Growing up, there were times when food was uncertain. While her parents worked tirelessly to support the family, Bhurosy often helped care for her siblings, making simple meals that stretched ingredients and silently carrying worries that many children are spared. Long before she became a nutrition scientist, she understood what it felt like to wonder whether there would be enough.
Today, Bhurosy, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Vermont, is a nationally recognized researcher studying food insecurity, nutrition equity, and community health. Yet the questions driving her work remain deeply personal.
"I faced food insecurity several times in my life," she said. "As a child, and then again as an international graduate student." During summer months as a doctoral student, financial constraints sometimes forced her to stretch a few dollars into weeks' worth of meals, relying on staples like rice and beans while waiting for her next paycheck. Those experiences helped her understand that food insecurity is far more complex than simply not having enough money.
"Food insecurity can show up in so many different ways," she explained, "Transportation barriers, lack of culturally familiar foods, limited cooking facilities, and geographic isolation can all make it difficult for people to access the nourishment they need."
That understanding now fuels a research program focused on what she calls "nutrition equity": building systems and policies that ensure everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has reliable access to nutritious foods. While reviewing medical records during her postdoctoral fellowship, Bhurosy found that fewer than 20 percent of cancer patients received nutrition counseling as part of their care. That finding was startling.
"Nutrition wasn't being prioritized as part of standard care for patients," she said. “Though it should be an obvious aspect of health, it often wasn’t being discussed by patients’ doctors.”
Bhurosy, now an Associate Member of the Vermont Cancer Research Center, sees a common thread: health outcomes are profoundly shaped by the systems and environments surrounding people. Her research emphasizes listening directly to the communities affected and designing solutions with them, not simply for them.
"I really believe the best research questions come from asking the people who have lived experiences about the issue," she said.
For Bhurosy, her work is never just about data. Behind every statistic is a person. A student skipping meals so they can afford textbooks. A parent sacrificing their own dinner so their children can eat. A cancer patient struggling to maintain their health while navigating treatment. A young person sitting quietly in class, trying to focus while worrying about where their next meal will come from. Those are the people Bhurosy documents in her research. Those are the people who inspire her to continue to focus on solutions.
"Food insecurity isn't just about food," she says. "It's connected to everything. It affects physical health. Mental health. Academic performance. Confidence. Belonging. When people don't know where their next meal is coming from, the stress can touch every aspect of their lives.”
Much of her research focus has been on understanding this challenge among college students. Her studies have revealed that food insecurity affects a significant portion of Vermont's college population, particularly students who are already navigating additional challenges, including financial hardship, cultural adjustment, or limited support networks.
Her findings are sobering.
- In 2025-26, 40% of college students -- or two in five students -- in Vermont reported food insecurity, according to Bhurosy’s published research: Hungry for equity in the Green Mountain State: food insecurity among college students in Vermont
- Food insecurity levels were particularly high among:
- Pell Grant recipients (68.8%),
- First-generation students (66.2%),
- Single parents (59.5%),
- International students (55%)
- Students who identified as either Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Diverse, Queer, Intersex, or Asexual (52.2%)
While some researchers might feel despair when their research shows such dire statistical need, Bhurosy has put her knowledge to work and has focused on finding practical solutions. As an Assistant Professor at Hofstra University in New York, Bhurosy organized a satellite on-campus food pantry to combat the food desert that surrounded that urban campus. When she came to UVM, she saw similar needs. So, she quickly got involved with Rally Cat’s Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry open to anyone who is food insecure, and she is now its Faculty Advisor. She has helped secure funding to provide locally grown, culturally relevant produce including tomatoes, onions, and okra, foods that consistently disappear from the food pantry’s shelves within minutes of becoming available.
"There were many times I felt hopeless," she admitted. What keeps her going, she says, are the colleagues, community partners, students, and volunteers who continue showing up, often on top of already demanding jobs, because they believe no one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”
That spirit comes to life this year -- for the third year in a row -- through CatsGiving UVM’s annual day of giving and service. Hosted by the UVM Career Center, with food donations and support from UVM Dining Services, Rally Cat’s Cupboard will hold this service event on Nov. 11th. Volunteers will assemble and decorate Thanksgiving-themed meal kits, helping provide nutritious food to members of the UVM community -- and the community beyond the UVM campus -- facing food insecurity. Last year, participants prepared more than 100 meal boxes.
For Bhurosy, the event shows the power of a community coming together around a shared belief that no one should face hunger alone. Every student who volunteers, every meal kit packed, sends a powerful message: You matter. We see you. We're here for you. That message can change lives. Bhurosy knows this because she remembers what it felt like to need help. Today, through her research, teaching, and advocacy, she helps ensure others receive the support they need not only to get by, but to thrive.
By supporting Rally Cat's Cupboard on CatsGiving, students are not simply providing food. They’re helping reduce stress, improve well-being, strengthen other students’ wellbeing, and build a more caring community for everyone. For people facing food insecurity, hope often begins with something small: a meal, a helping hand, someone who cares. On November 11, CatsGiving is a chance to provide all three.
Students can register to participate on Handshake
Donate to Rally Cat’s Cupboard to support those in need of food year-round
For monetary donations, or to purchase food items, please visit Rally Cat's Cupboard's Linktree
