Marlén Mendoza’s career path was shaped by her time at Iowa, from her coursework and work experience to her study abroad experiences.

A recent petition signed by nearly 900 food professionals calling for a cease-fire raises, once again, questions of contested cuisines. “We tend to think of food as humanizing but when there is conflict, food becomes part of the conflict,” said Ari Ariel, an associate professor at the University of Iowa who has written about and lectured on what he calls the Hummus Wars.