Abstracts Political Science

Designing a Model Food Systems Graduate Degree Program

by Jessica Dryke

We live in a Global Society where our business and cultures are connected across communities, countries, sectors, and disciplines. That means problems are more complex than can be addressed with a single tiered approach. In a society where communities are interconnected and interdependent across local and global markets, problems do not have simple solutions and fall under the category of wicked problems. These problems require evolving multidisciplinary collaboration across sectors, disciplines, and cultures to find solutions through continual adaptation to changes in society. Issues like food waste, food insecurity, sustainability and climate change are wicked problems that need multi-pronged approaches that appreciate multi-disciplinary problems. Since wicked problems occur on a systems scale, understanding the functionality of systems is imperative. Right now, there are few professionals trained in systems that can tackle these wicked problems within our food system. A shift in higher education over the years towards specialization, linear thinking, and reductionist approaches has not only contributed the shift away from systems understanding but has also contributed to a skills shortage gap in employees entering the workforce. The shortage includes skills such as communication, building collaborative relationships, systems thinking, problem solving, interdisciplinary work, and facilitation. This thesis is based on Participatory Action Research that combines action, practice, theory, and reflection to identify problems and potential solutions within the University of Minnesota graduate system. An anthropological approach used observations, qualitative data collection, and conversations with people of differing views to understand the issues within the current academic system from the perspective of fellow students, administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and other professionals outside the university system. This methodology and write-up further recognize and support the value of the human influence on research design and interpretation while utilizing the first-person experience. This project highlights the need for training of food systems students and young professionals to support the relevancy and impact of the nutrition discipline, in recognition of the absence of nutrition and food science in food system discussions and activities, while advocating for multidisciplinary training through the creation of a model Food Systems Graduate degree program. This complementary approach allows reductionist thinking to confluence with systems thinking to promote more wholistic training for graduate students. This Graduate degree program further supports flexibility to promote self-efficacy and interest for students, cohort-based experiential learning, and expanded levels of mentorship beyond faculty-student interaction through alumni involvement. The all-encompassing contribution of human influence, different sectors, disciplines, culture, socio-economic, and political perspectives are essential to an inclusive,…