Speaker: Valerie Segrest is a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and works as a native nutrition educator for the Northwest Indian College’s Traditional Plants Program. She coordinates the Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project and co-authored the book Feeding the People, Feeding the Spirit: Revitalizing Coastal Indian Food Culture.

Ms. Segrest received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master of Arts in Environment and Community from Antioch University. She is a fellow for the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy and a PhD student at the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments. Ms. Segrest aims to inspire and enlighten others about the importance of a nutrient-dense diet through a culturally appropriate, common sense approach to eating.

About the Winter Seminar Series: Food equity, defined as access to safe, affordable, and nutritious foods, is increasingly being viewed as a basic human right. While access to healthy foods can be compromised by war and conflict, geography and climate change, it can also be affected by inequities in socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, education, and income and for groups that are low income, elderly, or chronically ill. Diet quality, weight status, and even life expectancy are determined by where people live because their food environment defines how—and where—they get their food. Locally within Seattle and King County, sharp disparities in diet quality and health have been observed. The rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases and the role of the environment, as well as health equity and social justice, are themes that the UW Population Health Initiative are addressing and each is connected to foods and nutrition. The Winter 2017 Seminar will address all of these issues directly, drawing on population health experts from within and outside the UW. The seminar is open to all UW faculty, staff, and students.