Hometown: Peacham, Vermont
Educational Background: B.S. in Food Literacy (Conservation and Resource Studies) from the University of California Berkeley
How did you learn about the Food Systems program and what made you interested in applying? I learned about Food Systems from a student in the first cohort. I was immediately interested in applying because it was perhaps the only place I could study food in a transdisciplinary manner at the graduate level. UVM’s reputation as a progressive institution didn’t hurt either.
Tell us more about your educational background and your interests. I also studied food from a transdisciplinary perspective as an undergraduate; I have long been interested in how food can be an “in” for people to become aware of environmental issues, and the ways in which we can educate the public about complex, systems-wide issues related to food and health.
How has your educational background and experience prepared you for studying food systems? In addition to my undergraduate experience, I worked at a non-profit in northern California that was tackling a variety of food systems problems at the county level. I ran a nutrition and youth empowerment program, but collaborated with colleagues on everything from food bank sourcing to school lunch programs to community garden development.
What are your future career goals? I want to work with fun people in service of my community. Beyond that, I’m flexible!
Have you learned anything in particular, since entering the program that has surprised you? Before entering the program, I didn’t know that there was an entire field dedicated to the theory of systems.
Please leave us with a fun fact about yourself. I lived in a van in New Zealand for a while.