CV

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Jess Gerrior, PhD



EDUCATION & AWARDS

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies, awarded 2023

Antioch University New England, Keene NH

·         Dissertation: Eating Change: A Critical Autoethnography of Community Gardening & Social Identity

·         Service Learning Project: Cultivating Community: Portraying Work in Local Food Systems

·         C&S Doctoral Fellowship, 2014-2019; Graduate Scholar, Common Ground Publishing, 2016

Master of Science in Environmental Studies, Environmental Education Concentration, awarded 2011

Antioch University New England, Keene NH

·         Ginsberg-Wessels Leadership Award; Cap & Gown Book Award; President’s Merit Scholarship

Master of Science in Microbiology, attended 1999-2001

University of New Hampshire, College of Life Sciences & Agriculture, Durham NH

·         Graduate Teaching Assistantship, 1999-2000; Early Admissions, 1999; Golden Key, 2000

Bachelor of Science in Biology, awarded 1999

University of New Hampshire, College of Life Sciences & Agriculture, Durham NH

·         Magna cum laude; Golden Key National Honor Society

FORMAL TEACHING & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE 

Lecturer, University of New Hampshire, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems, 2023-present

·         Courses: Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production,  Culinary Arts Skills Development, Taste of the Tropics, Introductory Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Community Nutrition

·         CITI Certification: Social, Behavioral, and Education (SBE) Sciences Responsible Conduct of Research

·         Faculty Service: Curriculum Committee, Student Capstone Project Co-Principal Investigator

Lecturer, University of Southern Maine, Food Studies Program, 2020-2023

·         Courses: Food & Environment; Introduction to Food Systems: Food, Power, and Social Justice

·         Faculty Service: Food Studies Council, Curriculum Committee

 

Adjunct Instructor, Keene State College, MS in Public Health Nutrition + Dietetic Internship, 2020

·         Courses: Food, Wellness, and Social Environment; Food Systems & Sustainability

Visiting Instructor, Antioch University New England, Environmental Studies Program, 2015-2019

·         Courses: Environmental Interpretation & Exhibit Design; Guest Lecturer in Environmental Education 

 

Sustainability Coordinator & Educator, Franklin Pierce University, 2012-2015

·         Courses: Sustainability Project; Sustainability Seminar; Digging In/First-Year Inquiry

·         Directed the Sustainability Center, working with Administration, Faculty, and Staff to improve sustainability pedagogy while implementing the university’s sustainability and operations plans

·         Facilitated and developed leadership capacity within the Sustainability Council, representing Facilities, Purchasing, Communications, Food Service, Housing, Information Technology, and Recreation

·         Developed and managed the Sustainability Certificate Program, guiding student projects related to food, housing, recycling, waste reduction, land and water conservation, asset mapping, media campaigns, etc.

·         Researched and advocated for policies and practices to support institutional commitment to climate neutrality; served as liaison to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment 

·         Represented the university’s sustainability efforts at local, regional, and national conferences 

Adjunct Professor, Community College System of New Hampshire, Biological Sciences, 2002-2011

Courses: Biology Lecture + Lab, Microbiology Lecture + Lab, Anatomy & Physiology Lecture + Lab

NONFORMAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Garden Educator & Program Specialist, Cornucopia Project, 2018-2022

·         Coordinated and delivered edible education in elementary school gardens, middle school kitchens, and high school farm program aligned with school curriculum

·         Engaged adult audiences including University of New Hampshire Master Gardener Volunteers and community members, garden educator team, families, classroom teachers, farm interns, and visitors

·         Established, maintained, and transitioned projects such as hydroponic towers and growing tables

C&S/AUNE Workplace Garden Project Director, Antioch University New England, 2014-2019

·         Developed and led company-wide workplace gardening projects for employees, families, and  community members, including outreach, management, communication, and charitable giving 

·         Developed, conducted, and shared research on gardening for local food security, wellness, and sustainability

·         Supervised and mentored graduate interns in garden education, outreach, and related areas

·         Conducted program evaluation with focus on developing best practices from local to national scale

GRANTS

Cornucopia Project, 2018-2024

  • USDA Farm to School “High School Food Systems Journey,” $50,000
  • Community Impact Grant, NH Charitable Foundation, $20,000

University of Southern Maine, 2020-2022

  • Summer Academy for Adult Learning and Teaching (SAALT), $1,000 
  • Teaching with Maps; Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education, $1,000

 

PROGRAM & PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Grants & Impact Specialist, Cornucopia Project, 2022-present

·         Grant writing and reporting, including federal, state, and local funding sources

·         Create timelines, tools, and templates for grant and program evaluation activities

·         Develop and maintain relationships with community partners, sponsors, and donors

·         Coordinate implementation of grant and evaluation activities among staff and volunteers

Director, NH Gleans, 2020-2022

·         Support the network: organize, design, and facilitate periodic meetings of regional leads; ensure funds are disbursed; ensure uniform use of tools and data collection

·         Fundraising; grant prospecting and writing for the network; assist regional leads in fundraising efforts; reporting and evaluation to funders and sponsoring organization; develop and implement communications; develop communications and marketing materials

·         Conduct training: create and update a handbook, templates of documents, and how-tos; onboard new regional leads and provide periodic re-training 

·         Build partnerships; seek out new leads and expanding gleaning efforts across the state; build relationships with other statewide and regional food system organizations

Project Manager, Monadnock Food Co-op, 2011

·         Facilitated the transition of a new food cooperative from planning to operation stage, working with Board of Directors, Membership, Marketing, Facilities & Finance Committees 

·         Outreach to members, farmers, local businesses and consultants; organized first annual meeting

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE & LEADERSHIP 

Network Leader, NH Food Alliance, 2019-2023

·         Responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the Food Alliance and helping to ensure network actions align with constituent goals

·         Collaborated in strategic planning, event and program planning, facilitation, and evaluation

Board Member, The Community Kitchen, 2020-2022

·         Serve on Advocacy Committee, responsible for engaging community members who receive food assistance for experiential expertise, evaluation, and leadership development

·         Support fundraising, outreach, and strategic planning collaboratively with Board, funders, and staff

Board & Working Group Member, Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition, 2011-2019

·         Worked with working group and Board members to conduct activities within the organization and community to enhance food access for low-income groups in alignment with strategic goals

·         Guided efforts of organizational members (farms, conservation groups, institutions & nonprofits) through forums, policy and education forums, outreach and communications

Education & Professional Development Committee, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2012-2016

·         Served in a consulting capacity on developing AASHE professional development offerings 

·         Provided an educator perspective on design and delivery of programs including conferences, webinars, student & faculty case studies, online tools, curricula and outreach 

NextGen Fellow, Center for Whole Communities, 2012

PUBLICATIONS

Gerrior, J. 2020. Framing the fight: Food, history, and meaning in the mess [Book review]. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 10(1), 281–283. 

Cultivating Community: Portraying work in local food system issues as experienced by people in the Monadnock Region  - Doctoral Service Learning Project for Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition

Making it work: How land, people, and the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S. are changing the landscape of food access - 2015

Digging In, Serving Up at Franklin Pierce University: Reflecting on Sustainable Food and the Farm to Institution Summit - 2014

Food Insecurity in the Monadnock Region - Keene Sentinel, 2013

What's The Best Formula For a Sustainable Campus? - Huffington Post, 2014

Pierce Radius: Sustainability Matters  - 2013, 2014

Flying on a Dream (Monadnock Table - 2012

Opening Doors to Happier, Healthier Lives: Report and Recommendations from the NH Children in Nature Coalition - White paper for NH Children in Nature Coalition, 2010

PRESENTATIONS, FORUMS & WORKSHOPS

Multi-Campus, Interdisciplinary Faculty Interest Groups As A Vehicle For Improving University-Level Online Teaching And Learning: University of Maine Faculty Institute 2023

Fall into Farm to School: Monadnock Farm to School Network 2023

Nuts & Bolts of Farm to School: NH School & Youth Garden Network 2021

Stories from the Field: Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition 2023

Universities Fighting World Hunger 2018, 2021

Feeding Monadnock: Gardening as Learning, Conservation, and Partnership New England Campus Farmer Summit at Stonehill College 2020

Feed and Empower: A Network-Based Approach to Regional Food Security and Justice Universities Fighting World Hunger Summit at the University of Southern Maine 2019 

Rooted in Community: Gardening for Food & Resilience Presenter for University of New Hampshire Master Gardener Volunteer Program at Manchester Community College 2018

Expansion Input Sessions Facilitator for Monadnock Food Co-op, Keene NH 2018

Gardens at Work: How to Reap the Benefits of Workplace Gardens at American Community Gardening Association Conference, Hartford CT 2017

Future of Farming in a Changing Climate Panel moderator for The Cornucopia Project 2017

Care and Feeding of Educational Community Gardening Projects New England Grassroots Environmental Fund RootSkills Conference, Manchester NH 2017

Tending Gardens, Raising Resilience: A Recipe for Community, Served Three Ways Panelist for University of Vermont Food Systems Summit, Burlington VT 2016

Improving Local Food Access to Moderate & Low Income Communities Spotlight speaker for Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition Spring Quarterly Forum, Keene NH 2016

A Scholar’s Garden: The Landscape of Food Justice Scholarship & Implications for Sustainability Education Presenter, On Sustainability Knowledge Community International Conference, Portland OR 2016

Sustainability Officers: The Dream, the Sometimes Harsh Reality, the Reasons You Want Us on Your Leadership Team Co-presenter at AASHE Annual Conference, Minneapolis MN 2015

Climate Justice & Environmental Education: An Open Space Dialogue Co-facilitator at New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) Conference, Waterville Valley NH 2015

Everyone Eats: Community Gardening as a Practice of Civic Ecology & Resilience Co-facilitator; NEEEA Conference, Waterville Valley NH 2015

Postcards from Peru Presenter at AASHE 2014 Annual Conference, Portland OR; Hancock (NH) Town Library; Franklin Pierce University 2014

Indicators for Assessing Impact: Beyond Campus Greening Presenter at International Association of Universities (IAU) International Conference, Iquitos, Peru 2014

Living AUNE’s Mission: Advancing Sustainability as a Campus Coordinator Speaker at Antioch University New England, Keene NH 2013

Digging In: A First-Year Food & Sustainability Experience Presenter at Farm-to-Institution New England (FINE) Summit 2015; AASHE Annual Conference, Nashville TN 2013

A Place at the Table Keynote at Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition Film Viewing & Panel Discussion, Keene NH 2013

Voices: Engaging Communication in Sustainability Panelist for Pierce Media Group, Franklin Pierce University, Rindge NH 2013

Weaving Green Threads: Sustainability Students as Creators & Connectors Presenter at AASHE Annual Conference, Los Angeles CA 2012

Sustainable Leadership Plan MBA in Sustainability, Antioch University New England 2011

Monadnock Food Co-op Speaker at Keene Green Drinks; Cheshire TV, Keene NH 2011

Food for All Facilitator for Antioch University New England, Cheshire County Conservation District, Vision 2020, Southwestern Community Services, & Monadnock Food Co-op 2011

 

PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Environmental Education Program Intern

Cornucopia Project, Peterborough NH (2011)  

·         Successful $20,000 community impact grant to establish a food production and education garden

·         Planned & delivered school-based and after-school gardening programs, working with educators and food service directors to ensure activities meet program goals

Environmental Education Project Intern

NH Children in Nature Coalition, Concord NH (2010)  

·         Authored white paper informing a statewide movement to ensure access to the benefits of nature

·         Facilitated committee work and represented the Coalition at state, regional, and national events

·         Assisted with coordinating conferences and meetings 

Environmental Program Intern

NH Dept of Environmental Services, Concord NH (2010)

·         Conducted site visits at Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) of hazardous waste to provide outreach and assistance with enforcement for self-certification

·         Documented waste labeling, storage, and  transport practices, working with specialists as needed to address barriers to communication and compliance

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CERTIFICATIONS & CONTINUING EDUCATION 

NH Nutrition Equity Summit 2023, 2024

Grants Institute, NH Center for Nonprofits 2023

Grants Workshop, Cheshire County (NH) 2023

Summer Academy for Adult Learning & Teaching, University of Southern Maine 2021-2022

US Food Security Alliance Northeast Regional Assembly 2019

New England Farm to Institution Summit 2019, 2021 

NH Food Alliance Statewide Gatherings 2015-2022

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conferences 2012-2015

NH Environmental Educators Annual Conferences 2010-2012

World Wide Waldens: Environmental Ethics for Educators 2011

Interaction Institute for Social Change: Leadership for Collaborative Change 2010

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & LEADERSHIP ROLES

Food Tank, Academic Working Group

NH Food Access Coalition

Food Systems Leadership Network

American Community Gardening Association 

American Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education