معرفی
Carla S. Ramsdell serves as Practitioner-in-Residence in Appalachian State University's Department of Physics and Astronomy within the College of Arts and Sciences, where she directs the SPICE Lab and acts as Pre-Engineering Advisor and Sustainability Liaison. Her 17-year industry background as a thermodynamic design engineer in energy systems informs her academic mission to integrate physics with sustainable food management.
Her educational foundation includes:
- BS in Physics from Stetson University (DeLand, FL)
- MS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
Dr. Ramsdell's research pioneers the application of thermodynamics to food systems sustainability, investigating energy flows in cooking processes, food emissions visualization, and interdisciplinary education frameworks. She conceptualizes food as a critical energy resource requiring equitable management across the food-energy-water-climate nexus, with projects like skillet thermal analysis and the Culinary FEVER resource toolkit demonstrating physics-driven sustainability solutions.
Her outreach leadership spans multiple community initiatives:
- Community FEaST Coordinator for local food-systems education
- Cooking with Purpose workshop developer
- Trained facilitator for the All We Can Save Climate Wayfinding Project
As Director of the SPICE Lab, she cultivates hands-on student research in sustainable culinary physics while serving on The Common Ground International Food Studies Research Group advisory board. Her media presence—including features in Yale Climate Connections and The News & Observer—amplifies her mission to democratize physics knowledge for sustainable food futures through the Know Watts Cooking platform.
