Alumni Spotlight
- UM Alumni Spotlight: Taylor LaFave ’17Taylor LaFave (he/him/his) is the Chief of Food Policy and Planning and Food Policy Director for the City of Baltimore. He leads a collaborative team that works to build an equitable and resilient urban food system by addressing health, economic,… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Taylor LaFave ’17
- UM Alumni Spotlight: Becca Harley ’21
Becca is a farmer, educator, and food access advocate with experience in farm management and youth education. As the Director of Children’s Farms in Action, Becca Harley manages the growing and educational programs at the Montbello Urban Farm, which provides… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Becca Harley ’21 - UM Alumni Spotlight: Katie Janda-Thomte ’15
What did you study at University of Michigan? MPH, HBHE School of Public Health 2015Certificate in global health What is your current position? Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at Baylor University What courses do you normally teach?… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Katie Janda-Thomte ’15 - UM Alumni Spotlight: Kathryn Barr ’22
What is your current position? Local Food Systems Outreach Specialist, The Common Market The Common Market is a non-profit regional food distributor that operates in four regions across the U.S: The Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, and now the Great Lakes. In… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Kathryn Barr ’22 - UM Alumni Spotlight: Jahi Chappell ’09
What is your current position? I am the Director for the Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) at Michigan State University where I’m also the WK Kellogg Foundation Endowed Chair in Food, Society and Sustainability. I’m also a professor in… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Jahi Chappell ’09 - UM Alumni Spotlight: Keesa V. Johnson ’21
Keesa V. Johnson ‘21 was the first black woman to graduate from the masters program of integrative design at the UM Penny Stamps School of Art and Design. She learned the ins and outs of farming through her time at… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Keesa V. Johnson ’21 - UM Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Reinhardt ’14
Sarah Reinhardt MPH, RD’14 grew up in a family that spent time in the woods and valued the environment and social justice. She went to undergrad and graduate school and UM and now lives out her family’s values through her… Read more: UM Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Reinhardt ’14 - Alumni Spotlight: Karen Spangler ‘13
Karen Spangler, MPP, MUP ‘13 is the Policy Director of the National Farm to School Network. Karen’s 7 years of UM coursework (undergrad and grad) and experience both in and outside the classroom have influenced her worldview and contributed to… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Karen Spangler ‘13 - Alumni Spotlight: Brooke Kahl ’18
Brooke Kahl is the Project Manager for foodNEST 2.0 at the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health Case Western Reserve University How did you become interested in sustainable food systems? I studied Organizational Studies and minored in Sustainable Food… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Brooke Kahl ’18 - Alumni Spotlight: Alita Kelly ’19
Date: May 3, 2021 Owner, Founder of South East Market Alita Kelly launched a grocery store in Grand Rapids that sources products first from Black, brown, indigenous, local or womxn-led farms and businesses. Kelly is also Vice Chair for the… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Alita Kelly ’19 - Alumni Spotlight: Caroline Baloga ’20
Date: May 3, 2021 Sustainability Coordinator for UVA Dine (Aramark), University of Virginia From working at the Campus Farm to interning with MDining and serving on the food team for the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality, Caroline was able to… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Caroline Baloga ’20 - Alumni Spotlight: Jena Brooker ’19
Date: April 19, 2021 Freelance journalist, Detroit A combination of coursework in journalism and experience at the Campus Farm has led Brooker to her current role as a freelance journalist. Currently, Brooker is a Midwest fellow for Grist writing about… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Jena Brooker ’19 - Alumni Spotlight: Haley Kerner ’19
Date: April 5, 2021 Farmer at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Hudson Valley, NY Experiences at the Campus Farm and in the classroom gave Kerner the exposure to the different skills and activities she gets to employ everyday… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Haley Kerner ’19 - Alumni Spotlight: Carly Sharp ’19
Date: March 22, 2021 TerraCorps member, Gardening the Community, Springfield, MA The profuse hands-on opportunities Sharp took outside of the classroom have led to her current position striving for food justice. In her current role she works to build healthy… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Carly Sharp ’19 - Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Brodkey ’18
Date: March 13, 2021 Program Associate at Big Idea Ventures, New York City The range of food systems courses that Brodkey took as an undergraduate were key to attaining his current position in supporting plant and cell-based entrepreneurs. His responsibilities… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Brodkey ’18 - Alumni Spotlight: Naim Edwards ’14
Date: February 15, 2021 Director of Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning, and Innovation, Michigan State University Naim Edwards discusses how his coursework and graduate studies led him to his current position that blends food systems research, educational programming, and site… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Naim Edwards ’14 - Alumni Spotlight: Theresa Ong ’17
Date: January 19, 2021 Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Ecology, Evolution, Environment & Society, Dartmouth College Dr. Theresa Ong is a scholar activist who found personal and professional nourishment through involvement with Science For The People and volunteering at… Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Theresa Ong ’17
