Jen Oslund, 2025

Spring Break at JWU: Student Experiences

My time at Johnson and Wales University (JWU) introduced me to the level of discipline, grit, collaboration, and business savvy it takes to be successful in the food sector. I was blown away by the thoughtfulness, passion, and intention the JWU students and staff brought to each class.

This experience was a great asset to my overall Friedman experience where I study about creating targeted interventions to improve dietary behaviors and practices.  Johnson and Wales was able to provide insights on the realities and challenges culinary professionals face when creating viable business plans and careers. Through cooking classes, I saw how JWU is coming up with creative solutions to advocate for healthier communities in creative and delicious ways

My PhD thesis is related to the influence of cultural influences on dietary behavior, I was giddy to be introduced to the impressive collection of food related curations the Johnson and Wales Culinary Arts Museum held. The curator shared these displays in a way that highlighted key cultural shifts and priorities in the American food system. For example, there were examples of different ovens over the last century that showed the evolution of form and function as American’s relationship with food shifted.

In addition to the many wonderful food experiences (and there were many), I was able to share my research with Johnson and Wales faculty and students which led to building meaningful connections and potential future collaborating opportunities.

Overall, this experience allowed me to get to know inspiring members of our community I otherwise would not have interacted with. Building collaborations across institutions where we can have frank and productive conversations on how to improve our communities is crucial. I am grateful for this experience that helped to felicitate those connections.