Global Food Institute Student Newsletter

Student researchers on a GW trip to Trinidad & Tobago led by Dr. John Forrer

This course delves into the challenges and solutions of building sustainable supply chains through the examination of the cocoa value chain in Trinidad and Tobago. Participants will examine sustainability issues and strategies before traveling to the University of the West Indies (UWI) in St. Augustine during Winter Break. At UWI, students will collaborate with the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC) to deepen understanding through engagement with key stakeholders and visits to various cocoa farms.

Graduate and undergraduate students are welcome to apply. This course fulfills the Innovation Pillar of the Food Leadership Minor. See more information about the course and application process here. Applications are open and must be submitted by October 11, 2024 at 11:59PM.

Monday, September 30th 6:30-7:30pm

USC Room 311

The GFI Food Leadership minor is live! Join us for an information session discussing the new minor, required courses, and how to apply. Dinner provided. All are welcome. Please RSVP by Friday, 9/27. 

Thursday, October 3rd 5:00-7:15pm

On Thursday, October 3rd, join GFI, The GW Institute for Corporate Responsibility, and GW Global Women’s Institute for a screening of the powerful drama film “Dry” highlighting the devastating impacts of obstetric fistula. Following the screening, stay for a panel discussion featuring global and women’s health leaders discussing improving health outcomes and combatting inequities. Please RSVP by September 30th.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 12-1:30pm

1919 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 546 (Zoom option available)

Please join the GW Global Food Institute (GFI) for the fourth seminar in the Building System Dynamics Connections (BSDC) Seminar Series! The seminar will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd from 12:30-1:30pm (with lunch beforehand from 12-12:30) in 1919 Pennsylvania Ave NW (Rm 546) and virtually. The seminar will cover Applications of Systems Modeling to Policy Analysis and Development. 

Please complete this RSVP form for the third seminar by 5pm on Thursday 9/26. We look forward to another engaging session!

Reach out to sydneypryor@gwu.edu with any questions.

Overview of the BSDC Seminar Series: 

The 4 seminars will be held monthly from June to October and serve as an introduction to the foundational concepts of systems thinking and modeling, with applications to food and agricultural systems research. The seminars will be offered in-person at 1919 Pennsylvania Avenue NW with lunch available beforehand, as well as virtually. They will also be recorded for students who cannot attend to access later. GW's Daniel Chen, Caitlin Grady, and Sydney Pryor will lead the sessions. Resources discussed during the seminars can be found in this document. The topics are as follows: 

1) Intro to Systems Thinking and Causal Loop Diagrams (Wed. June 12th recording, slides)

2) Group Model Building and Stakeholder Engagement (Wed. July 24th recording, slides)

3) Foundations of Quantitative Modeling and Analysis (Tues. August 27th recording, slides)

4) Applications of Systems Modeling to Policy Analysis and Development (Wed. 10/2)

Dr. Gabby Headrick is looking for students to share about their experiences with food at GW! Sharing your information via this survey will help us change programs and policies at GW so every student has access to all the food they want and need.

Participation in the study will include 3 subsequent 10-15 minute surveys at different time periods over the course of the semester. Full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students at GW who are taking classes mostly in-person on campus are eligible to participate. Participants have the potential to win a $50 gift card! 

Please complete the first survey here by September 30th. Contact nourishgwu@gmail.com with questions. 

Have events or information you would like to share with other students? Email us at globalfoodinstitute@gwu.edu and we will consolidate these opportunities to share out with the group. 

If you are new to the Student Newsletter, you can view our previous student newsletter. 

Thank you all for your interest in the Global Food Institute. We look forward to your continued engagement with GFI!

The Global Food Institute Team