Amy Bentley

Associate Professor

"Our food studies program is the only one of its kind in the country. It looks at food in all its contexts -- art, history, politics, agriculture, economy, society."

While pursuing her doctorate in American Civilization, Amy Bentley began casting about for a dissertation topic. "My mother mentioned the victory garden her family had planted during World War II," remembers Bentley. "That's when I began reading the academic literature surrounding food, how scholars learn about people and society and culture through food - and I loved it. Now I consider myself a food historian."

Bentley received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992, taught for several years at the University of Colorado at Boulder, then joined the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health. "Our food studies program is a great program," she says. "The only one of its kind in the country. It looks at food in all its contexts -- art, history, politics, agriculture, economy, society. The program is further unique because we have majors at the undergraduate, masters and PhD levels."

A strength of the department as a whole, Bentley points out, is the interrelated discussion of nutrition and food. "Nutrition majors, for instance, can't get through the program just by studying vitamins, minerals, fats, carbs - they have to examine the social, historical and cultural contexts in which those nutrients are embedded." And, says Bentley, the department's students do.

"Our food studies students, as well as those in nutrition, are people who love food and want to figure out a way to study it in an academic setting. They graduate with a well-rounded degree that's a combination of both the practical and the academic. It's an exciting combination, and I think it really makes our students marketable in a variety of careers."

Bentley is working on two books. The first is about the industrialization of baby food in the early 20th century. "I'm looking at how baby food - which is basically an invented product - became so indispensable to American families." The book is called Inventing Baby Food: Gerber and the Evolution of Infant food and Feeding Practices.

Her second book, as yet untitled, is for Columbia University Press. "They have a series called Life in America Since 1945. I'm writing a book for that series on food in the post-war era."

Bentley has witnessed and participated in much change and growth in the department. "We've moved in a good direction and I'd like to see us move further. The focus has been on consumption of food, but recently we've added courses concerning food production, which address such crucial issues as the growing and processing of food and its effects on the environment, culture and society, and food policy and safety in the emerging global economy. I'd like to see more courses like this."

She'd also like to see the department start a community garden "for students to get practical experience in growing food as well as preparing and consuming it - maybe even plant it some place in Washington Square!" In the meantime, Bentley will continue to explore her passion. "Food is a great topic, endlessly interesting to write about and think about."

Amy Bentley's complete faculty bio.