We are very excited to feature our 10 undergraduate students who will be working alongside ¶¶Òõ̽̽ researchers this summer to study pressing issues in food systems. ¶¶Òõ̽̽'s Fellowships, Opportunities, & Undergraduate Research (FOUR) office supports the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) fellowship program to provide research opportunities to ¶¶Òõ̽̽ students. We are thrilled to partner with them this year to award these competitive fellowships for outstanding students. The inaugural Food SURF class includes students working with faculty from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension, Rubeinstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, and .

 


Ashleigh Angle

Ashleigh Angle. A person with dark hair wearing a white shirt with pink strpes sits on a beach with grass in the background smiling at the camera.

Home Food Production Impacts on Dietary Outcomes

Ashleigh Angle is a senior Nutrition and Food Science major with a concentration in Dietetics from Connecticut. Ashleigh will be working with Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences and FSRC Associate Director, Meredith Niles. Her project will observe the intensity of home food production activities in Vermont and Maine, specifically exploring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security, health behaviors, and health outcomes. Ashleigh's project will provide new insights into the importance of home food production and its ability to increase access to fresh produce in lower income households. Ashleigh hopes to gain insights into how she can support individuals without access to food.

 

 

 

 

 

Emma Hendra


Emma Hendra. A person in a dark shirt with dark hair stands with the sun at their back.
Contribution of Pollinators and Beneficial Insects to Vegetable Crops

Emma Hendra is a senior Biological Sciences major who will be working with Margaret Skinner, Research Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Emma's project will assess the effects of establishing habitat hedges, or small plots of flowering plants, on beneficial insect and pollinator activity amongst food crops. She will be conducting this research at the Catamount Farm. Her project will help inform farmers of improvements they can make to encourage visitation of beneficial insects and pollinators to food crops, which can increase the yield and quality of crops. Emma is hoping to learn how to collaborate with professionals to design and conduct a replicable study, as well as further her scientific writing and communication skills. Emma has conducted research on insects visiting saffron flowers and is excited to tackle this new project. A native of New Jersey, she enjoys staying active outside throughout all seasons in Vermont, especially snowboarding and hiking.

 

 

 

 

Matt Jacobs


Matt Jacobs. A person with dark hair, in glasses, a tie-dye shirt, and dark shorts stands in front of a waterfall, smiling at the camera
Viability of Perennial Green Crops in Vermont

Matt Jacobs is a senior who is majoring in Plant Biology. Originally from Connecticut, Matt transferred to ¶¶Òõ̽̽ in 2020 specifically to study plant biology.  Matt will be working in the lab of Eric Bishop-von Wettberg, Associate Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences, studying the effects of incorporating of perennial green crops into Vermont, specifically intercropping Kernza and the perennial forage alfalfa, on carbon accumulation, microbial diversity and nitrogen fixation in soil. Matt hopes his project will provide agronomic information and data to Vermont farmers about these crops. He is excited to work with researchers at ¶¶Òõ̽̽, expand his network, and work with plants. 

 

 

 

 

 

Seana Kelly


Seana Kelly. A person with dark hair in a dark shirt works in a laboratory.
Determining the Fatty Acid Content and Composition of Yogurt and Yogurt Alternatives Available in Vermont

Seana Kelly is a senior majoring in Animal Sciences. She will be working with Animal Sciences Associate Professor Jana Kraft to determine the fatty acid content and composition of yogurts and yogurt alternatives available in Vermont. Her project will provide key information about fatty acids and yogurt that is currently lacking in the . Seana hopes to attend veterinary school after graduating from ¶¶Òõ̽̽. She is excited to expand her knowledge on dairy nutrition, which combine two of her major interests—nutrition and animals. Outside of her studies Seana also enjoys participating with the team and being active with gymnastics in the local community. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lilah Krugman


Lilah Krugman. A person with blonde hair, a purple beanie, white shirt, and black pants sits on the ground petting a white dog, both looking and smiling at the camera.
More Than Just Medicine: Food Security and Farm Viability Implications of the Farmacy Program

Lilah Krugman is a junior Food Systems major working with Vic Izzo, Research Associate and Lecturer in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Lilah's project will be an evaluation of the effect of the in Addison County, VT—a program where individuals get a prescription to receive free community-supported agriculture shares of fresh fruits and vegetables—on a food security for participants and farm viability in Addison County. Lilah became interested in food and agriculture while working on an urban farm in her hometown of Atlanta, GA. She plans to attend law school after completing undergrad and eventually work in food and agriculture law. She hopes to gain skills in qualitative analysis and participatory action research through Food SURF.

 

 

 

 

Ethan Pezzini


Ethan Pezzini. A person with long dark hair and a beard wearing a white dress shirt and dark pants smiles and looks away from the camera.
Top Grafting Established Apple Trees to Manage Endemic Fire Blight Infection

Ethan Pezzini is a junior Agroecology major hailing from Melrose, MA, who has been active at the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Horticulture Research and Education Center (HREC) for the past 1.5 years. Ethan will be working with Terry Bradshaw, Assistant Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences and Director of the HREC. Ethan's project focuses on controlling fire blight, a disease that can catastrophically damage trees and cause tree death, in apple trees. They will be using a method called top-working, or grafting onto established rootstock, which aids in faster tree regeneration. Currently the only effective remedy for fighting fire-blight is prevention and Ethan's project could improve regrowth of damaged trees without disease. Ethan is excited to have an opportunity to study more effective methods for controlling fire blight which routinely devastates apple and pear orchards. Ethan enjoys rock climbing, hiking, drawing, and being outside.

 

 

 

 

Lauren Smathers


Lauren Smathers. A person with light brown hair, wearing a green jacket and jeans, hold a baby goat and smiles at the camera.
Hobby Dairy Farm Study

Lauren Smathers is a junior double major in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Since her freshman year she has worked with Andrea Etter, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences studying food microbiology. Lauren's project will observe the knowledge and practices of small dairy farms in the area producing and selling raw milk from cows, goats, and sheep as well as the microbial profiles of their milk. Because raw milk is not pasteurized it presents significantly higher risks for pathogenic bacteria which can lead to foodborne illness. Lauren hopes to gain a better understanding of both the pathogens and the knowledge and practices of the farmers. After completing her undergraduate studies, Lauren hopes to obtain a PhD in microbiology and enter academia. She enjoys playing violin, swimming, rocking climbing, and making sourdough bread.

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie Unger


Sophie Unger. A person with dark curly hair and a red shirt looks at the camera and smiles.
Synergistic Biofilm Formation Between R. insidiosa and L. monocytogenes

Sophie Unger is a senior Biochemistry major and undergraduate researcher with , Associate Professor of . This summer Sophie will be investigating synergistic biofilms formed betweeo Listeria monocytogenes and Ralstonia insidiosa. Previous research has shown R. insidiosa induces other bacteria to form stronger biofilms, which results in their ability to survive and proliferate longer in food processing facilities, ultimately leading to increased food contamination and risk for foodborne disease. Sophie's research will help to understand the role R. insidiosa plays on L. monocytogenes biofilm strength, helping to understand their synergy across many strains. Sophie is excited to collect this data, which will go towards her Honors thesis, and to become more entrenched in scientific research. Sophie also enjoys reading, running, listening to music, and the outdoors.

 

 

 

 

 

Ella Weigel


Ella Weigel. A person with dark hair sits wearing a dark top and blue shorts sits on the ground. A yellow labrador retriever sits on their legs.
Nutrient Cycling in an Aquaponics System: How Efficiently is Nitrogen Cycled from Fish Waste to Plants?

Ella Weigel is a senior majoring in Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecological Design who is from New Jersey. A member of Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Environmental Sciences, Eric Roy's lab, Ella's research on aquaponics will be observe the efficiency of nitrogen cycling between trout and edible herbaceous plant species this summer. Ella will utilize sensor technology to manage system water quality and will expand knowledge on the sustainability and aquaponics. Ella hopes she can gain a stronger understanding of nutrient cycling in aquaponics and form a deeper connection to the plants and fish she will be growing. In her free time, Ella enjoys cooking, writing, spending time outdoors, listening to music, and taking walks with her dog, Finley.

 

 

 

 

 

Gabby White


Gabby white. A person with dark hair with purple highlights and a multi-colored striped shirt looks at the camera.
Optimization of Alginate Scaffolds for Cultured Meat Production

Gabby White is a senior Biomedical Engineering major working in the lab of Rachael Floreani, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Gabby's project will utilize different biomaterials to create engineered scaffolding for lab cultivated meat in an attempt to give this lab grown meat the taste, texture, and visual appeal of traditional meat. Gabby is generally interested in topics related to tissue engineering and biomaterials and hopes she can apply her summer research to her Honors thesis, as well as contribute research that can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Originally from Elmore, VT, Gabby enjoys skiing, cooking, spending time with her family, and coordinating and participating in events as the President of the theatre club at ¶¶Òõ̽̽.

 

Food SURF program
¶¶Òõ̽̽ Food Systems Research Center
¶¶Òõ̽̽ FOUR Office