Salve!

My name is Brandi Ramcoobeer (she/her/hers) and I am a rising senior. I am pursuing a dual degree in Neuroscience and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies on the pre-med track. I have a minor in Chemistry, a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine, and a member of the Fredrick Honors College. In the future, I hope to go to medical school and become a pediatric psychiatrist.

In a few days I will be off to Rome as a part of Pitt’s Food Studies in Rome study abroad program, where I will be spending a month exploring the intersectionality of gender, food, and sustainability in the region. We will explore how culture can have an impact on food consumption and gender specifically in Italy.

As a GSWS/Neuro double major, there are not a lot of times where these topics align. I am really excited to go on this trip and see how food can have a gendered impact on our behaviors. I am also really excited to interact with sustainability in another country and see how it differs from what I am used to. I think it will be interesting to apply what I learn in Italy in order to gain a better understanding of food consumption, gender, and sustainability back in the United States. I think that it would be interesting to see how this differs between the different regions of the states as well.

I have never been to Europe, let alone Italy, so I am excited to engage with the community and historical sites while I am there! I think that it is important to open our minds and listen to the stories of others so I’m excited to engage with locals.

Thanks for reading!

Brandi