In this Hunger-Free Community Report, Xavier Roberts outlines his project to help Washington Food Coalition become more diverse and effective by restructuring its Board of Directors.
Returning to the Land: Pathways and Barriers to Accessing Land in Chicago
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the inequities of our current food system. Returning to the lands, not just by physical proximity, but through a more intertwined relationship between land and community, is a form of resistance and resilience. This can … Read more
Advocating for the Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program
The Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) was initially created in the 1990 Farm Bill to address the inequities in agricultural extension offered to Native American farmers and ranchers. Thirty years later, the FRTEP has never been appropriated the funding or … Read more
Oregon School Meal Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon was on track to implement legislation that would provide most of the state’s students with free school lunch and breakfast. This report examines the impact of the pandemic on school meal access in Oregon through … Read more
Food System Dashboards
This report and series of recommendations will assist the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council as we set goals for and design our own dashboard, build a community engagement strategy around the dashboard and our food action plan, and move with a … Read more
Towards Food Sovereignty: Reimagining the Food-Related Social Safety Net in Chicago
This project aims to explore how local government in Chicago might support the development of a reimagined social safety net—one that facilitates systems change rather than piecemeal, temporary solutions and one that moves from a food security-focused paradigm towards a … Read more
Niisoja Torto
Niisoja graduated from Duke University, where he studied public policy with a focus on health and nutrition policy. His Ghanaian heritage and experience growing up in Florida inform his interest in equity issues. Niisoja’s particular passion for food and nutrition solidified with his senior thesis that explored the role of … Read more
Xavier Roberts
Homeschooled until college, Xavier graduated with his associate’s degree from Piedmont Virginia Community College at the age of eighteen before traveling to India for six months to study yoga and meditation in advance of completing a year of service as a third grade teacher in Southeast Washington, D.C., with the … Read more
Leslie Rios
Born in Wisconsin and raised in Hidalgo, Texas, Leslie graduated from St. Edward’s University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Economics, becoming a Presidential Award Receipt and a McNair Scholar in the process. Leslie first became interested in food justice when she took a course … Read more
Rocio Perez
Rocio Perez is a first-generation Latina who was born and raised in Downtown Los Angeles. Growing up in a low-income and predominantly undocumented community, Rocio learned how to navigate educational, legal, and health barriers that influenced her public service career. She has staffed a bill aimed at protecting low-income workers … Read more
Michelle Nikfarjam
Michelle, a second-generation Iranian-American raised in Massachusetts, is an M.A. graduate of the University of Oregon’s (UO) International Studies and Food Studies Programs, a UO Promising Scholar and a David L. Boren Fellow. She comes to the Emerson Fellowship having recently returned from Rajasthan, India where she conducted research on … Read more
Janiah Miller
Janiah is a native of the Greater Cincinnati area where her lived experiences have shaped her worldview. She attended Northern Kentucky University where she gained her Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Studies which consists of three minors in Political Science, Social Justice and University Honors with focus areas in Women & … Read more