KR
Kristin Robeson
  • sociology
  • Class of 2017
  • Manheim, Pa.

Kristin Robeson Presents E.A.T. Research

2016 Jul 12

Kristin Robeson of Manheim, Pa., is one of four students from Lebanon Valley College's E.A.T. (Engage, Analyze, Transform) Research Group that traveled to the University of Toronto-Scarborough in June to present their research at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society (AFHVS), and the Canadian Association of Food Studies (CAFS). The conference attracts nearly 400 global scholars who represent disciplines as diverse as anthropology, history, nutrition, geography, journalism, and agricultural science.

Robeson, a graduate of Manheim Central High School, is pursuing a bachelor of arts in sociology at The Valley. Robeson's project, ODining Hall Orientation,O proposed a new component to the traditional first-year student orientation program that occurs at the beginning of the fall semester. After conducting baseline research regarding student dining hall knowledge, she proposed a four-part orientation sequence that will introduce students to the Metz staff, educate them about the healthy and sustainable options in the dining hall, and prepare them to make better dining choices during meals.

The students presented their research in an organized panel titled "Transforming Student Dining Through Nutritional Interventions," which highlighted the coordinated efforts of the E.A.T. Research Group to transform the dining experience of students on the Lebanon Valley College campus. This year, all four student projects focused on the nutritional well-being of student diners. They aimed, though various programs and interventions, to transform and shape the conditions in the Lehr and Phillips Dining halls to promote healthy eating.

The E.A.T. Research Group conducted its research and made the trip to Toronto due to the generous support of Metz Culinary Management, the Edward H. and Jeanne Donlevy Arnold Experiential Grant Program, and the Office of Academic Affairs. Additional information regarding each project and its results can be found at www.lvc.edu/eat.