UW Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health

05/27/2026

Marie Spiker and Jennifer Otten present at today's NUTR 400/500 seminar at 1:30 p.m. and will offer insights into what has been learned from the Washington State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD).

The study, which just completed its sixth iteration, provides insights to Washington State agencies and community organizations trying to respond to ongoing shifts in the food system and in food needs of Washington residents. Come to the session and learn more! Open to all UW students, faculty, and staff. Check MyPlan NUTR 400/500 for room location.

https://foodsystems.uw.edu/seminar for details

05/19/2026

Congratulations to UW Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health and UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences faculty members Sarah Collier, Jennifer Otten and Marie Spiker who have received the 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award for team teaching! Through team mentorship and classes, they can be seen working across scientific disciplines and encouraging students to bring their unique ideas to addressing one of our most challenging societal questions: how do we cultivate sustainable, resilient food systems that advance population health?

Read more about their collaborative approach: https://foodsystems.uw.edu/news/food-systems-faculty-receive-distinguished-teaching-award-for-collaborative-team-teaching/

05/19/2026

Join us tomorrow, May 20 for the seminar: "SNAP Under Stress: The 2025 shutdown and the impacts of HR1," presented by Babs Roberts, senior advisor, Washington State’s Economic Services Administration in the Washington State DSHS. This session is open to all UW students, faculty, and staff, Wed. at 1:30 p.m. Find seminar location in MyPlan under NUTR400/500. https://foodsystems.uw.edu/seminar

05/11/2026

In this week's seminar Jen Muzia, executive director of the Ballard Food Bank is our special guest and will speak on the roles, limits, and realities of food banks in the United States. UW students, faculty, and staff may attend this session. Check NUTR 400/500 in MyPlan for seminar location. Wed, May 13 at 1:30 p.m. This talk is part of our spring series highlighting issues relating to food and nutrition security. Find out more at https://foodsystems.uw.edu/seminar

05/04/2026

On Wednesday this week, May 6, join us for our Food Systems seminar: "SNAP Food Restrictions: Rationale and State Rollout," presented by guest Alyssa Moran, deputy director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at University of Pennsylvania. This talk is part of a weekly series focused on understanding food and nutrition security in the United States. UW students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend! Session begins at 1:30 p.m. - Check NUTR 400/500 in My Plan for campus location. https://foodsystms.uw.edu/seminar

04/30/2026

This Saturday, May 2! Join the University District Farmers Market Tour and & Picnic! Meet at the Burke Museum at 10:30 a.m. to join other UW food systems groups including UW "wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ" Intellectual House, UW Sustainability, UW Plant Futures, UW Food Pantry, The UW Farm, Project IF, Food Systems Leadership Coalition, Campus Sustainability Fund, and ASUW Student Food Cooperative for a community-centered tour and picnic, meant to strengthen connections across food systems as part of a broader regional food network. Learn about community-led efforts, exploring upcoming opportunities, accessing resources linked to sustainable food work, and building pathways to engage with campus initiatives & local networks. This event is open to all UW students. No prior experience with food systems work is needed. More info and registration form: https://tinyurl.com/bdz7u254

04/30/2026

Thank you to Matthew Rabbitt, former senior research economist and domestic food security lead with the USDA Economic Research Service, and a guest speaker for our NUTR 400/500 seminar this quarter. Rabbitt, who served as the lead author of the USDA’s annual House Food Security Report from 2023-2025, provides an overview of food security measurement and why it matters. ⁠In his talk, he describes the history of how the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) was developed and what we can learn from longitudinal data on household food security in the United States. Watch now:

How Food Security has Been Measured Over Time and Why it Matters

04/30/2026

Winter quarter student capstone teams also partnered with UW Sustainability to support their 2025-2030 Sustainability Action Plan. Groups analyzed the university’s food system across all three campuses, addressing the need for greater coordination and transparency across food-related programs. They then performed a landscape analysis to identify opportunities for the emerging Food Systems Working Group to drive the campus food system toward their equity and sustainability goals. Students finally created orientation materials and governance recommendations to clarify the Working Group’s purpose, member roles, and operating processes to strengthen collaboration and support future campus food systems work. Thank you to community partner Lauren Schultz, UW Sustainability Office and the student groups completing these projects!
https://foodsystems.uw.edu/project/university-of-washington-food-systems-working-group-support-for-the-sustainability-action-plan/

04/29/2026

Three capstone teams in winter quarter collaborated with UW Sustainability and UW Housing & Food Services to evaluate climate friendly dining at UW! Students were tasked with evaluating ways for the UW to support their commitment to the World Resources Institute’s Coolfood Pledge, an initiative to reduce 25% of food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. Groups conducted a comprehensive audit of physical and digital menus from UW and other educational institutions, proposing a menu redesign that featured plant-based defaults, revised language, and standardized icons to help shift consumer choice toward more climate-friendly options. Students also reviewed behavioral science literature and benchmarked peer universities to synthesize a list of 10 evidence-based menu strategies to help guide consumers toward climate-friendly dining choices, as well as developing a Cultural Relevance Menu Report and visual tools to help promote lower-GHG food choices and cultural inclusion. Thank you to partners Mark Whiteley (UW Housing & Food Services) and Lauren Schultz from UW Sustainability for sponsoring the projects, and the student project teams for their work! https://foodsystems.uw.edu/project/climate-friendly-dining-uw-2026-capstone/

04/29/2026

Food Systems majors completing capstone projects in winter quarter worked with Pierce County's Office of Resilience and Climate Action (ORCA) to develop portions of the Eco-Regional School Gardener’s Almanac for the Pacific Northwest Region, a resource for 6th grade teachers cultivating school gardens with their students. Three groups researched climate and seasonality, biodiversity, and cycles of matter to create age-appropriate lessons and ready-to-use materials to help educate middle schoolers about and promote sustainable gardening and food systems in a hands-on, meaningful way. Thank you to our community partner Dr. Rob McGehee with Pierce County and to our student undergraduate capstone teams for their excellent work!
https://foodsystems.uw.edu/project/eco-regional-school-gardeners-almanac-for-the-pnw/

04/29/2026

Today's Food Systems seminar features Parke Wilde, food economist and professor from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Wilde will present, "Data Politics: What we Lose as USDA Household Food Security Reporting is Discontinued." Open to all UW students, faculty, and staff at 1:30 p.m. on Seattle campus. Check NUTR 400/500 in My Plan for location. https://foodsystems.uw.edu/seminar