News and Stories

On May 11th to 13th, 2026, our student research assistant Rachel Handa, who leads student outreach on our Testing Student-Driven Solutions to Improve Food Security Research Study, attended the inaugural Student Essential Needs Summit: Advancing Higher Education Research, Practice, and Public Policy in Washington DC. Rachel was joined in DC by UCSD basic needs champions including: Alicia Magallanes, Director of UCSD Hub Basic Needs Center, Nancy Binkin, Professor of Practice in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity Science, and Patricia Mahaffey, Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Life. 

The event was organized by University of California’s Essential Needs Consortium (UCENC), based at UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Economic Justice and Action, and convened UC advocates, researchers, practitioners, government relations officers, and students at the UC Washington Center to engage and elevate essential needs for California college students. The three-day summit featured research findings from UC Essential Needs grant awardees and a panel on essential needs practice, including  breakout sessions and training on federal policy. Topics included: utilization of CalFresh to address student food insecurity, student perspectives on basic needs, fundraising strategies, state and national policy challenges, affordable housing, and more. 

These discussions culminated into an advocacy day where attendees met with their respective elected official representative offices to share their insights and educate officials on the real needs of students. Rachel and our UCSD team met with the Office of Rep. Sara Jacobs to share student experiences with financial and basic needs programs, underscoring the need for further investment.

Ultimately, the event bridged UC stakeholders to share knowledge and evidence-based practices for student wellbeing. At the student level, these insights are being shared now with a network of students who recently united as the UCSD Student Food Coalition. This new coalition, co-led by Rachel, includes student leaders working with the Basic Needs Hub, student food organizations like UCSD Food Co-op and Food Recovery Network, and student government to advance knowledge sharing and collective efforts towards improved student food security and food justice.