Yona Sipos, PhD, MSc
About
Dr. Sipos is Associate Teaching Professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences. She works at the intersection of food systems, community-engaged scholarship, sustainability and equity. Her teaching and research center community and regional scales. Dr. Sipos’ PhD in Integrated Studies in Land & Food Systems at the University of British Columbia investigated long-term, community-university partnerships and pedagogies critical for community food systems. Previously, she developed a model for transformative sustainability learning at post-secondary institutions. She has contributed to food policy councils and food system reports in Canada and the US. Dr. Sipos was program director for the Chesapeake Foodshed Network, a regional initiative across six states and Washington, DC, developing learning opportunities and work groups across the food system while advancing an emphasis on community ownership and equity. Dr. Sipos' expertise in food systems and sustainability education is complemented by her background in plant biology, soil ecology, agroforestry, and community engagement.
Education
- PhD, University of British Columbia (Canada); Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems
- MSc, University of British Columbia (Canada); Forest & Conservation Sciences, Forestry
- BSc, University of Guelph (Canada); Plant Biology
Affiliations
Mentorship
Primarily mentors Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health students with some exceptions.
DEOHS Students Mentored
An Experimental Study of Soil Health Score and Nutrient Density
Emily Stevenson | MS Thesis | 2025 | View
Research
Research interests: Community food systems. Regional food systems. Resilient food systems. Food equity. Community ownership. Food systems analysis. School food. Community-engaged scholarship.
Publications
Selected publications
- Achieving transformative sustainability learning: engaging head, hands and heart
- How an entry-level, interdisciplinary sustainability course revealed the benefits and challenges of a university-wide initiative for sustainability education
- Action Learning for Sustainable Agriculture: Transformation through Guided Reflection
- The scope of U.S. state soil health legislation: A mixed-methods policy analysis
- COVID-19 Impacts & Adaptations Among Washington State Farm Businesses
Additional Information
Food systems, nutrition and health. New major in the UW School of Public Health. Fall 2018.