DEI Committee Members

Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is such an interesting field that can help change the world to be a more sustainable place for everyone. The department needs and deserves an effort to ensure that all groups of people are supported within the BBE space and industries our students delve into.

As an undergraduate student I was interested in being apart of the committee to share about my experience and the thoughts of my peers. Being a senior I think it is really important to reflect on my time in BBE and work to make positive improvements to the department. I believe that it is important to provide all students with a safe, exceptional, and equitable classroom experience.

I want to help make the department a more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming place for all members of the community.

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.

I am a second year Master's student. I hope to help BBE welcome and amplify diverse perspectives on sustainability and the environment, from our students to our instructors and administrators.