ASI Food Pantry Research & Advocacy Work

Post Ryan Choi Jane Nguyen

Pre-CHEBNA Tours for Monday, February 9th, 2026

Choose your tour time!

Come take a behind‑the‑scenes look at one of Sac State’s most impactful student resources! The ASI Food Pantry welcomes 590+ students per weekly visit, and now you can tour the space to learn how it operates, what services are offered, and communities can get involved.

Tours will be led by ASI Student Services Manager, Ryan Choi. Send message

In addition, ASI Food Pantry will be represented at CHEBNA during Day 2’s Research Symposium by our postsecondary research partner, Kianna Valoa, who will also be presenting her research:

Helping Students Help Themselves: An Intervention to Facilitate Campus Food Pantry Use at a Public University PDF copy of PhD Study Dissertation

Student Research and Mentorship

The ASI Food Pantry supports multiple research and projects throughout each year. We collaborate with a wide range of academic and student affairs departments at Sac State to help students gain hands-on experience in the field. Building on their coursework and bridge existing research gaps in the ASI Food Pantry/ASI Student Engagement and Outreach’s strategic priorities (pg 15-21), more than 16 students have completed their capstone, practicum, or thesis project with help from the ASI Food Pantry, and more than 225 undergraduate and graduate students contributed their time and energy serving fellow Sac State students at the ASI Food Pantry.

Recent projects include:

Highlights from our Most Recent Research Study

0. Since 2024, we have been working with a post-secondary researcher from Claremont Graduate University, to launch a basic needs marketing intervention study that aims to study barriers to campus food pantry use and the impact of using personalized email versus personalized physical postcard mailed to home address.

1. 11,400 students were invited to participate in this study, enrolled in Fall 2024.
7,600 (out of 34,200 students) were randomly selected to receive a postcard with information about the ASI Food Pantry’s location, hours, and sign-up process.

2. We utilized carefully-constructed surveys to evaluate students’ knowledge and perceptions of the prevalence of food insecurity, who the food pantry is meant to serve, the normalcy and
acceptability of food insecurity, and pantry design aspects.

3. The average survey response rate was 5.3%. An analysis of the survey responses from the three groups revealed no statistically significant differences in students’ self-reported pantry visits, knowledge, and perceptions.

4. Similarly, an analysis of weekly pantry visitors over the academic term revealed no changes in
pantry use. An interview with campus food pantry staff discussing the findings led to the
evaluative decision that using postcards alone is an ineffective way to increase campus food
pantry use.

5. Future inquiries should explore the effectiveness of other communication mediums
such as texts, emails, and letters alone and in combination with postcards—especially
interventions co-designed with students.

To learn more, please contact us.
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ASI Food Pantry Library

Our in-person library features a wonderful selection of program, policy, and evaluation books that may guide you in your coursework. Here are a few notable copies we can loan:

  • Katie S. Martin – Reinventing Food Banks and Food Pantries
    • A must-read in learning about dignity and compassion in basic needs work. 
  • James Keiser and Frederick J. DeMicco – Contemporary Management Theory: Controlling and Analyzing Costs in Foodservice Operations Fourth Edition
    • Used by the University of New Hampshire’s Dietetic Internship Program.
  • Vijay Kumar – 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization
    • Use in planning workshop activities and leading teams in brainstorming.
  • Stephen Few – The Data Loom: Weaving Understanding by Thinking Critically and Scientifically with Data
    • A must-read in learning about data and how we ought to use it in our pursuit of innovation and systems-building.
  • 20 Children’s Books Celebrating Our Food and Farming Systems

Please reach out to Ryan Choi, ASI Student Services Manager, if you are interested in learning more.
Send message

Faculty Collaboration

We welcome collaboration inquiries and are particularly interested in the following areas:

  • Agricultural Science
  • Environmental Science
  • Food Policy and Economics
  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Postharvest Technology
  • Public Health
  • Sociology/Anthropology
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Urban Planning

We also work with members of the CSU Basic Needs Research Consortium to reduce equity gaps in retention, academic success, and graduation.

Please reach out to Ryan Choi, ASI Student Services Manager, if you are interested in discussing further.
Send message