated with positive dietary and health behaviors, which are subsequently associated with lower risks for chronic disease. Trends in current literature suggest that the link between diet and human gut microbiome will play a major role in disease prevention through the field of precision nutrition. The goal of this project is to support improved consumer understanding of food product labels by measuring of readability of ingredients lists, and to explore an ontological measure of the link between diet and microbiome. 

Mobile Health For Sustainable Development

In this project, we investigate the ways in which the use mobile health applications can bring about improvements in the lives of people and their communities. Access to health information and healthcare is difficult. Many people just rely on which doctor's office is close and in their network. Mobile health options have the ability to change this reality. Mobile health is more than just telehealth. 

IT for Development

Information Technology for Development at IS&T does:

• Research into the effects of technology adoption and use on the economic, social and human development of people, businesses and communities;
• Train students to conduct technology and training interventions with small businesses to measure their growth;
• Develop of tools to support the data collection and interventions; and
• Apply research and training to improve the lives of people.

This program involves projects such as Small Business Development: Opportunities and Challenges; Cloud computing for Small businesses; ICT Maturity: An Index for assessing a country’s capacity to grow through its ICT infrastructure and a Comparative Analysis of ICT adoption in China and the USA.

University of Alabama trout nutrition and growth research project

PhD candidate, Khalid Freij, has been driving the Dale Hollow as part of researching growth and nutrition for the University of Alabama’s Department of Biology. Khalid, along with Lab Tech Landen Ballew and fellow PhD candidate Micheal Addo, collect 200-300 rainbow trout annually for different experiments and trials.

From Khalid, “I want to continue my research in aquaculture to better support food security domestically and understand underlying growth mechanism in skeletal muscle."

Peggy R. Biga, Ph.D. | Associate Professor  Department of Biology,  UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham:

The Biga Laboratory at UAB has partnered with the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery for nearly 10 years. This partnership has allowed the Biga Lab to focus research efforts on unraveling mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle growth.

Specifically, this partnership has allowed for the validation of a cell culture assay that enables the researchers to understand impacts on muscle differentiation processes that allow rainbow trout to continually grow, which is important for aquaculture and conservation efforts alike.

For example, using the muscle cell culture methodology, we have shown that removing one key dietary nutrient, methionine, completely halts muscle cell differentiation, which can be rescued by adding that nutrient back. This validated assay allows us to identify key players regulating skeletal muscle growth and differentiation and will provide us with the tools to better understand key husbandry methods. Using microarray and quantitative PCR technology we have identified several key regulatory genes and microRNAs that appear to be key in instructing skeletal muscle cells to proliferate, differentiate, or become dormant.

The more we understand these key players, the better we can enhance the sustainability of raising trout and other important teleost fishes. The Biga lab will continue to work in partnership with the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, and employing molecular biology, genetics, and endocrinology methods, to unravel the mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle growth in salmonid fishes.   

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Title: enhancing legal compliance and regulation analysis with large language models.

Abstract: This research explores the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) for automating the extraction of requirement-related legal content in the food safety domain and checking legal compliance of regulatory artifacts. With Industry 4.0 revolutionizing the food industry and with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) reshaping privacy policies and data processing agreements, there is a growing gap between regulatory analysis and recent technological advancements. This study aims to bridge this gap by leveraging LLMs, namely BERT and GPT models, to accurately classify legal provisions and automate compliance checks. Our findings demonstrate promising results, indicating LLMs' significant potential to enhance legal compliance and regulatory analysis efficiency, notably by reducing manual workload and improving accuracy within reasonable time and financial constraints.

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• university of new orleans
• campus news
• two uno chemistry professors selected for nsf career awards

CAMPUS NEWS: APRIL 26, 2024

Nsf career awards, two uno chemistry professors selected for nsf career awards.

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University of New Orleans chemistry professors Phoebe Zito and David Podgorski have been selected for a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

Two University of New Orleans chemistry professors have been awarded CAREER grants, the most prestigious award presented by the National Science Foundation. Chemists David Podgorski and Phoebe Zito, whose expertise is in environmental chemistry, are the recipients of a 2024 Faculty Early Career Development Program award.

The award seeks to support faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. In selecting recipients, the NSF favors research with the potential to build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.

"The awarding of two prestigious NSF Career Awards to Dr. Zito and Dr. Podgorski in the Chemistry Department is unheard of and is a testament to their outstanding skills as researchers in environmental effects of pollutants on ecosystem health across a broad range of environments,” said Steven Johnson, dean of the College of Sciences.

The awards, which are for five years, each total more than $700,000. The NSF awarded only 500 CAREER grants for the 2024 cycle.

“This award validates my path to become an independent researcher in this field. It also attests to the four years I put into the development of this research program, including my plan for education and outreach,” said Zito, who joined UNO’s faculty in 2019.

Podgorski, who has been at UNO since 2017, said receiving the award as a faculty member in the UNO Department of Chemistry is the “cherry on top.”

“It is no secret that UNO lacks the research infrastructure that you would find in other major laboratories. This award is evidence that we can succeed despite those challenges and contribute to bringing resources to UNO instead of going elsewhere to find them,” Podgorski said.

Podgorski applauded the support he receives from his department.

“The work environment is polar opposite from my previous experience,” said Podgorski, who described the climate at a former job as toxic. “The support I received from my colleagues in the Department of Chemistry re-energized me, even through COVID. Although I’ve been relatively successful over the past few years, this award provides confirmation that I have transcended those who tried to bring me down.”

For Zito and Podgorski, who are married, their awards mean double the exposure for their department and having an academic partner who can appreciate the research journey is a bonus.

“One of the perks of marrying your colleague is that you do not have to go on the academic rollercoaster alone and we both support one another’s professional and personal growth,” Zito said. “We couldn’t imagine our lives any other way.”

The awards also serve as testament to the impactful research—both locally and globally—that UNO’s faculty members are conducting, Zito and Podgorski said.

“Our chemistry department is very small, so this type of award means so much to us and helps put us on the map to be competitive at the national level,” Zito said. “Also, UNO is the only public research university in New Orleans. I can use it as a platform to let others know that despite our size and lack of resources, we can still do good science.

“At the end of the day, it helps provide better resources and opportunities for students who come to UNO to study chemistry.”

Podgorski’s Research

Thousands of oil spills occur each year in U.S. waters and energy from the sun can chemically break down the components released in such oil spills, Podgorski said. There are hundreds of thousands of chemical compounds in oil, and the products of their chemical transformation can have deleterious effects on human health and sensitive aquatic ecosystems, he said.

“Louisiana’s coast is invaluable to the state in terms of our economy and food resources,” Podgorski said. “The information obtained from this study will help us understand more about how our coast is impacted after an oil spill. Podgorski’s research, titled “Measurement of Photochemical Mechanisms, Rates, and Pathways of Radical Formation in Complex Organic Compounds,” will study the process, length of time, and compounds that survive when hydrocarbon compounds are exposed to sunlight.

There is a plethora of information about the breakdown and removal process of a couple of hundred small-size polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in oil by the sun. However, knowledge is lacking about the chemical fate of the large compounds that make-up the fraction known as the unresolved complex mixture (UCM), an important compound class, particularly in oil-spill scenarios, Podgorski said

The research will provide fundamental information on the reactivity of large compounds present in petroleum, he said. Data from the project will show how the sun removes these compounds from the environment and how long it takes.

“Essentially, this information will tell us how the compounds break apart in the environment, where they end up, and whether we should be concerned about them,” Podgorski said. “In turn, this information can be used in risk assessment models.”

In addition, his project will provide training and mentoring to college and high school students.

Zito’s Research

Zito’s research titled, “A Bottom Up Approach Toward Understanding the Sunlight Driven Mechanisms and Pathways for the Release of Metals from Petroleum,” will study how sunlight changes petroleum-bound metals and their impact on ecosystem health.

The energy in sunlight can break down petroleum, but very little is known about the resulting materials, Zito said. Even though the oil is invisible once it has been cleaned up, it can still have detrimental effects on aquatic health, she said. Oil in the presence of sunlight produces compounds that are water-soluble and can mobilize through the water. Several of these compounds contain heavy metals which are frequently found in petroleum mixtures, Zito said.

“This research is important to the public due to the increasing amount of pollution entering our water every day,” Zito said. “In Louisiana there are thousands of oil spills a year, each one having the potential to release heavy metals into the environment.” Research is necessary on heavy metal reactivity as well as heavy metal effects on aquatic life. Data from the project will show how sunlight helps release the metals from petroleum and how their transformations affect the natural biogeochemical cycle, Zito said.

Zito said the research will also include education and outreach activities to introduce students to potential STEM careers, including in industry.

“Educating the community through outreach events and having hands-on research available for New Orleans high school students is a way to spread awareness about the effects of heavy metal pollution on the environment,” Zito said.

Education Professor Shares Five Decades of Reflections in ‘100 Scribblings’

The University Selects New Vice President for Enrollment Management

UNO Professor Uttam Chakravarty Named ASME Fellow

The Army’s New M10 Booker Looks, Rolls, and Fires Like a Tank. But Please Don’t Call It One.

The combat vehicle is redefining support for infantry with a design that defies expectations.

• The Army officially took delivery of the first M10 Booker Combat Vehicle.
• The Booker is designed to give extra punch to lightly armed brigade combat teams.
• The first guns are headed to the 82nd Airborne Division, with other units to follow.

The M10 Booker was inducted into Army service on April 18th, 2024 in a ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The families of two soldiers after whom the Booker was named—Pvt. Robert D. Booker and Staff Sgt. Stevon A. Booker—were both on hand to witness the dedication. Both families later dedicated the first vehicle with bottles of champagne broken across the front of the hull. The vehicle is named “Another Episode,” after Staff Sergeant Booker’s personal tank in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The first M10 Bookers are headed to the Army’s main crisis response division, the 82nd Airborne Division. The 82nd’s new Booker Combat Vehicles will go to 3rd Battalion, 73rd Cavalry Regiment . The battalion will likely be reflagged as the division’s traditional armor unit, 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor—a reflection of a change in the unit’s mission from reconnaissance to infantry support. 3-73 Armor has, until recently, operated LAV-25 light armored vehicles on loan from the U.S. Marine Corps as a stopgap measure until something like the M-10 was fielded. The 82nd will field a company of about 15-20 Bookers by the summer of 2025, with a full battalion to follow.

The Army is projected to buy 504 M10 Bookers by 2035. The vehicles will be used to establish armored battalions in light infantry divisions and brigades that otherwise have no armored vehicles . After the 82nd Airborne, other candidate units include the 10th Mountain Division, 11th Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, 29th Infantry Division, and 173rd Airborne Brigade. A brigade might receive between 15 and 20 Bookers, while a division could receive up to 45-60.

Named For Heroes

The M10 Booker is part of a growing trend of the U.S. Army naming armored vehicles not after generals—like the M4 Sherman tank or M2 Bradley fighting vehicle —but after noncommissioned officers. The M10 follows the 1980s-era M247 Sergeant York air defense vehicle (canceled during development), and the currently serving M1126 Stryker infantry combat vehicle.

The Booker is named after two Army noncommissioned officers who died in battle. The first, Pvt. Robert D. Booker was a member of the 133rd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division. According to Pvt. Booker’s Medal of Honor citation , in North Africa on April 9th, 1943, he advanced and fired on two enemy machine gun nests with his own light machine gun , despite heavy enemy fire. Booker silenced one nest before being wounded twice—the second time mortally. Booker then rallied his own squad and directed their fire before dying of his wounds.

Sixty years later, Staff Sgt. Stevon A. Booker—a member of 1- 64th Armor, 2d Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division— earned the Distinguished Service Cross during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On April 5th, 2003, SSgt Booker directed fire against Iraqi forces during an advance towards Baghdad Internati al Airport, while exposed to enemy fire, all the while leading his troops . He was credited with destroying an enemy troop carrier. Booker was mortally wounded during the eight kilometer advance.

Assault Gun

The M10 Booker resembles a tank, with a conventional tank layout of an armored chassis, armored turret with main gun, and a tracked movement system. Despite the resemblance, the Army strenuously maintains that the M10 is not a tank , and refers to it as the Booker Combat Vehicle, or BCV.

The M10, at approximately 38-42 tons, is significantly lighter than the 73-ton M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tank. Traditionally, a vehicle like the M10 was considered a light tank. Light tanks are generally used for reconnaissance, screening, and probing enemy positions. The modern battlefield, however, is so packed with threats—from loitering drones to anti-tank missiles and handheld anti-tank weapons —that the light tank concept is obsolete.

Instead, the M10 is more like the assault gun concept pioneered by the German Army in World War II. Assault guns are armored vehicles that lend their main gun firepower to the infantry to support them in attack and defense, and use their mobility to rush from one trouble spot to another. In an attack, the BCV would use its 105mm main gun to destroy enemy bunkers , machine gun nests, fortifications, and other defenses that could hold up the advance of foot-bound infantry. In a defensive role, Bookers would use their mobility to rapidly respond to an enemy thrust, positioning themselves along the axis of advance.

The M10 Booker’s M35 main gun likely uses the same 105mm ammunition as the obsolete M60A3 Patton, early models of the M1 Abrams, and the M1128 Mobile Gun System. That would give it the capacity to fire one of the deadliest anti-tank rounds in the Army’s inventory—the M900 Armored Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot Tracer round. The M900 is a large, dart-like projectile tipped with depleted uranium that is fired from a 105mm gun. It is likely capable of penetrating, for example, the armor of current Russian tanks and all other Russian armored vehicles.

Another round, the M1040, is a blunt-nosed 105mm shell filled with over 2,000 tungsten spheres. The M1040 canister round is designed to incapacitate or kill half of a 10 person enemy infantry squad at ranges of 100 to 300 meters. The Army describes the effect as “like a shotgun round,” with the spheres projecting outward from the barrel of the gun in a cone-shaped arc. The M1040 is not in production, but stocks probably exist for wartime use. Canister rounds are used infrequently due to the excessive wear and tear they inflict on the gun barrel.

The M10 Booker will be the infantry’s own armored vehicle—one designed to support light infantry in both attack and defense. Ground pounders will retain all the traditional strengths of the infantry, but reinforced with a fast-moving, quick-hitting armored vehicle. The first company of 15-20 Bookers will be operational with the 82nd Airborne Division by 2025.

Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he's generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News , and others. He lives in San Francisco.

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