About Us
The Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. We design innovative studies, develop novel food and nutrition curricula, create relevant and practical tools for our stakeholders, and engage with schools, communities, and policy makers. We believe that food and nutrition education has a crucial role to play in empowering people to understand and navigate the food system, as well as to become advocates for change on personal and policy levels.
The Center has established a broad agenda, which allows us to realize our vision. This includes:
- Conducting research that informs school food, child nutrition, and food access policies.
- Advocating for equitable, sustainable, healthy food and healthier school food environments - by endorsing bills, submitting testimony, and leading campaigns.
- Building community and capacity-by convening advocates, program leaders, school community members, and other stakeholders in our Food Ed Coalition, which supports NYC’s most vulnerable populations.
- Investing in the next generation of food and nutrition leaders - by providing a space for hands-on training for students in TC’s Program in Nutrition.
Our mission is to conduct research on food and nutrition education practice and policy. We translate our research into resources for educators, policy makers, and advocates to demand a healthy, just, and sustainable food system.
Our vision is to transform the status quo through food and nutrition education.
The Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy is within the Program in Nutrition at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Program in Nutrition, founded in 1909 by Mary Swartz Rose, PhD, is the oldest university-based nutrition program in the country and established the field of nutrition education. The Program has always had a broad, inclusive focus on food and nutrition issues, conducting cutting-edge research and promoting policies and practices that support ecological sustainability and personal health.
Joan Gussow, EdD, who was chair of the Program from 1975-1985, added the focus of food system sustainability and continued to emphasize this important aspect in her transformative course Nutritional Ecology, which she co-instructed with Dr. Pam Koch. Following Joan, Emerita Professor Dr. Isobel Contento was chair of the Program from 1985-2020. Dr. Contento added a focus of behavioral nutrition to the Program to promote nutrition education that increases awareness, inspiration, skills, knowledge, and environmental supports. Currently, Dr. Randi Wolf, who brings a depth of experience in population dietary evaluation and nutritional epidemiology, is the Program chair.
The Center was launched in 2006 as the Center for Food & Environment. In 2013, the Center was renamed to recognize a generous gift from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund and to highlight the Center’s focus on policy under the leadership of Drs. Pam Koch and Isobel Contento. Today, Dr. Pam Koch continues to support the Center as Faculty Director and Mary Swartz Rose Associate Professor of Nutrition and Education. In addition to Dr. Pam Koch, the Tisch Food Center’s staff and students build upon the strong foundation laid by Drs. Swartz Rose, Gussow, Contento, and Wolf to work at the intersection of food systems, nutrition education, and public health.
Research
We conduct research that informs school food, child nutrition, and food access policies.
Education
We work to ensure that all NYC students have access to quality food and nutrition education.
Advocacy
We advocate for equitable, sustainable, healthy food and improved school food environments.