Logo for "World on a Plate: A Journey Through Global Cuisines." An image of a globe that is cut in half: the left half is a normal view of the Western-hemisphere, the right half shows a visualization of the core and then additional layers extending from there.

Course Overview

World on a Plate is a five-week online summer course starting June 22, 2026, that is open to UMW students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the broader community.

This interdisciplinary, writing-intensive course explores how food shapes identity, power, and community across global contexts. Drawing on the expertise of UMW’s Modern Languages and Literatures and associated Food Studies faculty, World on a Plate examines food as a cultural text—one that tells stories about migration, colonialism, sustainability, and celebration.

Students engage with scholarly readings, live online cooking demonstrations, and public lectures, culminating in a research project that combines cultural analysis and creative reflection.

Public lectures and chef demonstrations are open to the wider Fredericksburg community, while student discussions and writing workshops provide focused academic engagement.

Schedule: Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 pm, faculty from various disciplines will broadcast a 90-minute lecture that is open to the public.

UMW students will attend a two-hour instructional workshop on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Registration

Enrollment for UMW Students and others

Current UMW students who wish to take the course for credit can enroll through Banner just as they do any other summer course.

Registration for non-students – coming soon

For more information, contact Dr. Marcel Rotter.

Course Schedule

Lectures

Week 1: Food & Identity

June 23, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Street Food and Communal Eating”, Brooke DiLauro

June 25, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Authenticity and the Politics of Taste”, Antonia Delgado-Poust

Week 2: Colonialism & Cuisine

June 30, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Empire on the Plate: Colonialism and Culinary Exchange”

July 2, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Pantry Histories and World Systems”, Patricia Orozco

Week 3: Migration & Diaspora

July 7, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Global Cuisines in Motion”, Krystyn Moon

July 9, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Migration Stories”, Daniele Orofino of Orofino

Week 4: Sustainability & Ethics

July 15, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Ritual Theory, Feasts, and Fasts”, Marielle Risse

July 16, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Food Waste”, Kashef Mjid

Week 5: Celebration & Ritual

July 21, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – “Sourcing, Seasonality, and Sustainability”, Joy Crumb of Foode

July 24, 2026, 1 – 1:45 pm + Q&A – Communal Lunch at Foode