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.
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 – “Taste and Memory: How Food Constructs Identity”
June 25, 2026 – “Authenticity and the Politics of Taste”
Week 2: Colonialism & Cuisine
June 30, 2026 – “Empire on the Plate: Colonialism and Culinary Exchange”
July 2, 2026 – “Cookbooks, Restaurants, and Representation”
Week 3: Migration & Diaspora
July 7, 2026 – “Recipes in Transit: Food and the Immigrant Experience”
July 9, 2026 – “Nostalgia and Adaptation in Diasporic Kitchens”
Week 4: Sustainability & Ethics
July 15, 2026 – “Eating Ethically: Food Politics and Consumer Responsibility”
July 16, 2026 – “Localism and Food Futures”
Week 5: Celebration & Ritual
July 21, 2026 – “Feasts, Fasts, and Festivals: Food as Ritual”
July 23, 2026 – “Food and the Social Fabric: Celebration and Community”