Joy Kostansek in the high tunnel at the Ohio University Student Farm
A Chronicle of Higher Education article headlined “In Dealing With Campus Hunger, One Solution Is to Tell Students Where They Can Get Help” features Ohio University alumna and graduate student Joy Kostansek and the Food Studies theme.
Kostansek, who did a Q&A with the Chronicle, is a graduate student in the M.A. in Sociology program and a graduate assistant in with Food Studies theme. She earned a B.A. in Sociology and a Food & Society Certificate in 2018 from the College of Arts & Sciences.
Joy Kostansek, a graduate student in anthropology and sociology at Ohio University, is one student leader who is helping university administrators mitigate what some call “food insecurity,” or uncertainty about where a next meal will come from. In 2018, the university became one of a few institutions with a campus location that accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamp, benefits. The campus food bank is stocked with fresh produce from a student farm and offers micro-loans to students who need emergency funds.
At Ohio University, some solutions are integrated into the curriculum. The university’s food-studies program was developed to help freshmen navigate general-education courses with a focus on hunger, global food systems, and sustainable health choices. Each student in the program is required to take an internship that gives them greater access to food banks and nonprofits in the community.
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