Tuesday, October 28, 2025 noon – 1:00 pm Virtual Presentation
Food insecurity is of increasing concern and affects millions of Americans, yet the invisible burden of stigma often prevents individuals from accessing the nutritional support they need. This presentation explores how stigma associated with poverty, race, and food assistance creates barriers to food security at both structural and individual levels. Drawing on new research including the Stigma and Food Inequity Framework, we will examine how shame, discrimination, and stereotype threat shape food purchasing behaviors and program participation. From people disguising themselves when using benefit cards to parents sacrificing meals for their children, we will uncover the hidden manifestations of stigma. The talk will highlight evidence-based interventions to reduce stigma at multiple levels.
Allison Karpyn, Ph.D.
University of Delaware
karpyn@udel.edu
Meet the Speaker
Allison Karpyn, Ph.D. is Professor of Human Development and
Family Sciences and Co-Director of the Center for Research in
Education and Social Policy at the University of Delaware and
Director of the Collaborative for Data Driven Action. With over 20
years of experience, she has published extensively on food insecurity,
healthy food access, and nutrition equity in journals including
Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine, and Health Affairs. She served as a
2017-2018 Fulbright Scholar studying food insecurity in the Bahamas
and previously directed research at The Food Trust in Philadelphia.
Dr. Karpyn is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University in Public Health
and holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Meeting ID: 266 770 830 157
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