Food for thought: Pioneering the future of food: A two day RMIT event

Food for thought: Pioneering the future of food - Engaging for Impact event

DATES: Monday November 27 (SAB Building 80, Level 2, 007 - City campus) - 9:00am - 5.00pm

Tuesday November 28 (Building 224, Bundoora West campus) - 9:00am 5.00pm

The Food For Thought: Pioneering the Future of Food is a multi-disciplinary engagement event that will showcase Australian and internationally recognized research on food and its connections to society, health, and our future. This two-day event brings together RMIT researchers, industry, government, and other key stakeholders to discuss some of society’s most pressing needs surrounding food, including our desired food futures, and the pathways to get us there.

The event will be structured around three key interdisciplinary themes that frame RMIT University’s Enabling Impact Platforms:

Food for social change and connectedness, looking at how food can play a part in driving positive social change;

Food for health and wellbeing, exploring the complex and multifaceted role that food plays in our physical and mental health; and

Food for securing our future, covering the opportunities and challenges of the future of food production, consumption, and sustainability.

Activities across the two-day event will include a tour of our food research facilities, innovative presentations on the future of food, interactive food demonstrations, and developing large-scale projects with you, our partners.

We are excited to welcome you to Food for Thought: Pioneering the future of food at RMIT, where we are taking steps to make a positive impact on our environment. We invite you to be a part of our sustainability mission by bringing a water bottle and a keep cup with you.

Why are we encouraging this behaviour change? By bringing your own water bottle and keep cup, you can help us reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles and coffee cups, minimising waste, and conserving resources. Together, we can create a more sustainable and eco-friendly event!

Thank you for your commitment to a cleaner, greener planet. We can't wait to see you at the event and share in this collective effort to reduce waste and protect our beautiful Earth.

Expert Speakers include:

• Keren Allen (Community and International Development Consultant, United Nations SDG2 Advocacy Hub)
• Renata Anderson (Policy and Health Promotion Officer, Women's Health Victoria)

• Dr Rohit Ashok-Khot (Senior Lecturer, Design and Social Context, RMIT University)
• Victor Barichello (Chief Executive Officer, Empauer)
• Dr Jennifer Boer (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Research & Innovation Portfolio, RMIT University)
• Professor Charles Brennan (Chief Scientific Director, Food & Nutrition Innovation Hub, RMIT University)
• Prof Linda Brennan (Professor, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University)
• Penny Brotja (Lecturer, Nutrition, Sensory and Food Technology, RMIT University)
• Prof Michael Buxton (Emeritus Prof, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University)
• Dr Stephanie Damiano (Manager, Butterfly Body Bright, The Butterfly Foundation)
• Kelly Donati (Senior Lecturer in Australia's first Bachelor of Food Studies, William Angliss)
• Dr Mina Dokouhaki (Lecturer, Food Technology, RMIT University)

• Emily Dunstan (Chief Growth Officer, Sustainability Victoria)
• Gordon Edwards (CEO, Health Food Symmetry)
• Professor Asgar Farahnaky (Professor, Food Technology, RMIT University)
• Dr Aida Golneshin (Business Innovation Manager, Edlyn Foods)
• Geoff Gordon (CEO Hela Foods)
• Dr Minh Ha (Science and Technology Manager, V2 Foods)
• Maria Hoertrich (Head of Quality, Monde Nissin)
• Prof Catherine Itsiopoulos (Dean, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University)

• Dr Snehal Jadhav (Lecturer, Food Safety, Deakin University)
• Dr Mark Jaffrey (Australian Defence Force)
• Dr April Kartikasari (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Immunology, RMIT University)
• Emil Kroelle (Technical Specialist at Stop Food Waste Australia)
• Steve Lapidge (CEO at Fight Food Waste)
• Jarrod Leak (Chief Executive Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity)
• Dr Bhavna Middha (Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University)
• Mar Moure (PhD Candidate, University of Copenhagen)
• Sam Oakden (Head of Australian Food Pact at Stop Food Waste Australia)
• Prof Tobias Otterbring (Professor, Department of Management, University of Agder)
• Dr Ashleigh Powell (Lecturer, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University)
• Gabrielle Orr (Health Promotion Practitioner, Better Health Network - formerly Star Health)

• Dr Rebecca Olive (Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, Design and Social Context, RMIT University)
• Prof Mike Reid (Prof, College of Business and Law, RMIT University)
• Dr Jeroen Rens (General Manager R&D Bega Group)
• Danni Rowlands (Head of Prevention, The Butterfly Foundation)
• Dr Matthew Selinske (Postdoctoral Research Associate, ICON Science Research Group, RMIT University)
• Dr Henrik Siepelmeyer (Research Fellow, University of Agder)
• Professor Mike Sissons (Group Leader, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries)
• Prof Sarah Spencer (Prof, STEM College, RMIT University)
• Prof Roger Stanley (Professor of Food Science & Technology, University of Tasmania)
• Dr Regine Stockmann (Principal Research Scientist/Engineer, CSIRO)
• Prof Constantino Stavros (Deputy Dean, Learning & Teaching, and Prof of Marketing, RMIT University)
• Richard Tegoni (CEO Cardia Bioplastics)
• A/Prof Peter Torley (Assistant Associate Dean, School of Science, RMIT University)
• Dr Nuwan Vithanage (Research Scientist, CSIRO)
• Dr Oliver Vodeb (Senior Lecturer, Communication Design, RMIT University)
• Dr Carolynne White (Participation and Co-Design Manager, Mind Australia)
• Louise Wigg (Director, Body of Wellbeing)
• Dr Sanjeewa (Prad) Wijayaratne (Lecturer and Tutor in Marketing, RMIT University)
• Dr Yang Yap (Lecturer in Psychology, RMIT University)
• A/Prof Zhen Zheng (Associate Professor in Chinese Medicine, RMIT University)

We look forward to seeing you there!