McKenna Murphy

 My name is McKenna Murphy, and I am a first-year Geography graduate student in the M.S.+ Ph.D. program. My research interests lie in community food production, such as urban agriculture, and the connection between food, race, and culture. I am interested in exploring how self-reliant food systems can feed communities and create networks of food aid.

I completed my undergraduate education at Penn State, graduating with my B.S. in Agricultural Sciences. I worked with Geography Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Ortiz as my advisor for my undergraduate honors thesis. My thesis focused on how U.S. cities are addressing food insecurity through acknowledging racial histories, celebrating cultural traditions, and fighting for social justice.