Qualifications BSc Human Nutrition & Dietetics, PhD Nutrition

Job Title and Employer Assistant Professor / Lecturer, University College Dublin, Ireland

Contact details sarah.browne1@ucd.ie   https://people.ucd.ie/sarah.browne1  

Areas of research interest (related to sustainable food systems)

Community engagement and participatory research, food environments (education settings), food waste, dietetics pedagogy.

How long has your affiliated tertiary institution offered sustainable food systems education?

8 years

What was the process for getting sustainable food systems education into your curriculum?

A lecture on SFS was integrated into the original curriculum under 'dietetics professional practice' and this has subsequently grown to include more SFS project work and dissertation topics. 

Which course(s)/degree(s) and year level(s) contain(s) sustainable food systems education?

MSc year 2 (of 2 year programme)

Are the learning and teaching activities integrated across multiple units/courses/modules and year levels or delivered as a stand-alone unit/course/module?

Integrated

Is this content compulsory or an elective?

Compulsory/Core

Do you include experiential learning and teaching activities? (Please note: these can be on or off-campus, and part of the assessed curricula or a voluntary offering)

Yes, students visit regenerative farm as part of a compulsory module.  Some students have the opportunity for deeper learning through project work and dissertations, depending on how the topics are assigned or interest from the student.  Additional extra-curricular activities offered depending on campus activity e.g. living soil and composting.

Which learning and teaching activity(s) would you consider to be your most effective to facilitate a deep learning amongst students? These can be in-class, assessment tasks, field trips, volunteer opportunities, etc.

Field trip to a regenerative farm that includes a lecture from the head of education at the farm who has a background in sustainable agriculture research.