Theme: Nourish

TEDxOhioStateUniversitySalon: Nourish is the first installment of TEDxOhioStateUniversity’s inaugural Salon series. We will explore a variety of ideas related to the role food plays in our lives by featuring students and faculty from Ohio State’s CFAES and John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Several student organizations involved with food security and production will also be present to talk to individuals interested in getting involved. We hope to initiate a conversation on how students can make the best decisions for their emotional and physical wellness and advocate for the overall health of their communities.

Houston House
97 W Lane Ave
1874 Room
Columbus, Ohio, 43210
United States

Ayna Arora

Food Science and Entrepreneurship Student

Ayna is a senior in Food Science at Ohio State with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She attended pastry school in Australia, after which she worked under some of the best pastry chefs across the Asia Pacific region. She is currently working on commercializing Banzo Bites, a chickpea cookie free from the top 8 allergens. Ayna's Sweet Talks Project is focusing on creating dialogue about sensitive topics through social media and in-person events. You can learn more about her projects on Instragram @banzobites and @sweettalksproject.

Glennon Sweeney

Senior Research Associate

Glennon is a senior research associate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in the Community Assessment and Metropolitan Change unit. She joined Kirwan in 2011 and in 2014 began leading the Institute’s food justice work. Her work focuses on issues related to food security and access, metropolitan neighborhood change, housing, civic engagement, equity and the intersection of jurisdictional fragmentation and social service delivery. A member of the Franklin County Local Food Council and the Worthington Community Relations Commission, Glennon holds a Bachelor’s in geography and political science, a Master’s in city and regional planning, and is currently working on her Ph.D. in city and regional planning.

Jessica Cooperstone

Assistant Professor in Horticulture

Dr. Jessica Cooperstone is an Assistant Professor in the departments of Horticulture and Crop Science and Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University. Working at the intersection of plant, food and nutrition sciences, she and her group are interested in identifying bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables to understand how their consumption affects human health. Ultimately, she aims to provide data allowing evidence-based recommendations for health enhancement. You can find her on Twitter @CooperstoneLab.