People

ALC Leadership Team    Researchers & Staff    Current Graduate Students  Current ALC Fellows    Collaborators    Alumni

ALC Leadership Team

V. Ernesto Méndez
Co-Director, Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative
Contact: Ernesto.Mendez@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, Participatory Action Research, Food security and sovereignty, Transdisciplinarity, Agroecology principles

Martha Caswell, M.P.P. 
Co-Director, Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative
Contact: Martha.Caswell@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, community-based participatory action research, food justice, farmer livelihoods, agroecological approaches to climate change resilience, project design and management.
vic_collecting_cpb_2Vic Izzo, Ph.D.
Educational Coordinator, Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative and Lecturer
Contact: vizzo@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Evolutionary Ecology, Entomology, Sustainable Pest Management, Agroecology.
Scott A. Lewins, M.S.
Research Associate
Contact: slewins@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Entomology, Biological Control, Insect Agroecology, and Sustainable Agriculture

Ava Murphey, B.A.
ALC Program Coordinator
Contact: Ava.Murphey@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology training and education, Master Coordinator, UVM Farmer Training Program, Food Justice Facilitation

Researchers and Staff

Alejandra Guzmán Luna, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher ALC-Gund
Contact: Alejandra.Guzman-luna@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, Participatory Action Research, Livelihoods, Small-scale coffee farming
Rigoberto Hernandez Jonapa, B.S.
Mexico Coordinator “Assessment of Diversification Strategies in Smallholder Coffee Systems of Mesoamerica” Project
Contact: rhernandez.jonapa@outlook.com
Areas of Focus: Participatory Action Research (PAR); Coffee Systems; Chiapas, Mexico/Investigación Acción Participativa (IAP), Sistemas de Café, Chiapas, México
Diana Luna, M.S.
Research Associate
Contact: diana.lunagonzalez@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: Food security and nutrition, Sustainable livelihoods, System dynamics modelling, Participatory Action Research

TBD, Ph.D.
Research Associate, Agroecology Support to the Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCRP)
Contact:
Areas of Focus:

Current Graduate Students

Janica Anderzén
Ph.D. Student, Department of Plant and Soil Science
Contact: Janica.Anderzen@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: smallholder coffee agroforestry systems in Mesoamerica; livelihoods assessments in smallholder communities; international migration and immigration policies; project design and management.

Sam Bliss
Ph.D. Student, Natural Resources, Rubenstein School
Contact: samcbliss@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: Ecological economics, degrowth, decommodifying food, non-market agriculture, yard farming

Ben Dube
Ph.D. Student, Natural Resources, Rubenstein School
Contact: bdube@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Energy in Food Systems, Grass-based Farming, Ecological Economics, Impacts of Agriculture on Climate Change
Andrew Gerlicz
Ph.D. Student, Plant and Soil Science Dept.
Contact: Andrew.Gerlicz@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Economic viability of agroecology in small-scale production
Ronald Herrera, M.S.
Ph.D. Student, Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Contact: myumbla@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, Rural Development, Participatory Action Research, Feminization of agriculture, decolonization and territory.
Katie Horner
Ph.D. Student, Department of Plant and Soil Science
Contact: Catherine.Horner@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology Pedagogy

Maria Juncos
Ph.D. Student, York; ALC Research Associate
Contact: Maria.Juncos@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecolgy principles, Urban and Peri-urban agroecology and sustainability

Becky Madden
Ph.D. Student, Plant and Soil Science Dept. & UVM Extension
Contact: Rebecca.Maden@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Vegetable farming

Patricia Natividad, M.S.
Ph.D. Student, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Contact: patnatividad@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: Agroecological systems, evaluation of development programs in rural areas
Alisha Utter
Ph.D. Student, Department of Plant & Soil Science
Contact: autter@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Beginning farmers and ranchers; Veganic agriculture; stockfree farming;
Alissa White
Ph.D. Student, Department of Plant & Soil Science
Contact: Alissa.C.White@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, participatory action research, agricultural resilience to climate change, sustainable livelihoods, and the intersections of global climate change, sustainable agriculture and ecology.
Maria Rosa Yumbla
Ph.D. Student, Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Contact: myumbla@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, Rural Development, Participatory Action Research, Feminization of agriculture, decolonization and territory.

Current ALC Undergraduate Research Fellows (2019-2020)

Bri Arnold
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow
Contact: barnold2@uvm.edu
I am a senior majoring in Plant Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences with minors in Anthropology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. I’m interested in agroecological systems that provide ecological restoration and build community resilience across species. As an ALC fellow I’m excited to engage in discussions and projects that bring us closer to seeing positive transformations in our food systems and ecosystems!
Carlin Molander
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow
Contact: carlin.molander@uvm.edu
I am a Sophomore majoring in Food Systems and Environmental Studies with a minor in Anthropology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. I am most interested in sustainability within modern agriculture as well as PAR research and soil health management. As part of the ALC Fellowship I am looking forward to meeting and learning about the large strata of interests and experiences brought by other members of the ALC and their research projects. 
Leany Munoz
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow
Contact: lmunoz@uvm.edu
I am a sophomore with hopes of graduating in 2021. I am in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as Environmental Studies major and Eco Ag minor. I’m interested in understanding human impact from environmental action as well as learning the history of nature as it has evolved. I’m also interested in natural medicine and how we can interweave the functions of modern medicine and naturopathic practices. I’m most excited about working with farmers in order to better understand their perspectives in crop production and conservation agriculture. I look forward to getting to know everyone on the team, and see what amazing new knowledge blossoms from this experience! 
Ella Wegman-Lawless
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow
Contact: ella.wegman-lawless@uvm.edu
I am a Food Systems senior and am excited to be involved in the ALC because of it’s transdisciplinarity. I am passionate about food and food systems! I grew up farming small scale produce, and pasture based livestock. I have experience in establishing a farm to school chapter, creating and teaching hands-on food related lessons and managing young adults farming. I have worked and lived side by side with adults with special needs, practicing subsistence biodynamic agriculture. Currently my interests lie in making these food connections to incarcerated or recently incarcerated populations. In my free time, I love to build community, attempt to do sourdough baking and bike through all seasons!
Sophia Wilcox-Warren
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow
Contact: sophia.wilcox-warren@uvm.edu
Sophia is a Sophomore in the Rubenstein School and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Environmental Studies and Food Systems. Her areas of interest are sustainable and resilient food systems, soil health, restoration ecology, and environmental education. She is excited to work with different farms through the ALC and get some hands-on experience.

Collaborators

Carol Adair
Associate Professor of Climate Change and Adaptation, UVM Rubenstein School
Contact: carol.adair@uvm.edu
Gabriela Bucini, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Plant & Soil Science
Contact: gbucini@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Ecology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Human-ecological systems
Roseann (Rose) Cohen, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Community Agroecology Network (CAN)
Research Associate, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS), University of California, Santa Cruz
Contact: rose@canunite.org
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, participatory action research, political ecology, gender, youth, immigration.
Carmen Cortez, PhD.
Associate Director, Community Agroecology Network (CAN)
Contact: carmen@canunite.org
Areas of Focus: community processes of exchange; food sovereignty; connection of land, culture, and community self-governance.
S’ra DeSantis, M.S. (ALC Alumn)
Co-Director, UVM Farmer Training Program (FTP)
Contact: sra.desantis@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Organic management of small-scale, diversified agricultural production, organic vegetable production.
Margarita Fernandez, Ph.D. (ALC Alumn)
Executive Director, Vermont Caribbean Institute
Contact: margarita@vtcaribbean.org
Areas of Focus: Agroecology; Food security; Food sovereignty; Livelihoods; Cooperatives.
Joshua Faulkner, Ph.D.
Farming and Climate Change Coordinator, Center for Sustainable Agriculture Contact: Joshua.Faulkner@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Climate change adaptation in agriculture; soil and water management; agricultural hydrology and water quality
Stephen R. Gliessman
Professor Emeritus of Agroecology, University of California, Santa Cruz
Chair, Board of Directors, Community Agroecology Network
Editor, Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
Contact: gliess@ucsc.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, Agroecological transitions, Sustainability, Education in Agroecology, Sustainable Food Systems
John Hayden
Owner and Farmer, The Farm Between, Jeffersonville, VT
Contact: thefarmbetween@gmail.com
Stephanie Hurley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Plant & Soil Science
Contact: Stephanie.E.Hurley@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Landscape Design & Planning; Ecological Design; Green Stormwater Infrastructure; Land Use and Watershed Management; Urban Ecology; Landscape Visualization
Scott C. Merrill, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Plant & Soil Science
Contact: Scott.C.Merrill@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Systems ecology, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), social-ecological systems, Landscape ecology, serious games, experimental gaming, animal biosecurity, climate change, population modeling, Monte Carlo simulations, and spatiotemporal modeling.
Katlyn Stillings Morris, Ph.D. (ALC Alumn)
Higher Education Field Representative, AFT Vermont; Research Associate
Contact: Katlyn.Morris@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Tropical smallholder agriculture, food security, international environmental studies, agroecology, farmer livelihoods and health
Rachel Schattman, Ph.D. (ALC Alumn)
Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Maine
Contact: rachel.schattman@maine.edu
Areas of Focus: agroecology, climate change, vegetable and small fruit production, water use efficiency, decision making, behavior, risk assessment, mixed methods research; Website.

Alumni

oliviaOlivia Andreozzi, B.S.
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow, 2016-2017
Contact: Olivia.Andreozzi@uvm.edu
Olivia is a senior ENVS student in the College of Arts and Sciences hailing from Rhode Island. Her areas of interest are Environmental Studies, Anthropology, and Food Systems. Her roles in the ALC include facilitating meetings as well as assisting in research for the Urban and Peri-urban Agroecology project.
Nell Carpenter, B.S.
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow, 2018
Contact: Nell.Carpenter@uvm.edu
Nell graduated from UVM with an Environmental Studies major and Food Systems minor. Nell’s areas of interest include food access and justice, environmental studies, and gender studies.
Sebastian Castro-Tanzi, Ph.D.
Environmental Modeler, Stone Environmental
Contact: sebastiancastro28@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, coffee, GIS, quantitative analyses

Dana Christel, M.S.
Market Manager at Plovgh, Inc
Contact: Dana.Christel@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Use of Bokashi in small scale vegetable production

Angel Cruz, Ph.D.
Academic and Extension Initiatives Manager, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, North Carolina State University (NCSU)
Contact: aecruz@ncsu.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology

Dan Erickson, Ph.D.
Founder and Managing Partner, Food Systems Research Institute
Contact: derickson@foodSRI.com
Areas of Focus: GIS, Food Systems
Rafter Sass Ferguson, Ph.D.
Scientist, Food and Environment
Contact: liberationecology@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: political agroecology; multidimensional performance of farming systems; ways in which our ideas about agriculture translate into policy with complex consequences
Katie Goodall, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean, School for Field Studies
Contact: katherinegoodall@gmail.com; academics@fieldstudies.org
Areas of Focus: Agroecology, Biodiversity Conservation, Landscape Ecology, Latin America, Farmer Livelihoods
Lee Gross, M.S.
International Program Specialist at USDA FAS
Contact: leehgross@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: Agricultural sustainability standards and value chains, monitoring and evaluation, corporate sustainability, partnership management, training and capacity building, and integrated landscape management
Bennett LaFond, M.S.
Dexis Consulting Group
Contact: Bennett.LaFond@uvm.edu
Areas of Focus: Agroecology in International Development; Smallholder Coffee Production; Soil Conservation and Erosion Control; Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture.
Marcela Pino, M.S.
Co-Founder and Co-Director of Food 4 Farmers
Contact: marcela@food4farmers.org
Areas of Focus: Agroecology and rural livelihoods, community and organizational development, food security and smallholder farmers.
Meryl Richards, Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Food and Forests, Ceres
Contact: meryl.b.richards@gmail.com
Areas of Focus: Climate change mitigation in agricultural systems, quantification of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity conservation
Emma Trainor, B.S.
ALC Undergraduate Research Fellow, 2018
Contact: Emma.Trainor@uvm.edu
Emma is a senior ENVS student in the College of Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Nature, Culture, and Justice.