Processes, Data and Ending Food Insecurity

The trope of the college student subsisting on ramen might be funny, but carries with it a sad truth.

A 2018 California State University (CSU) study found that four in 10 students do not have reliable access to healthy food. At Cal Poly Pomona, 36 percent of students experience food insecurity.

Dr. Greg Placencia, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, has worked to reduce hunger at Cal Poly Pomona. The way he sees it, industrial and systems engineers and their penchant for data-driven research, improving processes, and measurable outcomes offer a new way to look at this pressing problem.

“Some of the greatest societal problems, from wrongful incarceration to hunger, are a reflection of faulty systems,” says Placencia. “As industrial engineers, we look for ways to fix broken systems and create better ones.”

Placencia has dedicated his career to addressing social issues from an engineering framework. His research endeavors are as bold as they are varied: human trafficking, home healthcare for children, and academic intervention for students. Two years ago, the Los Angeles native shifted his focus to food insecurity on campus.

Broncos Helping Broncos

Research has not caught up with the realities of today’s college students, and there is little known about the long-term effects of hunger in this age group. The young adults who participated in the CSU survey, however, shared that food insecurity caused more than hunger pangs. It affected their mood, concentration, and, ultimately, their academic performance.

“As industrial engineers, we look for ways to fix broken systems and create better ones.” – Dr. Greg Placencia, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Assistant Professor

To ensure that Broncos receive a consistent supply of food, the Cal Poly Pomona community established a monthly mobile food pantry in 2017. A year later, it opened Poly Pantry, a 161-square foot store in the Bronco Student Center, where students can get food and other essentials for free.

As Cal Poly Pomona’s plans to address food insecurity grew and evolved, Placencia and his students stood by ready to offer their expertise. His first student research group explored different cost-effective methods to address hunger on campus. The team investigated the mobile pantry, reduced-cost meal plans and a mobile app that could send push notifications whenever surplus food from a campus event was available.

Earlier in 2020, the second cohort took a deep dive into Poly Pantry’s operations. Before COVID-19 forced the suspension of in-person classes and the temporary closure of Poly Pantry, industrial engineering seniors devoted hours to on-site observations. After noticing that workers had to write down inventory and sales by hand, the engineering undergraduates recommended purchasing commerce software. By automating the process, the Poly Pantry could lower labor expenses and easily identify and resupply products that students need most.

“As industrial engineers, we make things better and more efficient,” says Maya Rabat (‘20, industrial engineering), who worked on the Poly Pantry project. “I hope this report reaches all Cal Poly Pomona students. I want them to know that the school cares about them and is trying to help address their needs.”

A Grand Vision

Each student project brings Placencia one step closer to offering a sophisticated, data-powered program to Cal Poly Pomona. Drawing from the advanced practices of e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Placencia envisions a future where students are automatically matched to food, medical, and housing services based on certain behaviors, such as items they acquire at the Poly Pantry.

“If you look at the data properly, you can make meaningful connections out of seemingly unconnected habits,” says Placencia. “Businesses often create these types of predictive models. It is why Target knows that when women buy an oversized bag of cotton balls, they are likely to be pregnant.”

Building on the work of Rabat and her classmates, a third group is now collaborating with Placencia and will focus on data analytics.

Placencia says: “Before they begin the project, I tell them, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we could reach out to students before they even knew they needed help? Or, if we could correlate investments in nutrition to student success?’ That’s the kind of impact you can have.”