Ellen T. Meiser – The Conversation

Fuzzy socks are a popular gift for people with a serious illness such as cancer. pepifoto/iStock via Getty Images Plus

December 5, 2025

Buying a gift for a loved one with cancer? Here’s why you should skip the fuzzy socks and give them meals or help with laundry instead

Ellen T. Meiser, University of Hawaii at Hilo

Gifts that make a true connection acknowledge the ugly parts of illness and provide relief from daily burdens.

Cooks and chefs regularly debate the merits of culinary school. Diy13/iStock via Getty Images

March 19, 2024

$50K per year for a degree in a low‑wage industry − is culinary school worth it?

Ellen T. Meiser, University of Hawaii at Hilo

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay recently pilloried these institutions for saddling students with debt prior to sending them off into a low-wage industry. But many graduates have no regrets.

Many restaurant workers see violence as a core aspect of a hardscrabble kitchen culture that has existed for generations. Jetta Productions/David Atkinson via Getty Images

May 11, 2023

How did abuse get baked into the restaurant industry?

Ellen T. Meiser, University of Hawaii at Hilo and Eli R. Wilson, University of New Mexico

Barbara Lynch’s alleged bullying of her employees is only the latest in a string of high-profile chef scandals. Two scholars explore how this behavior became normalized in kitchens across the US.

Contact Ellen for