About

My research is dedicated to making a positive impact through effective outreach and building community. I am currently working on projects related to increasing interest in and access to farmers markets. 

My enthusiasm for community-focused research began when I was an M.S. student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I worked with gardeners in Chicago to study soil quality in their community gardens, and to explore effective ways to communicate with urban gardeners about soil lead risks.

My Ph.D. in Mass Communications is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I collaborated on a range of projects with organizational partners, such as evaluating a campaign to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and a communication needs assessment of farmers market managers.

As an assistant professor at Iowa State University, I grew my research agenda and worked with partners to evaluate strategies for reaching new and underserved audiences for agricultural conservation.

My research is informed through the experiences of the many community partners I have worked with, and also through my professional and volunteer experiences. Previously, I coordinated a local food program as a public information officer and interned on small-scale organic farms in the U.S., Canada, and France.