DEI Committee Members

As a staff member of the department, I feel it is important that all students, faculty, and staff feel welcome in our BBE community. We are privileged to find ourselves at a university that encourages us to continue to learn and do better. The work we put towards creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive department is necessary to ensure we are providing a supportive and welcoming environment that fosters equal opportunity for growth and success for everyone.

I direct the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant program for our 12-state North Central Region. The program is hosted in BBE. As Jody Gray says, "this is everyone's work", but it's sometimes hard to know where to begin. It is great to be in a community sharing ideas and implementing action to move us forward to being a welcoming, diverse community.

I am a member of BBE's Teaching Faculty. I wanted to be part of BBE’s DEI committee because I want to connect with others in the department and help to make BBE a more inclusive and equitable community for all current and future students, staff, and faculty. I love spending time in the garden, taking bike rides with my family, and innovating in the kitchen.

Gary Sands is a member of BBE's faculty.