Hunger for Change

When Alana Davidson arrived at UNH as a freshman in August 2013, she was interested in sports nutrition as a major. But by her sophomore year she realized that she wanted to focus on something more specific: food insecurity. That year, she conducted a research project on food insecurity among college students that included a campus survey. The results were eye-opening: Of the nearly 1,000 students who responded, 25 percent reported being food insecure — they did not have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food.

Not content to simply share her results, Davidson worked with the UNH faculty and administration to create Swipe It Forward, a program that makes donated money for meals available to UNH students who qualify. Students can scan their fingerprints or use their meal cards to access meal credits that have been donated to the “swipe bank.”

Since graduating from UNH in 2017 with a degree in dietetics, Davidson has been continuing the work she began as an undergraduate to reduce food insecurity and building a career committed to sustainable and equitable access to food for all.

The experience with Swipe It Forward at UNH taught Davidson the importance of designing food security programs that are as non-stigmatizing and respectful as possible, and it continues to influence her.

“There is a quote by Nelson Mandela that I thought about a lot when I was at UNH: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world,’” she says. “UNH really exemplifies this idea. Through the research opportunities and the mentorship of Jesse Stabile Morrell and others, my time at UNH set me on my path to use food policy and research to effect change, both small and large.”

Davidson, who was also a Hamel Scholar and a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, went on to study food policy at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; in 2019 she earned her master’s degree in food policy and applied nutrition with a concentration in law and justice. While at Tufts, she interned at the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), an agency that administers economic benefits, food assistance and workforce training to the state’s low-income residents. Her internship turned into a full-time job as the outreach interagency specialist for DTA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

She served as DTA’s director of communications before moving on to a similar role at the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

In the early days of the pandemic, Davidson was selected to manage the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center’s Food Security Task Force, which was charged with ensuring that food insecurity and food supply needs were addressed during the public health emergency. The task force’s successes include spurring Gov. Charlie Baker to invest $100 million to support food security and build a more equitable food system.

When you talk to Davidson, it’s hard not to notice her expressions of gratitude. She often begins responses to questions about her achievements with the words “I was really lucky to …” or “I had the privilege to ….” Perhaps it’s because she recognizes that access to success — like access to food — isn’t always equitable. Combined with hard work, drive and intelligence, there’s a certain amount of serendipity sprinkled in.

“I’m fortunate to have found my passion in college,” she says. “But I never expected to be in a communications role. I was interested in food policy, data, research and advocacy, and I’ve realized that this role can be used to do a lot of what I want to do.”

When asked what she hopes to have achieved by the end of her career, Davidson says: “I think I will have had a hand in helping us, as a country, see the day when every person has access to healthy and culturally appropriate food in a sustainable and equitable way. We have the tools and resources. I do think we can get there. We need to get there.”