Decision-making can be complex, especially when competing values must be weighed. My early career experience working in the natural foods industry taught me that food decision-making is often fraught. Health, convenience, value($) and cultural/emotional attachments can lead to uncertainty around what values are most important in any given eating/consumption experience. Often, the “best” decision in one realm can be the very worst in another (for instance, the healthiest options may cost the most or take the longest to prepare).
As a graduate student, I became interested in food waste as an unintended consequence of the way that people shop for and consume food. My research on food waste led me to think about the ways that individuals and families manage household resources and the priority given to some values over others in any spending decision. This research connected my two favorite topics: food and household money management (personal finances).
I feel so fortunate that I now get to teach courses in personal finance and food systems. These two topics feel important because they can directly impact student’s lives and the health and sustainability of our communities. I am also fortunate to be affiliated with the Take Charge America Institute, the Take Charge Cats program and the Financial Freedom Club.
My academic background includes an undergraduate degree from Oberlin College, where I studied Public Policy, and MS and PhD degrees in Family & Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona.
Areas of Expertise
- Food waste
- Food Systems
- Financial literacy
- Sustainable consumption
- Consumer decision-making
Subjects Taught
- RCSC 150B2: Money, Consumers and the Family
- RCSC 330: Food Retailing Principles
- FCSC331: Consumers, Food and the Future of Eating
- PFFP196A: The MONEY Class: Financial Well-being in College and Beyond
Select Publications
Helm, S.V., Serido, J., Ahn, S., Ligon, V., & Shim, S. (2019). Materialist Values, Financial and Pro-Environmental Behaviors, and Well-Being. Young Consumers, 20(4), 264-284.
Helm, S.V., Ligon, V., Stovall, T., & Van Riper, S. (2018). Consumer Interpretations of Digital Ownership in the Book Market. Electronic Markets, 28(2), 177-189.
