Wrapping Up the 2025 Food Insecurity Challenge
Food insecurity affects 2.3 billion people globally and 385,000 people in the state of Iowa alone. These alarming statistics illustrate the critical need for innovative solutions to the problem of food insecurity, inspiring over 100 Iowa State University students from all six undergraduate colleges to collaborate on tackling this pressing issue.
On November 4, the Food Insecurity Challenge, hosted by the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Ivy College of Business, kicked off with a hunger banquet—an event created to demonstrate real gaps in food access and encourage students to better understand the obstacles many individuals, including 33% of students at Iowa State, face when trying to secure adequate food.
The competition drew 127 students, forming 28 cross-disciplinary teams, to the Memorial Union on November 18 to pitch their ideas. The campus-wide competition challenged students to address food insecurity by creating actionable and impactful solutions. After two weeks of preparation and mentoring from staff and faculty, student teams presented to the judges, and here are the final results:
The top prize went to a team of four students with the idea titled “Battle of the Dorms”:
Emily Jie (psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)
Djemima Mulonda (food science, College of Health and Human Sciences)
Dornubari Godpower (integrated health sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)
Frise Mukina (finance, Ivy College of Business)
Their proposal outlined a campuswide competition among residence hall houses. Points would be awarded throughout the month for specific actions, and the house with the highest total would receive a cash reward and a trophy.
The team detailed their points system: 1 point per approved food donation, 10 points for each hour of volunteering, and 50 points for every sponsorship secured.
The group’s goal is to design an engaging and fast-moving challenge that motivates students to donate food or contribute their time more consistently.
The second-place team presented an idea titled “Technology to Connect Food Supply Resources”:
Allyson Aves (agricultural and rural policy studies, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)
Katie Ferguson (agricultural studies, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)
Aayan Hussain (aerospace engineering, College of Engineering)
Loghan Nichols (human resource management, Ivy College of Business)
Their pitch focused on developing technology to link and streamline food supply resources.
The third-place award went to four graduate students with the idea titled “Pantry Inventory Management System to Help People Get the Right Foods”:
Sandhya Adhikari (plant pathology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)
Timilehin Ayanlade (mechanical engineering, College of Engineering)
Purna Chandra Subhash Veeravalli (information systems, Ivy College of Business)
Kalyani Vutukuru (information systems, Ivy College of Business)
Their concept proposed an improved pantry inventory management system designed to help individuals access foods that best meet their needs.
Year after year, the Food Insecurity Challenge proves to be an engaging and eye-opening event for Iowa State students. The competition consistently showcases their compassion and dedication to drive change right here on campus. Through creative solutions, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a shared commitment to community impact, participants demonstrated how innovation can meaningfully address one of today’s most urgent issues. As the winning teams move forward with their ideas, the challenge serves as a reminder that lasting progress begins with students who are willing to imagine a more food-secure future.
