World on a Plate

Inspired by a summer course of the same name run by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, this year’s programming will focus on the complex relationship between humans and food. Food is not only essential to human survival but also is used to delineate communities, create meaning, and reflect and reinforce both local and global systems of exchange.

Been Here Stay Here (2024). The Humanities Center will offer a showing of this documentary, the first full length film on climate change and its impact on the families who live on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Crabbing, trapping eels, fishing, and harvesting shellfish are central to livelihoods of Tangier’s residents.

  • When: Monday, September 14 at 7pm
  • Where: Combs 139
  • Admission: Free

“From the Rhein to the Rappahannock: Migration, Supply Routes, and Tariffs” Panel Discussion. Join us for a discussion with experts on “Food on the move.” What happens to regional dishes when people immigrate and can’t find the ingredients they are used to? What role do international supply routes play for the food industry? What does overfishing in the Atlantic have to do with Japanese sushi? What effect do tariffs have on consumers?

  • Participants:
    • Professor Krystyn Moon (UMW, History & American Studies)
    • Dr. Matthias Steffan, Lord Mayor of Schwetzingen, Germany
    • TBD, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Moderator: Professor Marcel Rotter (UMW, German)
  • When: Monday, October 5 at 7pm
  • Where: Digital Audiotorium
  • Admission: Free

Healthy Cooking on a Budget Workshop. Learn how to prepare nutritious, affordable meals while developing practical cooking skills for everyday life. This class will explore budget-friendly meal planning, smart grocery shopping strategies, and simple recipes designed for busy undergraduate students.

  • When: Thursday, November 5 at TBD
  • Where: Top of the Cedric Rucker University Center
  • Admission: Free (students only)

Check back for our spring 2027 programming!