LUNCH & LEARN – Understanding Food: Theories of Eating & Tasting in Everyday Life
Event Details
You are invited to join SOCHE for a virtual lunch and learn entitled “Understanding Food: Theories of Eating and Tasting in Everyday Life,” on Tuesday, May 12, beginning at 12 p.m. ET. The session will be presented by Dr. María Ortiz, executive director of the Faculty Enrichment Center at the University of Cincinnati.
Participants in this session will gain a deeper understanding of food as more than just a means of sustenance, exploring its role as a cultural and social practice. They will examine how food is connected to identity, memory, and performance, and how it reflects broader social dynamics and power structures. Through engaging discussions and theoretical perspectives, participants will learn to critically analyze representations of food in media, history, and the arts.
This session encourages reflection on how everyday eating practices shape and are shaped by personal and collective experiences. Participants also will explore how food relates to life’s major themes, including community, emotion, and even mortality. By the end, learners will be equipped with new frameworks for interpreting the significance of food in both historical and contemporary contexts.
By participating in this session, learners will be able to:
- Recognize the cultural and social dimensions of food beyond its biological function.
- Identify how food practices are linked to identity formation, self-expression, and community.
- Explain the ways food intersects with systems of power, memory, and social inequality.
- Apply theoretical concepts to analyze food-related themes in historical, artistic, and media contexts.
- Reflect on how everyday food experiences contribute to personal and collective narratives.
- Evaluate contemporary issues related to food access, meaning, and representation across different cultures and time periods.
From identity and memory to power and representation, you’ll gain new tools to examine how food shapes—and is shaped by—our everyday lives. Register now to expand your perspective on what food truly means.
Registration for this event will close on Sunday, May 10.
When: Tuesday, May 12, from 12-1 p.m. ET
Where: SOCHE Zoom platform (link sent at least 24 hours prior to event)
Cost:
- Personnel from SOCHE member schools: $5
- Personnel from NON-member schools/organizations: $10
- Students: FREE
Questions? Contact Mindy Claggett at SOCHE
Student Registration Fee Policy
Registration Cancellation Policy
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT WILL CLOSE ON SUNDAY, MAY 10
About the Presenter
María I. Ortiz, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Faculty Enrichment Center
University of Cincinnati
Dr. María I. Ortiz is the Executive Director of the Faculty Enrichment Center at the University of Cincinnati, where she leads university-wide initiatives in faculty recruitment, recognition, professional development, and retention. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Spanish and Romance Languages and Literatures from the University of Cincinnati, and a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Puerto Rico, where she also earned certification as a high school Spanish teacher. With over 18 years of experience in Spanish language instruction, curriculum innovation, and faculty support, Dr. Ortiz specializes in inclusive pedagogy and active learning strategies. Her professional background includes leadership roles in faculty development, award-winning teaching, and international collaboration in higher education. She also holds a Certificate in Media and Technology for Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research explores literature and culture through the lenses of food, identity, gender, Thirdspace, and post-colonial studies, with a focus on interdisciplinary and decolonial perspectives.
