Brattleboro--University of Vermont (UVM) Extension recently hired Dr. Isaac (Ike) Leslie as its new statewide community development specialist.

The environmental sociologist, who is housed in the UVM Extension office in Brattleboro, specializes in issues relating to justice, sustainability and economic viability in food systems and conducts research with Vermont communities for social and environmental change. Current projects involve partnerships with the Vermont Foodbank and Out in the Open as well as research and outreach efforts with LGBTQ+ farmers and rural residents.

Leslie earned a bachelor of arts degree in international studies and music from Vassar College, master's degrees in natural resources and sociology from the University of New Hampshire and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professional affiliations include the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society; American Sociological Association; the International Association of Society and Natural Resources and the Rural Sociological Society.

The new Extension specialist has lived and worked in Argentina, Vermont and Colorado, including as an instructional specialist at Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center in Estes Park, Colorado. In addition, Leslie owns and operates Magnetic Fields Farm, a LGBTQ+ farming collective in Athens, Vermont.

To get in touch, email isaac.leslie@uvm.edu.