Jessica Ann Vaughn

Curatorial Fellow

Jessica Ann Vaughn is a New York City-based writer, storyteller, and researcher who uses food as a lens to explore cultural issues, trends, identity, placemaking, and diaspora. 

A longtime MOFAD volunteer and advocate for food education, Jessica is passionate about making food history accessible through compelling storytelling. She is excited to contribute to the curation of MOFAD’s upcoming exhibition as a Curatorial Fellow, furthering the museum’s mission to illuminate the cultural and historical significance of what we eat.

Jessica is a candidate in the Gastronomy & Food Studies program at Boston University (BU), where she has received multiple writing awards for her work analyzing food marketing, cultural narratives, and power structures. In 2024, she presented her research on Black food spaces and community at the AFHVS-ASFS Conference. She holds an undergraduate degree in Media, Culture, and Communications from New York University (NYU). 

Jessica also worked as a Senior Trend Strategist at JWT (now Wunderman Thompson), where she analyzed global cultural shifts and authored consumer reports on topics including food, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. She also conducted independent research in Shanghai, China, exploring evolving perceptions of Chinese brands in international markets. Beyond research and writing, Jessica has extensive project management and operational experience, having overseen a multi-property real estate portfolio and led company-wide process improvements. She’s also passionate about fitness and loves running, barre, dance, and pilates. 

Her writing has been featured in Salon and The Guardian.