Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project includes: (a) faculty across UGA: Interdisciplinary faculty teams (of 2 or 3) were invited to submit proposals for Masters-level NNF fellowships funding students working on interdisciplinary sustainable food systems (SFS) research. Seven interdisciplinary SFS research projects were funded over the course of this project. Faculty teaching relevant courses were also targeted for the inclusion of their courses in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in SFS that was developed through this project. (b) graduate students were target for recruitment into NNF fellowships for the intedisciplinary SFS projects described above. A broader group of graduate students across UGA were also targeted for recruitment into the Interdisciplinary Graduate Cetificate in SFS developed through this project. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic posed major challenges for students completing their research in a timely manner and for professional development opportunities (especially student opportunities to network with other professionals at conferences). We adapted by supporting students to present their work at virtual conferences, and by implementing several virtual professional development activities, including film screenings and roundtable discussions, and a virtual professional development workshop. We also faced continued challenges recruiting students from underrepresented groups. To remedy this, we've developed a partnership with Spelman College's Food Studies Program and have recently recieved a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant to build an equitable and resilient partnership that we expect will help us to develop a stronger pathway for recruiting highly qualified students from underrepresented groups. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project primarily focuses on training and professional development. At the core of this work is our Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate In Sustainable Food Systems developed through this grant. Our three core courses provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and tackling complex food systems challenges, regardless of degree program: Our foundational, systems thinking course (AESC 8310 "Food Systems Sustainability, Security, and Resilience") requires students to consider the food system from a complex systems perspective. Exploring how different disciplines approach food system challenges from different perspectives and with different assumptions, the course emphasizes the importance of inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to solving complex food system issues. Our food systems service-learning courses (either CRSS 6020S "Social Sustainability of Agriculture and Food Systems" or GEOG 6890 "Athens Urban Food Collective") help students develop awareness of key food systems issues in the local community through hands-on, experiential, service-learning. Our professional development courses (either AGCM 8700 "Communicating Agricultural and Environmental Scientific Innovation" or GRSC 8200 "Communicating Research and Scholarship") help students develop critical thinking skills to unpack emerging scientific debates and communicate their research with a diverse range of audiences. Because enhancing the sustainability of food systems requires research that spans well beyond the scope of any single degree program, and this certificate requires that graduate students take a minimum of two courses beyond their home disciplines. Students are encouraged to integrate the theory, techniques, and skills from these courses to complement and enhance their research and scholarship. In addition, we have offered a number of additional training and professional development activities/events for students and faculty: Four film screenings with roundtable discussions (years 3-5) Interdisciiplinary Careers in Sustainable Food Systems Professional Development workshop & roundtable (Year 5) Finally, we have supported National Needs Fellows to present their research at regional, national, and international conferences (see products). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the research funded by their project have been disseminated to academic communities through 11 presentations at regional, national, and international conferences, two peer-reviewed publications, and seven masters-level theses. Students have shared their research results with agriculture and food systems stakeholders through short articles for the UGA Sustainable Agriculture Newsletter and through partnerships with UGA's Grow It Know It Training Program aimed at developing K-12 lessons based on student research. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Over the course of this project, we accomplished the major goals of the project: (1) This project has supported 7 interdisciplinary graduate research projects, representing interdiscipliinary collaborations by 13 faculty members across the University of Georgia. These projects supported reserach training, professional development, and outreach across multiple USDA Challege Areas, inlcuding Obesity Prevention, Food Safety, Food Security, ANRS for Climate variability and Change, and Water Resources. (2) We developed and launched an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems. This certificate was approved in 2019 and to date we have graduated 6 students, with at least 6 additional students expected to graduate with the certificate in the next 2 years. The certificate supports graduate students to bring a systems-focused, interdisciplinary approach to understanding, communicating, and participating in finding solutions to the grand challenges facing sustainable food production, access, and utilization. Students are required to take a minimum of 13 credit hours to earn the Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems. Of these credit hours, at least 7 hours will be acquired from core courses in three different areas of emphasis: Foundational/ Systems Learning, Food Systems Service-Learning, and Professional Development. At least 6 credit hours will be acquired from elective courses outside of the student's home department. (3) Certificate effectiveness and student progress are monitored through an annual review process (Xitracs) and reported to UGA. Materials include reviews of student performance on key assignments from certificate core courses and student exit surveys in relation to our key learning objectves: Developing an understanding of systems thinking and complexity as it relates to global and local food systems Gaining real-world experience through interdisciplinary research and service learning, which will enhance graduate degrees Increasing understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability and how that can affect food systems Strengthening written and oral communication skills through interdisciplinary opportunities via professional development and outreach To date, all of our evaluation metrics have been met. We are continuing to expand recruitment efforts and have recently received a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant to partner with Spelman College. We expect that this collaboration will help improve our efforts to recruit high qualty graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Katapodis N., D. Zhang, M. Edwards, D. Alvin, G. Mulay, and J. Thapa. Assessing the Healthfulness of Chain Restaurants in Georgia Counties after Mandatory Menu Labeling. American Public Health Association, 2019
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Barr, Whitney, JJ Thompson. COVID, Food Security, and Food Justice, Society of Applied Anthropology Conference 2021
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Barr, Whitney, JJ Thompson. Designing for Agro-social Sustainability within the American Food System. 2020. Northeast Georgia Dietetics Association Virtual Meeting (in partnership with UGAs Foodshed).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Barr, Whitney, JJ Thompson. Foodshed UGA: Topical, Interdisciplinary Engagement of Campus and Community through Food Issues, Gulf Summit Poster Presentation 2021
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Bertioli D, C Ball�n-Taborda, K Costello, Y Chu, CC Holbrook, P Ozias-Akins, P Timper, S C M Leal-Bertioli. Arachis stenosperma, new sources of nematode, rust and leaf spot resistance incorporated into peanut elite lines. APRES 2020 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Peanut Research and Education Society. July 9-11, virtual. (Oral presentation)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Costello KM, Leal-Bertioli, SCM, Ballen-Taborda,C, Hopkins M, Bertioli, DJ. 2021. A potential New Source of Rust (Puccinia arachidis) Resistance from Wild Peanut Relatives Arachis stenosperma and Arachis batizocoi. 53rdAnnual Meeting of the American Peanut Research and Education Society. July 9-11, virtual. (Oral presentation)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Darwin, A, and JJ Thompson. 2021. Setting the Table for a New Rural Food Access Approach. 2021 Joint Annual Conference. Association for the Study of Food and Society, Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society, Canadian Association for Food Studies, and The Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Katapodis, N., D. Zhang, P. Giabbanelli, Y. Li, C. Lyford, and J. Thapa. An Agent-Based Simulation Model to Estimate the Impact of Improving Access on Healthy Food Intake in a Rural Community. Academy Health-Annual Research Meeting, Seattle, WA, June 24-26, 2018
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Perkins, N. 2021. Aquaponics in the classroom: A two-part needs assessment for educators across Georgia. Presentation delivered virtually to agricultural educators. Athens, GA.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Katapodis ND, Zhang D, Giabbanelli PJ, Li Y, Lyford CP, and J. Thapa. 2019. Evaluating the impact of improving access to the consumption of fruits and vegetables in a rural community in Texas: a modeling study. Health Equity 3:1, 382389, DOI: 10.1089/heq.2018.0090.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Thapa J, D. Zhang, M. Andrews, D. Alvin, and N. Katapodis. Comparing Food Environment between Full service and Fast Food Restaurants. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Health. (under review)
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Barr, W. Designing for Racial Healing and Plantation Futures. Masters of Landscape Architecture. Thesis
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Thapa, J., Katapodis, N., and D. Zhang. Assessing Healthfulness of the Food Environment after the Mandatory Menu Labelling and Predicted Impact on Healthy Eating. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga, July 21-23, 2019.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Darwin, A. Setting the Table for a New Rural Food Access Approach: An Assessment of Models to Increase Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Availability in the Rural American Southeast
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Lewandowski, KR. The devleopment and nutritional composition of a food product combing sweet potatoes, peanuts, and chickpeas to address Vitamin A and macronutrient deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Perkins, N. Aquaponics in the Classroom: A Two-Part Needs Assessment for Educators Across Georgia
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bertioli D, Balle?n-Taborda C, Costello K, Chu Y, Holbrook CC, Ozias-Akins P, Timper P, Leal-Bertioli SCM. 2021.Arachis stenosperma, new sources of nematode, rust and leaf spot resistance incorporated into peanut elite lines. 53rdAnnual Meeting of the American Peanut Research and Education Society. July 9-11, virtual. (Oral presentation)
|
Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Students and faculty interested in sustainable food systems Changes/Problems:COVID-19 has restricted in-person interactions this year, but we continue working to support students in training, professional development, and science communication. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the last year, we have taught all of our core courses for the certificate, providing training and professional develop for NNF and certificate students, as well as a broader population of graduate and undergraduate students. Our foundational, systems thinking course (AESC 8310 "Food Systems Sustainability, Security, and Resilience") requires students to consider the food system from a complex systems perspective. Exploring how different disciplines approach food system challenges from different perspectives and with different assumptions, the course emphasizes the importance of inter-and transdisciplinary approaches to solving complex food system issues. Our food systems service-learning courses (either CRSS 6020S "Social Sustainability of Agriculture and Food Systems" or GEOG 6890 "Athens Urban Food Collective") help students develop awareness of key food systems issues in the local community through hands-on, experiential, service-learning. Our professional development courses (either AGCM 8700 "Communicating Agricultural and Environmental Scientific Innovation" or GRSC 8200 "Communicating Research and Scholarship") help students develop critical thinking skills to unpack emerging scientific debates and communicate their research with a diverse range of audiences. In addition, we have offered a number of additional training and professional development activities/events for students and faculty: • Two film screenings with roundtable discussions • Interdisciiplinary Careers in Sustainable Food Systems Professional Development workshop & roundtable Finally, we have supported National Needs Fellows to present their research at regional, national, and international conferences How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from the research funded by their project have been disseminated to academic communities through presentations at regional, national, and international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, and masters-level theses (see Final Report products) Students have shared their research results with agriculture and food systems stakeholders through short articles for the UGA Sustainable Agriculture Newsletter and through partnerships with UGA's Grow It Know It Training Program aimed atdeveloping K-12 lessons based on student research. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project supported 5 interdisciplinary graduate research projects this year To date we have graduated 6 students, with at least 6 additional students expected to graduate with the certificate in the next 2 years. Certificate effectiveness and student progress are monitored through an annual review process (Xitracs) and reported to UGA. Materials include reviews of student performance on key assignments from certificate core courses and student exit surveys in relation to our key learning objectves: 1. Developing an understanding of systems thinking and complexity as it relates to global and local food systems 2. Gaining real-world experience through interdisciplinary research and service learning, which will enhance graduate degrees 3. Increasing understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability and how that can affect food systems 4. Strengthening written and oral communication skills through interdisciplinary opportunities via professional development and outreach To date, all of our evaluation metrics have been met. We are continuing to expand recruitment efforts and have recently received a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant to partner with Spelman College. We expect that this collaboration will help improve our efforts to recruit high qualty graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Publications
|