Hospitality Management major, Nancy Hinojosa, grew up in a small town in West Texas called Alpine. With a love for traveling and visiting new places, she chose Hospitality Management as her major when she arrived at UNT. While working at a local McDonald’s, she began to notice that food waste was an issue – a big issue. She wanted to learn more like how to reduce it and make changes in the food industry. While taking Dr. Priscilla Connors’ nutrition class, Nancy wrote an insightful essay on food waste that caught Dr. Connor’s eye. She encouraged Nancy to apply for the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC) Fellowship, a competitive and paid position sponsored by UNT Dining Services. MCURC is a network of universities that use campus dining halls as learning environments where applied research advances MCURC Principles of healthy, sustainable menus. The University of North Texas is a member of this collaboration, and Nancy is the first MCURC Fellow to represent UNT. She will be working with Dr. Connors, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management, and Matthew Ward, Executive Chef Residential Dining. She tells us, “Food waste is an issue that should be talked more about and I'm hoping with my position as a MCURC Fellow I can bring more attention to many more people." Look for Nancy in the dining halls this spring and ask about their latest project.