Kimberly Voss is a professor of journalism in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida. Her recent research has examined culinary journalism and women in the media during the mid-twentieth century.

How did you become involved with AJHA?

My dissertation advisor Dr. Maurine Beasley introduced me to AJHA. I attended my first AJHA conference in Wichita, Kansas in 2006. I have attended many AJHA conferences ever since and thoroughly enjoyed the experiences. My favorite conference was in 2016 in St. Petersburg. I was able to give the Donna Allen Award to food editor Janet Keeler.

What media artifacts or questions are you examining in your current book project?

I am looking at the papers of the Miami Herald beauty editor and advice columnist Eleanor Hazlett, who wrote under the name of Eleanor Hart in the 1950s and 1960s. Her papers reveal what was a significant part of the women’s pages of newspapers. I am also working on a project about wine journalism history in the women’s pages, focusing on Ruth Ellen Church.

What tips or advice do you have for others interested in researching the history of food media?

Scholars should look at the stories that have not been told, especially food journalism from the Midwest. Those stories are often overlooked by scholarship about food on the coasts or the South. Overall, in the 1950s and 1960s, newspaper food journalism has always been framed as simplistic. It was much more than that.

How do you balance finding time for research with your other roles?

I try to make sure conference papers turn into books or journal articles. I also try to make sure that one project leads to another.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of academia?

I cook and bake—often based on recipes from historical newspapers. I garden and am looking into newspaper garden columns which were once common. I have also become a track fan since my high school son runs and jumps.