Spend, be happy?

BURLINGTON, VT -- A UVM doctoral student and resident assistant has hit the 'big time,' making headlines in the New York Times.

Kristian Soto-Villanueva is quoted in the NYT lead, a piece headlined "Americans Dread Rising Inflation But Spend Freely."

The Times said she "has been engaging in 'retail therapy' aka shopping to make herself feel happier after she realized she spent the last 18 months at home without spending much on herself."

Soto-Villanueva, who started her UVM doctoral studies in September, told the Times that she has been purchasing clothes and hiking equipment.

"I'm aware prices are going up, but I spent almost two years without spending money on myself," Soto-Villanueva told the paper of record, saying also that even though she's been on a buying spree, she's "feeling a little pessimistic about the economy."

Soto-Villanueva grew up in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras with a BA in anthropology, archaeology, and foreign anguages.

"During my early academic career, I was focused on bioarchaeology and had the privilege of digging in the Andes," she said in a UVM-sponsored student profile.

"Back at home, I focused on queer archaeological theory and wrote my undergraduate thesis on indigenous Caribbean lithics.

"As I learned more about global politics and the anthropology of food, I became interested in jíbaro agricultural practices and colonial foodways."

She added, "my research interests include food policy, food sovereignty movements in colonized lands, and agroecology."

Soto-Villanueva is also interested in learning more about "spatial analysis, migrant foodways, and agricultural policy at UVM," she said.