Existing graduate level courses will provide the foundation of the interdisciplinary nature of the Partnership for graduate students.

• NFS 506, Nutrition in the Community, provides an opportunity for students in the fields of nutrition, health, and social sciences to develop a greater appreciation for the importance of working in low-income communities. Students conduct needs assessments, design intervention strategies and investigate policy implications.

• HSS 530, Multidisciplinary Health Seminars for the Elderly, engages students in understanding the critical interconnected needs of our aging population in relation to nutrition, poverty, and health outcomes.

• Psychology 603, Developmental Psychology, provides a theoretical framework from which to understand the developmental processes with extensive focus on the interplay between the contexts of development (e.g., poverty) and the individual.

To complement these courses, a 3-credit interdisciplinary graduate-level seminar focused on theory (tentatively entitled The Politics of Food), will be team-taught by the Partnership faculty to students from all related disciplines. This seminar will broaden the science-based focus of the existing courses to include international concerns as well as an exploration of the political nature of the problems under study. In this seminar, students will be exposed to policies that contribute to current global, as well as local food insecurity, and will directly engage in policy evaluation and development. Collectively, this seminar will provide a fertile environment for exploring the multiple pathways of influence from various disciplines and provide an avenue for developing interdisciplinary and integrated solutions.

During Spring 2005, an interdisciplinary seminar for seniors and graduate students will emphasize the economic, medical, nutritional, policy and societal issues related to the causes and consequences of hunger.  Discussions will be based on readings and led by faculty from a variety of disciplines including those of the FHN Partnership.  Students from all disciplines are invited to participate in these weekly discussions.