TEK Faculty Fellows Awarded Sustainability Challenge Grant for Student-Run Food Recovery Initiative

TEK Faculty Fellows, Krista Jacobsen and Muzhen Li, along with a transdisciplinary team of faculty from across UK, have been awarded a Sustainability Challenge Grant for an innovative project that transforms cosmetically imperfect—but fully edible—produce into valuable learning and community resources.  Jacobsen, associate professor in the Department of Horticulture, and Li, assistant professor in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management are joined by Yeonjung Kang (Retailing and Tourism Management), David Johnson and Sara Maski (Dietetics and Human Nutrition), and Helen Turner (School of Interiors). Together, this team brings a diverse range of expertise that reflects the project’s transdisciplinary approach. 

The project centers on the development of a student-run sustainability operation model designed to reduce food waste while providing hands-on educational experiences across multiple academic programs. By redirecting “ugly” produce that might otherwise go unused, the initiative integrates sustainability, nutrition, hospitality, and design into a coordinated, real-world system.

The model operates through three interconnected components:

1. Student-Run Ugly Produce Market
   Led by students and faculty from Retailing and Tourism Management in collaboration with the School of Interiors, the market provides an accessible retail space where students can purchase affordable produce while learning about sustainable merchandising, food systems, and consumer behavior.
2. The Lemon Tree Student-Run Restaurant
   Students from Dietetics and Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management and Tourism incorporate recovered produce into meals served at the Lemon Tree restaurant. This component emphasizes culinary creativity, nutrition, and sustainable food preparation.
3. Campus Kitchen Partnership through the Locally Chopped Program
   Through the Campus Kitchen partnership, Dietetics and Human Nutrition students help transform surplus produce into nutritious meals, supporting food access initiatives while gaining experience in community-based nutrition and food recovery efforts.

By linking retail, dining, and community food programs, the initiative not only diverts food waste from the landfill but also creates meaningful, experiential learning opportunities for students. The Sustainability Challenge Grant recognizes the project’s potential to make a lasting impact on campus sustainability efforts while preparing students to address real-world challenges in food systems and environmental stewardship.

Jacobsen and Li will bring the same transdisciplinary approaches applied to this project to TEK courses they will be teaching in Fall 2026. Jacobsen will be joined by Danielle Herrig, lecturer in the Department of Biology, to teach a TEK 300 course to address issues of food insecurity and mental health through gardening. Li will incorporate TEK student learning outcomes into MAT315: Merchandising Planning and Control.