.png)
Coauthoring a guest essay for The New York Times with Mark Bittman,
I advocated for mandatory warning labels on ultra-processed foods in the U.S., drawing from my research on nutrition labeling as a public health intervention. These labels, designed to highlight high levels of added sugar, fat, and salt, aim to enhance nutrition literacy and drive informed consumer choices. This intervention is particularly critical for marginalized populations disproportionately affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with the potential to empower consumers, shift behaviors, and encourage industry reformulation.
2024 U.S. Department of State
Critical Language Scholar: Kiswahili
Over the course of eight weeks, I developed proficiency in Kiswahili as a Citizen Diplomat through the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship. During my time in Tanzania, I had the privilege of fostering meaningful relationships with local farmers, researchers, and NGOs.
A highlight was visiting a traditional Chagga agroforestry homestead in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, where I planted beans and corn. I also visited the World Vegetable Center East Africa headquarters and delivered a presentation and final paper on climate change and indigenous Tanzanian beans in Kiswahili.
​
Check out the presentation below.
Master of Public Health Capstone Project: Renewable Energy Siting
Environmental Health and Environmental Justice Impact Assessment
This Capstone report provides HDR, an American design and engineering company, with an overview of the regulatory procedures related to renewable energy siting in New York State. It aims to equip HDR with the knowledge necessary to advise clients effectively on permit requirements and implications, particularly concerning Disadvantaged Communities (DACs). The report offers insights through a narrative review, qualitative interviews, and a case study, providing key recommendations for developers.​​
Download Report
Scoping Review Project Manager
One of my proudest achievements at the Rockefeller Foundation has been leading project management for a scoping review. Leading an international team of 20 collaborators provided invaluable leadership development. I presented preliminary findings at the 2023 Society for Ethnobotany and Ethnobiology Joint Conference.
The ongoing review will identify environmental and agricultural factors affecting crop composition, research gaps, and assess food biomolecule vulnerability. We are following PRISMA guidelines for rigor and transparency.
​
Methods: We conducted a preliminary search using 150 terms across seven databases, selecting three specialized databases for the main search. Abstracts were screened using Covidence and Zotero, and a data extraction spreadsheet was used to qualitatively code upstream drivers and subsequent effects on food biochemical composition.
​
Application: Initial analysis shows that soil quality, water availability, climate conditions, and management practices significantly impact crop composition. The final manuscript will categorize and map identified drivers, highlighting under-researched areas and vulnerable food biomolecule groups.
Statement to the World Health Organization Secretariat
COVID-19 has profoundly uprooted global norms. While the pandemic affects people across the globe, the impacts are different based on where you live and who you are. For the under-30s of the world, we will be hit hardest by long-term economic, social, and emotional stressors, and we will bear the brunt of the fallout if leaders fail to act on pandemic preparedness. With crises like global conflict, climate change, and potentially another deadly pandemic on the horizon, youth voices must be prioritized in change-making.
Case Study
Cowpea-Maize Intercropping for Fertilizer Shortages in Rwanda
PREPARED BY KAT MORGAN FOR ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION FOOD TEAM, SUMMER 2022
In 2022, I conducted a case study for the Rockefeller Foundation on the fertilizer shortage issue in Rwanda, where import dependency from Russia led to a 100% surge in fertilizer prices. This shortage particularly impacted staple crops like maize, rice, and Irish potatoes, which rely heavily on fertilizers for optimal yields.
To address this problem, I explored cowpea-maize intercropping as a cost-effective solution. This practice enhances soil health and crop yields by reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. At a 50:50 intercropping ratio, cowpea-maize intercropping could supply 2⁄3 of maize's required nitrogen, resulting in significant cost savings of $25.08 per hectare for smallholders.
​
This finding is based on the fact that maize typically requires 120 kg of added nitrogen inputs per hectare, costing $413.60 per hectare for fertilizers without intercropping. However, intercropping reduces the nitrogen requirement to 21 kg per hectare, significantly lowering input costs.
​
In conclusion, intercropping cowpeas with maize can substantially reduce fertilizer needs and costs. I recommend allocating funds to both fertilizers and intercropping capacity building to address immediate food security needs while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
This approach addresses the urgency of the situation and contributes to long-term benefits such as soil health, climate resilience, and reduced dependency on external inputs.
​​
The broader implications of this research include:
-
Its relevance to regions facing fertilizer supply challenges.
-
The potential applicability of per-hectare cost insights to small-scale farming systems elsewhere.
-
The sustainability it offers to African food systems by balancing practicality with long-term benefits and farmer sovereignty.
Navigating the Pandemic Podcast
I am the host and producer of the public health podcast Navigating the Pandemic, nominated for “Best Health Podcast” in the International Quill Podcast awards. Ranked #4 of the top 15 Pandemic Podcasts on the internet by Feedspot. With a listener base spanning thirteen countries, the show disseminates accurate information about COVID-19 response and preparedness with a focus on addressing pandemic disparities.
​
The show was selected as a Global Youth Mobilisation Local Solutions Grantee. Over the last two years, podcasting has helped me to make sense of the pandemic for myself and my global audience. It’s been a privilege to interview experts who are passionate about pandemic research/mitigation/prevention, and now my podcasting efforts will reach a larger audience via this grant.
Responsibilities include: content research and development, technical writing, project organization, interviewing, and audio editing to make accurate and credible information accessible by amplifying expert voices through a conversational tone.
University of Washington St. Louis Institute of Public Health
Gold Family Summer Research Scholar
2021 Institute of Public Health Summer Research Program
​As a research assistant for the Compound Vulnerability and COVID-19: African American and African Low Wage Allied Healthcare Workers and Ancillary Staff project, I transcribed qualitative interviews; helped develop and design the research survey instrument with Qualtrics software; authored topical research summaries on themes of frontline work, COVID-19 racial disparities in St. Louis, and vaccine misinformation; conducted a literature review on vaccine hesitancy; and conducted qualitative coding and vaccine hesitancy data analysis as part of a subproject gauging vaccine hesitancy in our research population.
Undergraduate Directed Anthropology Research:
Addressing Food Insecurity in Appalachia: An Anthropological Public Health Assessment and Recommendations
My research questions aim to understand how income and region impact access to nutritious food. As an individual with Appalachian roots, I am interested in exploring how food insecurity affects poor, rural populations. Through my college education, I realized that the lack of health literacy and resources I observed growing up were multifactorial issues. Much of my early life was spent in small, southern towns, where health and nutrition literacy were limited. The experiences of my family members, the environments of the communities I grew up in, and my own health journey have greatly informed my desire to study health disparities and the social determinants of health, particularly as they relate to nutrition.
Cultural Analysis + Public Health Assessment
Literature Review +Research Proposal