What happens when research, policy, and practice come together around a common goal? Earlier this year, the answer was on full display at the 2026 Student Essential Needs Summit, where over 70 researchers, higher education leaders, practitioners, policymakers, advocates, and students gathered to tackle one of the most pressing challenges facing higher education today: ensuring that every student has their basic needs to succeed in higher education. The event was hosted at the UC Washington Center in Washington, D.C.
The summit was the culmination of a vision championed by the UC Essential Needs Research, Training, and Promising Practices Consortium and co-directed by Suzanna Martinez, PhD, Associate Professor in the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Martinez worked with colleagues to develop the concept for the summit, co-led the successful grant proposal that secured funding, and played a central role in designing and implementing the event. The result was more than a summit; it was a catalyst for collaboration across research, policy, and practice.
For Martinez, the work is deeply connected to her research and long-standing commitment to addressing food insecurity and other essential needs that affect students' health, well-being, and ability to persist in college. An epidemiologist whose scholarship focuses on food insecurity and health equity, she has spent the last 10 years generating evidence that helps institutions understand not only the scope of these challenges, but also what works to address them locally, and at the state and federal levels.
That commitment was reflected throughout the summit. Sessions highlighted innovative campus programs, emerging research on food and housing insecurity, evaluation strategies, and opportunities to build stronger partnerships across California's colleges and universities. Participants explored how campuses can move beyond responding to students in crisis and instead create systems that proactively support student success.
"The inspiration [for the summit] is to holistically support student wellbeing (mental and physical), academic achievement, retention, and timely degree completion," Martinez said. "The vision was two-fold: first, to have a space where academic, administrative, and student leaders could come together to discuss how to advance research, practice, and policy, and second, to make a connection between the UC Basic Needs Initiative and national policy conversations to advocate for students and their basic needs."
Recognizing that meaningful change also requires public investment and supportive policy, Dr. Martinez and the consortium co-leaders partnered with the University of California Office of the President's Federal Government Relations team to develop an advocacy component for summit participants. Together, they organized an introductory advocacy training that gave researchers, campus leaders, and students a first look at how to communicate the importance of student essential needs to policymakers. Participants then traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and their staff, sharing research findings and advocating for continued federal support for programs and policies that reduce food insecurity and strengthen student success.
The summit also showcased how collaborative research can translate into practical solutions. Through the UC Essential Needs Research, Training, and Promising Practices Consortium, Martinez and colleagues have helped build a statewide network that supports cross-campus research, evaluation, and implementation. This work has already contributed to initiatives such as the UC Essential Needs Directory and AI-powered Navigator, which connects students across the UC system with food assistance, housing resources, health services, transportation support, childcare, and other essential resources through a single, easy-to-use platform.
Perhaps the summit's greatest impact, however, was bringing together people who do not often have the opportunity to work side by side. Researchers exchanged ideas with student affairs professionals. Campus leaders learned directly from students about the barriers they face. Policymakers heard firsthand how evidence can inform more effective investments in student well-being. New partnerships were formed, existing collaborations were strengthened, and participants left with a shared commitment to advancing solutions that are grounded in both science and lived experience.
Looking ahead, Martinez hopes the relationships built during the summit continue long after participants returned home. "Ideally, participants will continue to advocate for students and collaborate across institutional, system and policy levels to develop and improve strategies by building on the work to date to create a system that meets the needs of contemporary students."
For Martinez, this is what public health looks like in action. Addressing food insecurity and other essential needs is not simply about meeting immediate needs; it is about creating the conditions for students to learn, thrive, graduate, and lead healthy lives. By bringing together experts from across disciplines and sectors, the 2026 Student Essential Needs Summit demonstrated how collaborative leadership can turn research into action and improve students' lives throughout California and beyond.
The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is proud to celebrate Dr. Martinez's leadership in advancing this important work and helping build a future where every student has the opportunity to succeed because their essential needs are met.