Evan Weissman: Remembering our advisor, professor, and comrade

Abstract

First paragraphs:

In the early spring of 2020, the Syracuse University community was dealt a sudden and painful blow with the loss of Dr. Evan Weissman. It is to his vibrant memory that this special issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development is dedicated. What follows are the reflections of the special issue’s guest editorial team and our peers in the Syracuse University Food Studies graduate program—a program and department that Evan helped to create shortly after completing his own graduate education at Syracuse University.

Evan was the very reason many of us came to Syracuse University or stayed in the city to pursue our graduate educations. He was, and remains, a model for a particular kind of scholarship, which was the inspiration for the theme of this special issue. He was a community-engaged scholar in the truest sense, and likewise encouraged students to commit themselves to becoming active participants in food systems change. Moreover, he had an unwavering belief that this was something we could do, that if we were will­ing to put in the work, as he did all the time, we could play a part in working toward a more just world. Evan’s commitment to his community and his deep belief that food could be used as a tool for social change have influenced many of us to undertake active roles in our own cities, be it managing a network of community gardens, overseeing an anti-poverty initiative, or fighting for workers’ rights. . . .