Welcome to the Food Studies Group!

The Food Studies Group (FSG) brings together faculty across disciplines to examine every aspect of the production, preparation, and consumption of food. FSG provides a space for faculty to share research, develop curricular initiatives, and build new collaborations around food studies. 

FSG in the News

International Programs welcomes three new faculty-directed affinity groups

Thursday, September 3, 2026
The University of Iowa’s International Programs welcomes three new affinity groups—Southwest Asian and North African Studies Group (SWANA), Food Studies Group, and Global Exchange Network—creating new opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to collaborate through research, teaching, and global engagement.

Food, culture, and memory take center stage at upcoming UI symposium

Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Scholars from across the country will gather at the University of Iowa for a symposium exploring how food connects culture, identity, language, and memory. Hosted by the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, the Food Studies Group, and International Programs, the event examines how food traditions shape communities and how food studies can be used in teaching culture and language. The free, public event requires advance registration.

Upcoming Events

Food Around the World promotional image

Food Around the World

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 2:30pm to 3:00pm
Phillips Hall
The Food Studies Group (FSG), an International Programs Affinity Group, will host Food Around the World on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Culture Bites Café (Room 120, Phillips Hall).

Contact FSG

Ari Ariel

Title/Position
Co-Director, Food Studies Group
Co-Director, Jewish Studies Network
Professor of Instruction, History, Classics and Religious Studies

Viridiana Hernández Fernández

Title/Position
Co-Director, Food Studies Group
Assistant Professor, History