Cluster Hire in LFS Applied Biology, Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment, and CSFS at UBC Farm
Research Seminar: Advancing Sustainable Food Systems in a Changing World
Dr. Selena Ahmed
Assistant Professor
Sustainable Food Systems
Montana State University
Click here to fill out the Feedback Form for Dr. Selena Ahmed’s campus visit
A multifaceted challenge of the Anthropocene is supporting healthy diets while conserving ecological resources in socially acceptable ways in a world experiencing climate change. In recognition of this challenge, ethno-biologist Selena Ahmed will present an integrative research framework and supporting case studies that examine the sustainability of food systems at the nexus of global change and resource vulnerability. From the production side of food systems, she will explore how environmental change and agricultural diversification impact crop quality, yields, and farmer livelihoods through case studies of tea in China and maple syrup in North America. From the consumption side of food systems, she will present a food environment case study from an Indigenous community in the United States regarding programs to evaluate and enhance access to local foods from sustainable agricultural systems. This seminar will highlight evidence-based innovations and will conclude with a research vision for advancing sustainable food systems.
When and Where?
- June 6, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- MacMillan Building, Room 258
About the Presenter
Dr. Selena Ahmed, Montana State University
Dr. Selena Ahmed is a transdisciplinary ethno-biologist and Assistant Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Montana State University with research and outreach interests at the intersection of the ecological, cultural, and health aspects of food systems. The ultimate translational goal of her research program is to strengthen linkages and innovations in the food system from production through consumption and waste towards supporting environmental and human wellbeing. She collaborates with stakeholders in diverse socio-ecological contexts including indigenous communities to apply research findings to develop evidence-based innovations. As an educator, her teaching philosophy is founded on place-based experiential education. The theories and methods driving her research draw from training in chemical ecology and clinical nutrition (NIH TEACRS postdoctoral research at Tufts University); biology, plant sciences, and phytochemistry (PhD at the City University of New York); cultural anthropology and ethnobotany (MSc from the University of Kent at Canterbury); and economics (BA from Barnard College).
This seminar is part of the LFS Applied Biology Faculty Cluster Hire in Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment. Nine short-listed candidates will be giving seminars in May and June as part of their intensive interview process. Click here see a full list of events.