At its most basic level, food is energy, impacting health and growth while also playing a role in relationships and communities.

Kenisha Gordon brings this perspective to her work as a doctoral candidate in animal and dairy sciences, supplementing rabbits’ conventional feed diets with vegetables and examining a diet’s impact on animal growth, reproductive parameters and, ultimately, meat quality.

While rabbit isn’t on the table in most American homes, it is a regular protein source in other regions of the world, such as the Mediterranean and parts of Africa. Gordon’s research topic grew out of a recent project initiated by former MSU faculty members to train women in Guatemala—a country where rabbit is not commonly eaten—to raise the animals as a viable source of meat.

Gordon grew up in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana—a predominantly agricultural nation on South America’s northern coast, often called the “Breadbasket of the Caribbean.” Despite her roots, the self-described “city girl” expected to follow her business-oriented family’s path.

It was her high school teachers who first sparked Gordon’s interest in agriculture. After graduation, she attended the Guyana School of Agriculture for two years before earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Guyana and a master’s at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

“I fell in love with agriculture because I had teachers who brought it to life in the classroom, and I’m grateful for that,” she said. “And the Guyana School of Agriculture is where I discovered my passion for food safety.”

Gordon returned home after completing her master’s, and about a year later, she began applying to doctoral programs. She landed at MSU after a professional acquaintance encouraged her to contact Shecoya White, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion who was looking to take on a graduate student for some cross-disciplinary work.

Since arriving on campus, Gordon has maximized the opportunities available at MSU, from assisting in the classroom to joining clubs. She is active in the Caribbean Student Association, Pipetting Team, and the Food Science Club. She also was regional graduate vice president of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, from 2022-23 and MSU chapter president from 2023-24.

“In graduate school, it’s easy to get consumed in your research and feel overwhelmed with work. MSU’s clubs have given me opportunities to make friends, relieve stress and develop personal and leadership skills,” she said. “The students in our lab host regular potlucks, and with many of us being international, it’s been a fun way to connect with others.”

As Gordon contemplates life after graduation, she hopes to continue pursuing her passion for food safety and sustainability.

“I love thinking about how we can use food waste to enhance the quality of another source of food, like rabbit,” she said. “Thinking sustainably often means thinking outside the box, and I feel like both my research and my life path reflect that.”