About Us

Marria Peduto

Project Founder & Culinary Coordinator

Marria is a third-year student at Indiana University majoring in Global Food Systems, International Studies, and East Asian Languages and Cultures with a certificate in Global Service and Peace Corps Prep. She oversees food box coordination, digital content creation, and program finances. Marria is on a mission to prepare at least one meal from every country in the world and feels most at home sleeping under the stars or relaxing in her hammock. If you have a recipe to recommend please send it her way at mpeduto@iu.edu.

Shreya Mapadath

Head of Outreach & Marketing

Shreya is a freshman majoring in International Studies and East Asian Languages and Cultures, She manages social media and marketing at Food Security for Thought. In her free time, she indulges in food of all cuisines and dabbles in languages. Right now, she’s focused on learning Japanese, Korean, and most recently Chinese through the Flagship Program at Indiana University. Make her day by following @food4thoughtatiu on Instagram and Facebook.

Ethan Joss

Conference Coordinator

Ethan is a second-year student at Indiana University majoring in International Studies with a minor in International Economics.  Ethan oversees conference logistics and programming for our symposium in April.  Ethan looks forward to studying abroad in China or Taiwan in the future and is interested in looking into pursuing a career in the State Department.  Ethan loves any sort of East Asian cuisine, especially hot pot.

A note of gratitude

2021 Food Security Symposium

This conference is inspired by the academic work of Dr. Olga Kalentzidou, Dr. Andrea Siqueira, Dr. Clark Barwick, Dr. Sarah Osterhoudt, and many other academics whose work provided an educational foundation into understanding the global food system, culture and cuisine, issues of food security, and many other topics in food studies. Special thanks to all of our program partners and supporters who have generously donated their time, talents, and resources to this conference. These include the U.S. Department of State’s Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Grant, Hamilton Lugar School, Campus Kitchen, IU Funding Board, Hutton Honors College, IU Food Institute, Graduate and Professional Student Government, Geography Graduate Student Organization, Global Student Seven, and the Center for the Study of Global Change. This conference would not be possible without the contributions from these partners.

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle.

World Food Summit, 1996