Skills:
FUNCTIONAL STRENGTHS: Research and Data Analysis - Demonstrated proficiency in conducting various research, such as the following: Played a vital role in conducting research and drafting a policy memo that would advise against hydraulic fracturing for the purpose of natural gas extraction in North Carolina, citing the negative impacts of hydro-fracking that are difficult to abate and remediate, due to the exemption of natural gas extraction from the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act Local Food: Thousands of Miles off the Mark Researched and identified best practices for sustainable food systems, using IO-LCA Presented undergraduate research which examined specific practices of local small-scale farmers to identify whether or not localized production was inherently more sustainable than centralized industrial agriculture Facilitated various interviews with local farmers, producers, and farmers' market participants and managers to determine the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides Conducted qualitative social research to determine the incorporation of local foods among restaurants, academic facilities, merchants, and hospitals Researched the health outcome of public school children, both with and without access to local foods Proposed recommendation of an experimental epidemiological study which involved underserved and low-income community members, food access, and public health implications of local food movements Suggested evaluation on practices such as crop rotation, tilling, irrigation, permaculture, and the incorporation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) Ensured that studies were controlled for confounding variables, such as age, race, gender, level of education, and family history of diet-related diseases Made conclusion that local foods movement must not be the end goal, but a springboard for initiatives with a much broader scope Public Relations and Communications - Served as a contributing writer to www.foodtank.org - Produced online articles on environmental, economic, and social implications of global food systems - Functioned as writer and editor for local music review and news publications - Leveraged industry expertise in creating, maintaining, writing, and editing environmental and food blogs - Administered copyright and publishing license contracts, and collected and distributed music royalties Personnel Supervision, Leadership, and Management - Acted as facilitator and liaison between student body, campus dining services staff, and local community - Selected, appointed, and trained qualified team members for various positions - Served as liaison among multiple business partners in shaping the direction of growth - Proactively engaged in the 2008 presidential campaign, conducting cold calling and door-to-door canvassing, facilitating conferences and forums, and light traveling to political events in the Western North Carolina region