Who is your mentor, and how did he/she shape your career?

The mentor that has had the greatest impact on my career is my college professor and graduate school adviser Dr. Kirk Braden. With his guidance, I went from being an inquisitive, yet indecisive, college student into a passionate researcher and leader. Kirk’s enthusiasm and teaching philosophy taught me how to challenge what most may see as average and instead see it as an opportunity to inspire and deliver beyond expectation. His passion shaped my perspective on leadership and work ethic immensely.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Diversity of people and thought drives the best ideas and innovation.

How did you discover your passion for what you do?

I have the opportunity to exercise two of my passions, food and philanthropy, within my career; I found my passion for both during college. I first explored food science as a career by starting to understand the breadth of geography that food can span. When I joined Delta Zeta, I had my first consistent cadence of volunteering, allowing me to support people in ways I never would have otherwise.