Virginia Tech faculty and staff members, students, and community members are invited to apply to become an associate of the Food Studies Program, which launched in November 2020.

Becoming an associate means joining a creative intellectual and social community dedicated to exploring the relationships among food and people. The program facilitates teaching, interdisciplinary research, and community engagement in order to promote understanding of food production and consumption within historical, social, and ethical contexts.

There are three categories of associates:



  • Faculty Associates come from departments across Virginia Tech. They share a commitment to understanding food issues of the past and present from disciplinary perspectives beyond their own. The Food Studies Program welcomes applications from faculty members who teach a course with content that significantly addresses themes of food in historical, social, cultural, or ethical contexts; conduct research related to these themes; or can otherwise demonstrate an intellectual or pedagogical commitment to the program’s aims.
  • Student Associates are graduate or undergraduate students who have engaged deeply with food and foodways in their coursework, research, or community engagement. Student Associates are encouraged to work with and learn from Food Studies Faculty Associates and, if they are undergraduates, to enroll in the forthcoming food studies minor.
  • Community Associates are members of the Virginia Tech community or local area whose work and interests address food issues from historical, social, or ethical perspectives.



To learn more and to apply, visit the application page here. All associate applications are reviewed by the program’s director and/or Steering Committee. You will be notified of the status of your application following review.

Additional ways to become involved with the program include: