Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Student workers spice up Leopold summer quarters

Back to Leopold Letter Summer 2010

The Leopold Center is fortunate to have three new student associates working in various capacities this summer. Two are summer–only employees and one will continue to assist the Center staff during the coming year.

Law student
Judd Jensen, a third-year law student at Drake University, is specializing in agricultural and environmental law. During his first two years of law school, he has been a legal intern for the Iowa Environmental Council and the Air Quality Division of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This past spring he had the privilege of being a legislative intern with Iowa state representative Roger Wendt. When not working or attending class, Judd is often found along a river or lake fishing for trout, catfish and anything else he can catch. A native of Montana, Judd also is an avid hunter and outdoorsman, and enjoys horseback riding and nature photography.

This summer Judd will be assisting the Leopold Center with the Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan by researching and identifying recent U.S. state legislation, including mandates to develop reports on local and regional food. In addition to his legal research duties, Judd will be helping the Center update and revise the Iowa local food resource guide and conduct focus groups with stakeholders across the state.

Policy student
Juli Obudzinski joined the Leopold Center as a summer intern from Tufts University (Boston), where she is currently pursuing a graduate degree in food and agricultural policy. Prior to graduate school, she lived and worked in Washington D.C., where she was involved in the region’s local food community in many different capacities. She recently worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she coordinated grant programs for agricultural research and worked on the People’s Garden Initiative. She also has been an apprentice on an organic farm, a volunteer coordinator at an urban farm and education center, and was one of the lead organizers for a new farmers’ market in the D.C. area. She is an avid biker, urban gardener and snowboarder, and enjoys being outdoors as much as possible. A native of Wisconsin, she also enjoys cooking from scratch, making cheese and brewing beer.

While at the Leopold Center, Juli will be conducting research for the Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan. She will be responsible for collecting data and background information, conducting on-site interviews of several of the Regional Food Systems Working Groups, and assist in the preparation of a state-wide stakeholder working session. She also will be engaged in fieldwork research for the Ecology Initiative on topics related to sustainable biofuel production, establishment of perennial grasses, and diversified cropping systems.

Graphic designer
Tina Davis, an ISU senior in graphic design, will be graduating in Spring 2011. She is a native Iowan and grew up in Des Moines. Tina says, “I enjoy painting, reading and traveling. I have been lucky enough to visit Spain, China, Bermuda, much of the continental United States and even Hawaii.” She found her way to the Leopold Center as a replacement for Tori Watson, the previous design assistant, who graduated in May 2010 and took a job in Denison. Tina has already begun working on the Center’s web site, and is designing a logo for the newest Value Chain Partner group member, the Food Access and Health Working Group.

Back to Leopold Letter Summer 2010