Virginia Tech Food Studies — Spring 2021 Speaker Series
March 8, 2021
Want to learn about the exciting plans of the new Virginia Tech Food Studies Program? Members of the Food Studies Steering Committee are hosting several events to introduce the program and discuss their vision.
To register for any or all of the events below, email Anna Zeide. Please note that some past events may have embedded videos below.
Anna Zeide, An associate professor of history, serves as director of the Food Studies Program. The program’s Steering Committee includes Mark Barrow, a professor of history; Letisha Engracia Cardoso Brown, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology; Danille Christensen, an assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Culture; and Saul Halfon, an associate professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society.
Anyone interested in actively contributing to the program is welcome to apply to become a Food Studies Program associate. For more information about the Food Studies Program, visit the program website and join the listserv.
A Flight of Food Studies Projects
On March 26 at noon, “A Flight of Food Studies Projects” will sample a range of food studies projects at Virginia Tech, including those focused on archives, oral histories, indigenous foodways, and global food sovereignty.
Presenters will include:
- Kira A. Dietz, assistant director of special collections and university archives at University Libraries, on “Food+Drink (History) Allowed: Research, Collaboration, and Food Studies in the Archives”;
- Bikrum Gill, assistant professor of political science, on “Four Stories about Food Sovereignty: Transnational Crises and Local Action”;
- Mae Hey, an assistant professor of sociology, on “Land-centered Pedagogy and Initiatives”; and
- Jessica Taylor, an assistant professor of history, on “Remember the Oyster: Oral Histories and Food in Eastern Virginia.”
Register at https://tinyurl.com/foodstudiesprojects.
Food Stories: A Pitch-In
On April 30 at noon, viewers are encouraged to bring a personally meaningful food to a virtual potluck and share how foods give texture to their lives and histories.
Past Events
Food Studies Program Launch
On January 29, members of the Virginia Tech Food Studies Steering Committee shared their vision for the program’s future and invited participants to contribute their visions as well.
What Is Food Studies?
On February 26, scholars explored the scope of food studies and offered suggestions for how food connects across disciplines and experiences. View the event video below.
