A Kellogg Institute doctoral student affiliate in anthropology has been awarded a National Science Foundation award to support her research on COVID-19 and nutrition.

Kayla Hurd’s dissertation, “The effects of COVID-19 on food choice and well-being,” examines how people have adjusted their food choices during the ever-evolving coronavirus pandemic. It tests anthropological theories of resilience and disaster to determine whether and how people change dietary habits to alleviate the stresses associated with the crisis.

Faculty Fellow Vania Smith-Oka is the principal investigator on the grant award. Hurd is a Notre Dame Deans’ Fellow, a fellow at the Eck Institute for Global Health, and a senior consultant at the Office of Grants and Fellowships.