Garrett M. Broad

Garrett grew up in southern New Jersey and attended Rutgers University, where he received a BA in Political Science. He worked as Chief Researcher and Assistant Producer for “The Open Mind” on New York’s PBS Channel 13, and also served as Manager for the New Jersey Folk Festival. Garrett is currently a PhD student at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication.

Garrett’s primary research interests focus on the role of communication in the promotion of healthy communities. Much of his work is concerned with issues of urban environmental sustainability, especially sustainable food systems, community food security and vegetarianism. He working on a project that details resident participation in the establishment and management of a Hollywood-area community garden. Other projects he is involved in include an analysis of media portrayals of vegetarians within the African-American community.

In the summer of 2009, Garrett helped to organize “VBQ For Life” a free vegan BBQ, health fair, and back-to-school festival in Inglewood, CA. With an aim to raise awareness about the value of plant-based diets for combating childhood obesity and other chronic diseases, VBQ For Life was the largest ever all-vegan event in an American community of color.