Meet Our Speakers!

This month we would like to highlight three speakers who will be presenting at the Healthy Campus Initiative Symposium on behalf of the Eat Well Pod on April 30th from 4pm-8pm in Covel Commons! We asked our speakers to provide their name and job title, the title of their presentation (as a teaser – you’ll have to come to the symposium to get all the juicy details!) and the answers to a few fun questions.

We hope to see you at the HCI Symposium on April 30th from 4pm-8pm for activities, interactive presentations, and a delightful meal! All of these things are FREE for students. Email HCISyposium@ucla.edu to register!

Ashleigh Parsons – Creative Director and Founding Owner of Alma Restaurant

Presentation title: A Case for Imperfection

If you could only eat 1 food for the rest of the year, what would it be and why?

Kale because it’s healthy and delicious

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be and why?

Learn fluent French because I love the way it sounds

What was the last amazing meal you ate that left you craving more?

I like to cook for myself with friends & the people I love — those are the meals I crave more.

Alexa Delwiche – Managing Director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council

Presentation title: The Good Food Purchasing Program: Building a Local & Sustainable Food Economy for Los Angeles

If you could only eat 1 food for the rest of the year, what would it be and why?

I eat an organic apple from my local farmers’ market every day, unless it’s seasonally unavailable. BUT if we are talking fantasy world, I would eat a breakfast burrito from the Cantina in Isla Vista, CA every day (note that I did try that in college with disastrous consequences for my wallet and waistline).

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be and why?

Speak another language – I’ve tried unsuccessfully many times

What was the last amazing meal you ate that left you craving more?

I’m a working mom of a six-month old baby – any meal that someone else cooks for me is amazing. My husband has become my favorite chef.

Alice Bamford – Owner of One Gun Ranch

Presentation title: A Biodynamic Perspective

If you could only eat 1 food for the rest of the year, what would it be and why?

One Gun veggies and salad

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be and why?

Grow wings and fly! Freedom and Perspective.

What was the last amazing meal you ate that left you craving more?

Grilled Langoustine sprinkled with oil and lemon, Salt baked whole Seabass with homegrown olive oil and a simple salad of tomatoes and arugula finished with freshly picked figs and homemade lemon, mint and Leoube rose sorbet. [It was] south of France at my family’s organic Vineyard Leoube.

It was a happy celebration for my Mum and my birthday surrounded by close friends and loved ones at the end of Spring last year.