Fourteenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

UCLA recently received a transformative philanthropic gift to launch a food studies institute. Such game-changing opportunities come with great responsibilities: how can universities build resilient food-focused organizations with sustained impact given the challenges of engaging in transdisciplinary work? What is the organizational model that best assures sustainability, strength, and success for food systems organizations that center themselves in academic institutions? Against a backdrop of empirical and scholarly studies, we report on our strategies for incubating a new Institute for food studies. The growth of the Institute, a multidisciplinary academic enterprise, is secured through leveraging university infrastructure and processes, as well as by utilizing best practices from other sectors. We share how rooting the Institute in UCLA’s academic system while simultaneously reaching beyond campus, can enable the Institute’s long-term success, elevate its identity and set it up to address worldwide food-related challenges and opportunities. Some featured elements of our organization-building work include: a branding and communication strategy; a governance and leadership structure; a strong fundraising profile; an optimal administrative support structure; critical faculty engagement to nurture interdisciplinary academic programs; development of robust public programs and community partnerships in Los Angeles and beyond; reporting out to stakeholders to close the loop and operationalize evolving vision; and professional engagement in scholarly communities to advance best practices for organizational resiliency.