Originally from Lexington, Mya Price has always had a passion for understanding communities and helping people thrive. Over the course of her career, this value has pushed Price to facilitate conversations with many people within food, health and agricultural spaces.

Price graduated in 2017 from the community and leadership development graduate program from Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Price’s studies led her to investigate why food program directors devote their lives to their missions. This started her journey in discovering the who, what, where of food insecurity and health disparities. Price’s studies led her to investigate why food program directors devote their lives to their missions. This started her journey in discovering the who, what, where of food insecurity and health disparities.

After finishing her degree at UK, Price worked for Feeding America, helping to fight food insecurity. In her new roles as president of the Root Cause Coalition and assistant professor at The George Washington University Global Food Institute, she continues learning and teaching through open conversations.

At the Root Cause Coalition, a member-driven nonprofit that works through cross-section partnerships, such as leading health systems, hospital associations, businesses, academic institutions and others to achieve health equity, Price works to understand and address the social issues that cause health and food disparities.

“I am able to work with a variety of people and organizations from healthcare providers, foodbanks, national nonprofits, to individual scholars and be the liaison in bringing the different perspectives to the table to coordinate rich conversations,” Price said.

At the Global Food Institute, Price teaches about food leadership, how food moves from local to national level, drivers, challenges, disparities and other impacts on the food system. She also engages in service-based research and service projects to tackle the issue from multiple directions.

During her own studies, Patricia Dyk, current assistant professor at Martin-Gatton CAFE, was an impactful mentor and inspiration to Price. Dyk encouraged Price to continue her education and earn her Ph.D. While Price was unsure at first, this extra push helped drive her to continue her education and work in this field. Today, Price’s persistence and passion continue to fuel her.

“I like rolling up my sleeves and getting to work," Price said. “Instead of viewing setbacks as a challenge, I like to frame them as opportunities for people to come together to continue to share, to use their voice, and advocate for people and programs.”

Price encourages students to think introspectively, examine what drives their passion and how their lived experiences have affected them. She also emphasizes the importance of not letting uncomfortable situations stop you, valuing the power of networking, and not being afraid of failure.

Price’s contribution to the agriculture industry culminated in the fall of 2024 when she was awarded the Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Award. This award honors one outstanding and accomplished alumnus and one student from each college as a celebration of Lyman’s legacy. Jaida Alee was awarded the Torch Bearer award for the Martin-Gatton CAFE in 2024.

“Receiving this award has reemphasized the importance of the work I am doing and reminds me to keep going. It acknowledges how leveraging my voice and story has helped break barriers and create lasting change and impacts,” Price said. “If I could give one piece of advice, I would say don't stop at no. If someone says no, that does not mean you give up. There is always a possibility or a cracked window or another way.”

To learn more about the Lyman T. Johnson award, visit https://www.ukalumni.net/s/lyman-t-johnson-african-american-alumni.

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Writer: Zoey Ortega, zoey.ortega@uky.edu 

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services to individuals and institutions that provide equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.