This past summer, Dr. Prescott and her research team in Food Science and Human Nutrition conducted a study titled Time for Lunch, which studied the impact of school lunchtime constraints on dietary food behaviors among children participating in summer camps held on campus.

The study itself was held in the Spice Box to simulate a school lunch experience with lunch tray lines, organized tables and seats, and a kid-friendly menu. One of my roles was to be an observer and document any type of behavior before, during, and after the children ate. My other role was to help with weighing any food waste that was left from the trays.

I enjoyed being a part of this study because I learned a great deal about what components are needed to perform a research study and how it is managed through coordinators and staff members. It also gave me a whole new perspective on childhood nutrition, and children’s relationship with food as well as with their peers. I am currently working on analyzing the data from the research study!