2020 Food Insecurity Symposium
Missed the event but still want to learn more about food insecurity? Listen to the recordings from the symposium!
Featuring experts on food insecurity and strategies for addressing its root causes on college campuses, these talks provide an excellent introduction to the topic and examples of how to get involved in the fight against hunger. Click on the speaker's picture to hear their talk!
Marissa Meyers, MS
​
Revealing Root Causes of Food Insecurity
on College Campuses
About
​
Marissa Meyers is a practitioner-researcher at the Hope Center. Prior to joining the Hope Center, Marissa was a special projects manager for Integrated Health Services at Public Health Management Corporation, a program manager for The Moyer Foundation, and an admissions counselor at the University of Pennsylvania. She serves on the boards and advisory councils of many Philadelphia organizations addressing food insecurity, foster care, and trauma-informed practice. Marissa holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rosemont College and a masters in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.
Amanda Hege, MPH, RDN, LD
​
From Research to Action: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Address College Hunger
Abstract
Food and housing insecurity often leads to lower GPAs, high rates of attrition, and delayed graduation. It is predicted that food insecure students are six times more likely to withdraw from their college or university. Additionally, students who experience food insecurity have poorer health status. Recognizing the implications on student success, colleges and universities across the nation are working proactively to cultivate food and housing secure campus communities. From direct on-campus programs to integrating basic needs into the academic curriculum, this session will focus on innovative models for meeting students’ basic needs and accelerating progress toward student success, retention, and timely graduation.
Hege, A. Stephenson, T., Pennell, M., Revlett, B.*, VanMeter, C.*, Stahl, D.*, Oo, K.*, Bressler, J.*, Crosby, C.* College Food Insecurity: Implications on Student Success and Applications for Future Practice. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. In press.
About
​
Amanda is the Sustainable Food Systems Project Manager with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation, a regional nutrition leader with Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, and an Adjunct Faculty member at Appalachian State University. Previously, she was the Director of Community Outreach at the University of Kentucky where she conducted the first study of its kind evaluating student food and housing security and established an interdisciplinary coalition to launch new initiatives that effectively address student basic needs. She currently serves on the NC Local Food Council and formerly served as the 2016-2019 President of the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition dietetics organization. Trained as a registered dietitian with a Master of Public Health, her career has centered around three core functions: ask critical questions, foster effective partnerships, and inspire meaningful action.
Mary Haskett, PhD
​
Food and Housing Security among NC State Students: Research to Policy and Practice
Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate an approach to addressing college student hunger and homelessness that is possible with a multi-disciplinary approach in which students are at the center of the effort. The presentation will include an overview of the multi-method cross-disciplinary research used by collaborators at NC State to understand and address student food insecurity and homelessness. Results of the studies will be summarized, and the changes in resources and policies that followed release of the findings will be presented. Challenges (there are many), successes (there are some), and future directions in prevention of student food insecurity and homelessness will be discussed.
About
​
Mary E. Haskett is Professor of Psychology at NC State University where she studies the influences of parenting and family stress on children’s social-emotional development, adjustment of children and youth with a history of maltreatment and homelessness, and approaches to support families experiencing homelessness. Dr. Haskett and her colleagues are also exploring homelessness and food insecurity among college students, and she is co-leading an effort to reduce food and housing insecurity among NC State students. Dr. Haskett is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.
Maureen Berner, MPP, PhD
​
Food Insecurity, Coping Strategies, Health and Educational Implications: A Comprehensive
Survey at UNC-Chapel Hill
Abstract
In 2017, we surveyed the entire student body of UNC-Chapel Hill, over 29,000 students with three main areas of inquiry: What is the extent of food insecurity among the student body at a flagship public university? What are the educational and health implications of food insecurity for such a student population? What do the students involved feel would help their situation? We received over 5300 usable responses, resulting in 8 peer-reviewed articles or abstracts published or under review to date. The results raise significant concerns about the current well-being of students and IHE’s ability to meet student basic economic needs, but also include important ideas on how campus-based food insecurity can be addressed. Perhaps most importantly for researchers, our evidence raises questions on how food insecurity is measured nationally, suggesting marginal food security is more akin to food insecurity than security.
About
​
Maureen Berner is Professor of Public Administration and Government at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her personal research focuses on the ability of local organizations to address food insecurity, poverty, and income inequality. She has worked with nonprofits, food banks, local governments, and state and federal agencies. Berner was a 2014–2016 UNC Thorp Engaged Faculty Fellow, a Visiting Scholar with the University of Ghent in Belgium in 2017, and recipient of numerous academic rewards. She earned a PhD in public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; an MPP from Georgetown University; and a BA in global studies from the University of Iowa.
Sarah Zoubek, MEM, and Noelle Wyman Roth, MEM
​
Food Insecurity Among Graduate and Professional Students at Duke University
About Sarah Zoubek
Sarah Zoubek oversees the execution of the WFPC’s strategic plan and daily operations, including managing the global portfolio of projects. Sarah is an experienced research analyst, project manager, and strategy consultant whose work has concentrated on food production value chains and producer incentives for sustainable business practices. Her previous work includes identifying potential levers to aid adoption of sustainable practices within the Iowa corn and Brazilian beef value chains, designing economic case studies featuring Midwestern producers who successfully employ soil health practices, and aiding the launch of a nationwide soil health campaign. She earned a Master of Environmental Management degree at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in 2013. Prior to her graduate studies, Sarah worked at New York Sun Works (NYSW), a non-profit organization that teaches environmental science through the lens of sustainable food production. She also holds a BA in English from Yale University.
About Noelle Wyman Roth
​
Noelle Wyman Roth is an Associate in Research at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and the Social Science Research Institute. She earned a BA from Boston College in 2009 and a Master’s in Environmental Management at the Nicholas School in 2012. Noelle is an experienced qualitative researcher, and she has contributed to projects Stanford University, University of Saskatchewan, and local consulting and evaluation firms. Noelle is passionate about food and environment, as well as using data as a force for positive change. Her work in this space includes a conducting formative evaluation with the Duke Campus Farm, as well as analyzing qualitative food insecurity survey data to better understand the experience of Duke graduate students.
Panel Discussion
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Food Insecurity in the Triangle Area
Thank you for taking part in the fight against college food insecurity!
