2017-18 Food Systems Policy and Communications Workshop Series
What are effective tools to disseminate your research outside academia? In this Berkeley Food Institute workshop series, we will explore ways to engage policymakers, NGO groups, and the media to broaden the audience for your work. Open to faculty, researchers, and graduate students. Join for one session or take the whole series! Lunch provided.
All four sessions will be held at 11:45 AM–1:00 PM in 112 Hilgard Hall. RSVP is required for each individual session.
Schedule & Details
NOVEMBER 15, 2017
Session 1: Policy Engagement: Dos, Don’ts and Dares
Overview of legal guidelines and description of best practices in policymaking and a “dare” to engage more fully in policy and government.
Featuring: Gina Banks Daly, UC Berkeley Government Relations
Gina Banks Daly, Director, UC Berkeley Federal Government Relations: Gina Banks Daly joined UC Berkeley as the Director of Federal Relations in early 2015. Previously, she was the Director of Federal Government Relations for UC Davis for several years. She currently also serves in a leadership capacity for Association of American Universities (AAU) and Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Prior to joining the UC family, she was Director of Field Services for United States Senator Dianne Feinstein. She represented the Senator in 28 Northern California counties, including advising the Senator on local, regional and statewide issues. She began her political career in Washington, DC working on Capitol Hill for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senator Feinstein. She received her Masters in Public Policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy and graduated cum laude with Honors in Government from Claremont McKenna College.
DECEMBER 13, 2017
Session 2: Working with Outside Organizations on Research, Policy, and Dissemination
Roundtable on best practices for transdisciplinary collaboration beyond the academy. Successful examples from Berkeley will be shared, such
as state-legislated nutrition standards in child care and securing state grant funds for school breakfast.
Featuring: Tia Shimada, California Food Policy Advocates, and Lorrene Ritchie, UCANR Nutrition Policy Institute
Tia Shimada, MPH, Director of Programs, California Food Policy Advocates: Tia provides overarching leadership for CFPA’s programmatic work to improve the health and well-being of low-income Californians by increasing access to nutritious, affordable food. She also oversees the development and execution of CFPA’s annual research agenda. Her areas of expertise include policy advocacy to optimize the federal nutrition programs, particularly school and summer meals, and harnessing research to drive public policy. Tia has a strong interest in advancing equity and inclusion through systems change. She received her Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley and joined the staff in 2009.
Lorrene Ritchie, PhD, RD, Director, UCANR Nutrition Policy Institute: Lorrene Ritchie is the inaugural Director of the Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) and Cooperative Extension Specialist in the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dr. Ritchie has devoted her career to the development of interdisciplinary, science-based and culturally relevant solutions to child obesity and has conducted studies in numerous settings on the impact of nutrition policies and programs. Current research interests include evaluation of the relationship of school-level programs and policies on student dietary intakes, the impact of policy on nutrition practices in child care settings, the relationship of federal, state and community-level programs and policies with child nutrition and weight status, and the impact of WIC nutrition education on child feeding practices.
FEBRUARY 7, 2018
Session 3: Engaging with the Media
Training on practical tools for researchers and policy experts to effectively engage with the media. Topics include establishing connections with key reporters and becoming a trusted source for specific beats and issues.
Featuring: Haven Bourque, HavenBMedia
MARCH 13, 2018
Session 4: Using Social Media for Influencer Engagement
Overview of the role of social media in the social and environmental justice movements and a training on how experts can amplify their work and engage with news cycle topics, reporters, and outlets via social media.
Featuring: Haven Bourque, HavenBMedia
Haven Bourque, Founder, HavenBMedia: Haven Bourque offers communications expertise in service of food systems transformation. In 2010, she founded her Oakland CA-based group, HavenBMedia. The group develops communications strategies that tell powerful stories with a wide scope of proficiencies including messaging and positioning development, media training for PR mastery, and spokesperson development. Haven honed her skills working with major national NGOs focused on food, farming, labor, and ocean conservation, among them FairTrade USA, the Humane Society of the United States, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Environmental Defense Fund. She has earned national recognition for developing media training workshops for organizations including Pesticide Action Network, Food Chain Workers Alliance, California Food Policy Council, Anna Lappe’s Real Food Media Project, FERN News, the Ecological Farming Association, and the Chefs Collaborative. She is a contributing writer to Civil Eats, a Good Food Awards judge, and a member of the Oakland Food Policy Council.
