Critical community-engaged scholarship in an undergraduate food systems capstone: A case study from Public Health

In this perspective paper, we present a case study of food systems pedagogy and critical community-university engagement within a school of public health at a large and public research university. We start by providing a contextual foundation for the importance of intentionally centering equity-oriented curriculum and community partnerships in academic settings. After highlighting institutional mandates and curricular innovations from a food systems capstone course, we utilize key questions of critical community-engaged scholarship to analyze the case and critically reflect on gaps and opportunities for ongoing growth

Food Insecurity Prevalence Across Diverse Sites During COVID-19: A Year of Comprehensive Data

Key Findings NFACT includes 18 study sites in 15 states as well as a national poll, collectively representing a sample size of more than 26,000 people. Some sites have implemented multiple survey rounds, here we report results from 22 separate surveys conducted during the year since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. 18 out of 19 surveys in 14 sites with data for before and since the pandemic began found an increase in food insecurity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to before the pandemic. In nearly all surveys (18/19) that measured food insecurity both before and during the pandemic, more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) were classified as food insecure during the pandemic as compared to before it began. Prevalence of food insecurity for BIPOC respondents was higher than the overall population in the majority of surveys (19/20) sampling a general population. In almost all surveys (21/22), the prevalence of food insecurity for households with children was higher than the overall prevalence of food insecurity. Food insecurity prevalence was higher for households experiencing a negative job impact during the pandemic (i.e. job loss, furlough, reduction in hours) in nearly all surveys and study sites (21/22). Food insecurity prevalence in most sites was significantly higher before COVID-19 than estimates from that time period. Reporting a percent change between pre and during COVID-19 prevalence may provide additional information about the rate of change in food insecurity since the start of the pandemic, which absolute prevalence of food insecurity may not capture. Results highlight consistent trends in food insecurity outcomes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, across diverse study sites, methodological approaches, and time

Economic security and food access during the COVID-19 pandemic: Snohomish County, June to July 2020, Research Brief 5 (Snohomish County)

The Washington (WA) State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) funded through the University of Washington (UW) Population Health Initiative (UWPHI) was deployed from June 18th to July 31st, 2020. The goal was to understand the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic security and food access of WA State residents. A total of 2,621 WA residents in 38 of 39 counties responded. Of those, 241 respondents resided in Snohomish County. This brief provides a snapshot of survey participant responses on the status and conditions of employment, income and food assistance, food security, and food shopping patterns among Snohomish County (SC) residents.University of Washington Population Health Initiativ

Economic security and food access during the COVID-19 pandemic: Pierce County, June to July 2020, Research Brief 3 (Pierce County)

The Washington (WA) State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) funded through the University of Washington (UW) Population Health Initiative (UWPHI) was deployed from June 18th to July 31st, 2020. The goal was to understand the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic security and food access of WA State residents. A total of 2,621 WA residents in 38 of 39 counties responded. Of those, 431 respondents resided in Pierce County. This brief provides a snapshot of survey participant responses on the status and conditions of employment, income and food assistance, food security, and food shopping patterns among Pierce County (PC) residents.University of Washington Population Health Initiativ

Mapping COVID-19 risk factors by King County ZIP codes, June to July 2020, Research Brief 6

The Washington (WA) State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) was launched online in June-July 2020. A total of 2,621 WA residents in 38 of 39 counties responded. WAFOOD data on food insecurity were joined with King County data on area socio-economic status and COVID-19 positivity rate data from Public Health Seattle-King County. This brief points to underlying links between pre-existing economic disparities, obesity, food insecurity, and COVID-19 risk across King County (KC) ZIP codes.University of Washington Population Health Initiativ

Economic security and food access during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clark County, June to July 2020, Research Brief 4 (Clark County)

The Washington (WA) State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) funded through the University of Washington (UW) Population Health Initiative (UWPHI) was deployed from June 18th to July 31st, 2020. The goal was to understand the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic security and food access of WA State residents. A total of 2,621 WA residents in 38 of 39 counties responded. Of those, 240 respondents resided in Clark County. This brief provides a snapshot of survey participant responses on the status and conditions of employment, income and food assistance, food security, and food shopping patterns among Clark County (CC) residents.University of Washington Population Health Initiativ

Economic security and food access during the COVID-19 pandemic: King County, June to July 2020, Research Brief 2 (King County)

The Washington (WA) State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) funded through the University of Washington (UW) Population Health Initiative (UWPHI) was deployed from June 18th to July 31st, 2020. The goal was to understand the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic security and food access of WA State residents. A total of 2,621 WA residents in 38 of 39 counties responded. Of those, 861 respondents resided in King County. This brief provides a snapshot of survey participant responses on the status and conditions of employment, income and food assistance, food security, and food shopping patterns among King County (KC) residents.University of Washington Population Health Initiativ

Economic Security and Food Access in Washington State During the COVID-19 Pandemic, June to July 2020, Research Brief 1

The Washington (WA) State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) funded through the University of Washington (UW) Population Health Initiative (UWPHI) was deployed from June 18th to July 31st, 2020. The goal was to understand the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on economic security and food access of WA State residents. A total of 2,621 WA residents in 38 of 39 counties responded. This brief provides a snapshot of survey participant responses on the status and conditions of employment, income and food assistance, food security, and food shopping patterns. We also examine barriers to accessing both federal and state programs before and since the pandemic.University of Washington Population Health Initiativ

Toward the Controlled Synthesis of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Films

Atomically smooth hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layers have very useful properties and thus potential applications for protective coatings, deep ultraviolet (DUV) emitters, and as a dielectric for nanoelectronics devices. In this paper, we report on the growth of h-BN by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process using diborane and ammonia as the gas precursors. The use of LPCVD allows synthesis of h-BN with a controlled number of layers defined by the growth conditions, temperature, time, and gas partial pressure. Furthermore, few-layer h-BN was also grown by a sequential growth method, and insights into the growth mechanism are described, thus forming the basis of future growth of h-BN by atomic layer epitaxy