Nicole Tichenor Blackstone

Nicole Tichenor Blackstone is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Agriculture, Food, and Environment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Prior to joining the Friedman School faculty, Nicole was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating strategies to improve food system sustainability. Current and recent research projects include assessing forced labor risks in food supply chains; linking sustainability to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; quantifying the environmental and nutritional costs of food waste; and developing and assessing core competencies in food systems and sustainability science education. She teaches courses on U.S. agriculture, life cycle assessment, and corporate social responsibility in the food industry.

Nicole earned her Ph.D. and M.S. from the Friedman School in the Agriculture, Food, and Environment program. She was a Switzer Fellow in 2014. Prior to moving to New England for her graduate training, Nicole’s experience working in rural Kansas communities as an AmeriCorps VISTA for a food bank inspired her to pursue a career in food systems. Nicole has experience in domestic food and agricultural policy spanning the local to national levels through work at the Douglas County Food Policy Council in Kansas and the National Family Farm Coalition in Washington, D.C. She is committed to collaborating across disciplines and with stakeholders to bring about transformative change in the food system.