As the Spring 2025 semester begins, we’d like to welcome you back and share some updates from the Global Food Institute (GFI), along with upcoming deadlines for spring and summer internships.

GFI Welcomes Charlie Basa   

We’re excited to introduce Charlie Basa as GFI’s new Student Curriculum Assistant. He will be supporting the growth of courses available in the Food Leadership minor.

Charlie is a junior at GW from Wyckoff, NJ, majoring in political communication with minors in food leadership and film studies. He brings a vibrant blend of creativity and passion to our team. As the historian of the Philippine Cultural Society, Charlie enjoys exploring culture through storytelling. In his free time, he loves cooking, making videos, and playing the guitar. We’re excited to have Charlie on board and look forward to his contributions.

The Food Leadership Capstone course taught by GFI’s Assistant Professor Dr. Mya O. Price is an immersive course that examines the complex challenges facing the global food system through multiple lenses. This is the final course taken before students complete the Food Leadership Minor.  

Mya shared in a GW Hatchet article that this course is a “deep dive” into a specific area of interest and produces research projects in collaboration with faculty members within GFI and community organizations.

“I think a lot of times it’s so easy to think, ‘I need to explore what is happening at the national level,’ without really understanding at a deeper level what’s happening in our own backyard, here in Washington, DC or in rural communities or in urban communities across the nation,” she said in the article. 

This semester, students in the Capstone course are working with Mya in developing a landscape assessment across Wards 5,7, and 8 in Washington, DC to better understand the organizations and people who are drivers of food access and who are combatting food insecurity in the District. This landscape assessment will be the foundation of a living resource for those at GW, in Washington DC, and beyond. 

GFI affiliate faculty, Masha Belenky and Lynn Westwater, who are part of GW’s Department of Romance, German and Slavic Studies in the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences are launching a Romance Language movie series centered around food this semester.

Bring your friends and join the first event on Tuesday, February 11 at 6:10 pm, in Phillips Hall, Room 348. The first film will be 2023’s  La Passion de Dodin Bouffant/ The Taste of Things. 

As part of GW's Milken Institute School of Public Health's Research Day on Wednesday, April 16, GFI will sponsor four prizes. These prizes recognize presentations that describe how to achieve equitable access to healthy foods through improved production, storage, distribution, and pricing. GFI is particularly interested in innovative strategies that reduce the effects of food production on climate change and the effects of climate change on food production.

Abstracts are due by Friday March 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM EST.

Looking to gain hands-on experience and make a real impact? Spring and summer internships are the perfect way to explore your passions, build your skills, and connect with industry giants. Don’t wait, start exploring opportunities today.

Celebrating Student Leadership at GFI

At GFI, we are proud to celebrate the contributions of trailblazers like our 2024 Graduate Student Assistant, Rebecca Fallick, whose dedication significantly shaped our mission and programs from GFI’s inception. 

As GFI’s first-ever intern, Rebecca played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for our growth. Her contributions include the development of our food-based courses available at GW.

Rebecca highlights the remarkable impact young leaders at GW can make in fostering innovative solutions to food system challenges. Her experiences are a testament to how passion, hard work, and collaboration can drive meaningful change.

Stay connected with GFI! Connect with us and join the conversation on social media.