Growth and Learning

Many of the student volunteers were exuberant about their research and community service experience.

Tess O’Callaghan, a recent graduate with a degree in hospitality management, worked on the food-resource map during her senior year. Hospitality Management students are required to accrue 1,000 hours of industry-relevant professional experience. For O’Callaghan and other seniors, completing the 1,000-hour requirement was difficult because many jobs and internships were shut down during the pandemic. O’Callaghan initially got involved in the project to fulfill the requirement, but she quickly became passionate about the work.

“I had no idea that there were so many people in Centre County who struggled with food insecurity,” O’Callaghan said. “Throughout my life, my parents tried to foster a sense of gratitude and service in me. I previously participated in food drives and other charity events, but I never felt like I was a part of something that is going to make a lasting difference. Knowing that there are real people in this area who are going to be helped by the map we created, that makes me feel fulfilled and hopeful. The experience exceeded my expectations and even my hopes, and it is great to contribute to something that is more than just a project for a class.”

Carly Ashner, another recent alumna in hospitality management, also worked on the food-resource map.

“Undergraduate research never felt accessible to me,” Ashner said. “This opportunity changed my entire perspective on my education and fulfilled a need in me that I did not know that I had. I hope the program continues so that other undergraduate students have the same opportunities that I did.”

Ashner also said that this experience inspired her to try and incorporate service work into her future career.

“I have always loved sports,” Ashner explained, “In my dream job, I would work in community-relations for a sports team. I would love to help give back to communities that don’t have resources or to bring access to sports in general to different communities. And now, I will always keep an eye toward addressing food insecurity in communities. My goal is to give back and to continue to grow and learn as a person.”

Kimberly Impellitteri, research project coordinator for the Food-Decisions Research laboratory, has been impressed with the students’ enthusiasm, dedication, and problem-solving.

“I had the privilege of working with the students from beginning to end on these projects,” Impellitteri said. “It was exciting to see their enthusiasm grow as they learned more about food insecurity and how to address the problem. Some have even gone on to volunteer to help fight food insecurity beyond this project. We are all very proud of the hard work the student put into completing these projects.”

“This faculty-led and student-fueled project demonstrates the best of what research has to offer: inspiring action and important discoveries,” said Quadri-Felitti. “At the School of Hospitality Management, we are committed to serving our industry and our communities, whether those are situated around the corner or around the globe. We bring together the passionate energy of our graduate and undergraduate students with the talents of our faculty, staff, community members, and other like-minded scholars. These efforts highlight the best of Penn State, the power of hospitality higher education, and the ability for collaboration and research to support and uplift our neighbors.”

Chandler Yu also contributed to this research.