1998 Researcher helps evaluate food security A Mississippi State social scientist is one of four experts in the nation evaluating the effectiveness of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that provides federal funding for food security projects.
Food security involves both safety issues and the availability of adequate food for all citizens.
Dr. Frank Howell, professor of sociology and a senior research scientist at the Social Science Research Center, will work with professors from Stanford University, Boston College and the University of Montana. The project also provided opportunities for young people to work on community farms to learn how to grow food. The researchers will advise on how to develop an evaluation for determining the impact such programs have had, Howell said. The project will draw on his background in statistical and sampling methods, with other researchers contributing expertise in hunger and poverty issues and evaluation of project participants.