Track IV Examples

What do Food Systems, Nutrition and the Environment track students take for classes? These are a few examples representing possible routes through this track based on students' interests. Many other paths are possible.

Food Systems & Ecosystem Health

A summer internship at a diversified farm in Harlem Valley, NY demonstrated to Sanela the connections between the food we eat and the health of our ecosystems. She plans to attend a summer-permaculture course after graduation from Tufts and then to work on a farm for a year before attending graduate school in either science or policy of food with the intention of eventually working at food and ecosystem oriented non-profit organization.

Intro: ENV 009 Food Systems
Methods/Research: BIO 132 Biostatistics
Electives:

  • ANTH 178 Animals and Posthuman Thought
  • BIO 108 Plant Development
  • NUTR 238 Economics of Food Policy Analysis

World Hunger

After one of his uncles came back from a two-year stint with Oxfam International in Sudan, Graham became interested in the topic of World Hunger. Graham was especially aware of the important roles that GIS maps can play in famine prediction and relief so he petitioned to count NUTR 231 Fundamental of GIS for Food, Agriculture and Environmental Applications as his methods course. After graduation, Graham hopes to work at Oxfam or another hunger oriented NGO and gain on the ground experience with the possible plan to consider graduate school in a few years.

Intro: ANTH 126 Food, Nutrition and Culture
Methods/Research: NUTR 231 Fundamentals of GIS for Food, Ag., and Env applications (petitioned)
Electives:

  • HIST 014 Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Crises in Africa
  • PHIL 025 Food Ethics
  • UEP 285 Food Justice: Critical Approaches to Policy and Planning

The Science of Food Systems and the Environment

Thamina is a senior interested in the science of food systems and the environment. She hopes to work at the Center for Science in the Public Interest or a similar organization after graduation.

Intro: BIO 010/ENV 010 Plants and Humanity
Methods/Research: EC 013 Statistics
Electives:
BIO 118 Plant Physiology
SOC 135 Social Movements
ANTH 040 Biological Anthropology

Food Businesses

After a friend started a small food business, Micaela became interested in all of the small food businesses she started seeing popping up around her and how they differed from traditional agri-businesses. She interned at both her friend's small food business and at Equal Exchange, and has initial job offers at both companies, which she is trying to decide between versus starting her own small food business.

Intro: ANTH 126 Food, Culture and Nutrition
Methods/Research: ENV 190 Practicing in Food Systems
Electives:

  • HIST 005 History of Consumption
  • NUTR 221 Global Food Business
  • EC 035 Economic Development

Nutrition & Policy

When a high school teacher suggested books by Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle for a paper he was writing, Akash became interested in Nutrition and Food Policy. He plans to attend the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition for a master's degree after graduation.

Intro: NU 101 Introductory Human Nutrition
Methods/Research: EC 013 Statistics
Electives:

  • PHIL 025 Food Ethics
  • NUTR 238 Economics of Food Policy Analysis
  • PSY 128 Nutrition and Behavior

History, Culture(s) and Ethics

Richard is a senior interested in the History, Culture(s) and Ethics of Food. He enjoyed internships with Slow Food International and Native Seeds/SEARCH. He plans to work for a non-profit organization in Australia encouraging the re-introduction of Australian Aboriginal traditional foods next year and then possibly return to graduate school in either Anthropology or History.

Intro: BIO 010/ENV 010 Plants and Humanity
Methods/Research: ANTH 161 Fieldwork Lab as a Method
Electives:

  • ANTH 126 Food, Nutrition and Culture
  • HIST 103 Consumption, Power, and Identity: Food and clothing in modern times
  • ANTH 178 Animals and Posthuman Thought