ACADEMIC WORK: PAPERS & PROJECTS
Letter to the EPA
Environmental Policy 300
In the fall of 2017, the EPA proposed a repeal to Obama's Clean Power Plan. As part of a writing exercise and advocacy attempt, a letter was sent to the EPA opposing the repeal.
Senior Capstone: Community Food Assessment
Food, Poverty, & Place 400
In my final semester at Dickinson my Senior Food Capstone Seminar created a Community Food Assessment (CFA) to gain a better understanding of Cumberland County's food insecurity. The assessment located food deserts, assessed health disparities, and focused on vulnerable groups in terms of income, veteran status, single-parent households, and education level etc. The CFA was given to the Food Explorations Group to hopefully guide grant making, focus on vulnerable groups, and offer more knowledge on food insecurity in the county.
A vital part of the research was conducting focus groups at the local food bank (Project Share), which were recorded, transcribed, and archived at Dickinson's Community Studies Center. The focus group findings were later presented separately from the CFA to Project Share.
The attached CFA is a guide to look at food insecurity in the county.
The linked Storymap is a visual aid to spatially see conventional food locations, charitable food systems, and food deserts.
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Click Here for Dickinson's coverage of the CFA
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Click Here for Professor Bedi's Synopsis from the 2018 Environmental Newsletter
Independent Case Study: How Changes in Food Patterns are Indicators of Socioeconomic Change in Bangalore, India.
Study Abroad 400
The study abroad program, School for International Training requires a month-long independent study in the country that one is abroad in. My presentation showed findings of how changes in food patterns are indicators of socioeconomic change in Bangalore. This was an inductive and exploratory case study. I took ethnographic observations throughout urban Bangalore and interviewed 9 different people over 28 days ranging from restaurant owners, managers, chefs, food app developers, food consultants, and long time Bangalore Residents. My findings suggest that Bangalore’s rapid modernization from the Garden City to Silicon Valley have lead to a boost in migration, travel, income, education, health, awareness, and technology. These aspects of modernization impacted the commensality of Bangalore. People cook less by either going to a restaurant or ordering in. Businesses are supplying this demand by making it easier and more affordable for all residents across traditional, continental, fine-dining, and street food eateries. Although there is a fast food movement, Bangalore undergoes reflexive modernity by consistently embracing their values on health and by increasing intergenerational socialization through food, rather than isolation.
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For more information on study abroad, take a peek at my India page!
Research Paper on Solutions for Farmer Suicide in India
Introduction to Food Studies 200
For Intro to Food Studies Seminar the final assignment was to pick a problem within the food system and find possible solutions. After learning about the high rate of farmer suicide in India, I decided that this was a significant problem that directly relates to where our food comes from, who grows it, and the hardships caused by corporate farms, climate change, and changing economies. The bulk of my results suggest to increase access for innovative farm technology.
Maps Spatial Data for Geographic Information Systems
GIS 200
GIS at Dickinson gave me certification of ESRI programs and gave me working knowledge on how to arrange spatial data.
Please find two different samples attached:
1. The Change in Density Population by US Counties
2. Cumberland County Public Land Use