Team
Spring Cohort
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- Matthew Sima is a senior majoring in Biology and Environmental Policy at Duke University. He has always been interested in Environmental justice and equity in particular is effects on children, so he enrolled in this class in order to look at Environmental Justice through the new lens of gardening.
Fall Cohort
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- Matthew Sima is a senior majoring in Biology and Environmental Policy at Duke University. He has always been interested in Environmental justice and equity in particular is effects on children, so he enrolled in this class in order to look at Environmental Justice through the new lens of gardening.
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- Spencer Ganus is sophomore majoring in Global Cultural Studies Program in Literature. While she plans to major in Literature, Spencer is extremely passionate about gardening, human rights, and environmental policy. Growing up in Los Angeles, California, gardens and farmers’ markets have always been some of Spencer’s favorite places, and she is looking forward to learning more about these parts of her new backyard of Durham.
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- Shom Tiwari is a senior majoring in Public Policy with minors in Psychology and Environmental Sciences & Policy. He chose to join the Sowers and Reapers project because he is interested in connecting local food justice issues to larger policy and climatic changes. Born and raised in North Carolina, he is especially interested in seeing how these dynamics play out around Durham.
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- Clare McKenzie is a junior at Duke majoring in Environmental Science and Policy with a minor in Political Science. She enrolled in this course because she is interested in combatting environmental injustice within her community however she can. She is also very excited to work with local organizations and get to know more Durham residents.
Spring Cohort
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- Grace Chun is a freshman at Duke University exploring the majors International Comparative Studies, Visual Media Studies, and Environmental Policy. She chose to enroll in Sowers and Reapers to come to understand universal issues around the globe through the local area of Durham. She looks forward to digging deep into community solutions while growing her understanding of environmental justice. Learn more about Grace came to environmental justice work here.
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- Sierra Winters is a sophomore double majoring in Food Studies and Cultural Anthropology, with a Certificate in Documentary Studies. Sierra is most interested in studying how food intersects with religion and spirituality in the form of healing modalities and how femininity plays out in food production and consumption, as well as how community gardens provide the platforms for studying such seemingly obscure topics.
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- Ana Ramirez is a junior majoring in Religion and Environmental Policy with a certificate in Latino Studies in the Global South, and her focus on environmental justice brought her to this class. Sowers and Reapers allows for students to break out of the Duke bubble and interact with the Durham community. She loves working with local Durham gardens to see how they engage with different issues like gentrification and climate change.
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- James Daubert is a senior studying Computer Science. He likes spending his time outside whenever possible, running, biking, hiking, and fishing all year round. He has enjoyed engaging with the Durham community on this Bass Connections Project! Learn more about James’ hopes for the Sowers and Reapers exhibit here.
Fall Cohort
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- Will Graham is a senior studying environmental science and policy. His environmental science education has largely missed social/ethic themes, and this seemed like a great way to dive in. Also, he saw it as a great way to get in touch with Durham and escape the Duke “bubble.”
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- Grace Chun is a freshman at Duke University exploring the majors International Comparative Studies, Visual Media Studies, and Environmental Policy. She chose to enroll in Sowers and Reapers to come to understand universal issues around the globe through the local area of Durham. She looks forward to digging deep into community solutions while growing her understanding of environmental justice. Learn more about Grace came to environmental justice work here.
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- Emma Herold is a sophomore at Duke and is going to be studying environmental science and neuroscience. Her reasons for taking this class include her interest in nutrition and how gardens and other environmental issues affect food access. In addition, she is passionate about the intersection of environmental health, human health and human rights.
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- Sharmi Amin is a sophomore at Duke studying Environmental Policy and Global Health. This class provides a fascinating new perspective on the topic of human rights and ethics within environmental policy through the lens of Durham. She is interested in how the Durham garden community can act as a model for looking into large-scale topics such as the evolution of generational gardens, the meaning of land-ownership, and the social effects of climate change. Read more of Sharmi reflections on gardens’ role in Durham’s history here.
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- Alyssa Cleveland is a junior from Atlanta, Georgia majoring in Environmental Science & Policy and is in the Markets & Management Program. Alyssa is interested in the intersections of sustainability, social justice, and communications. She serves as Editor-In-Chief of the Bridge online publication for Black and Latinx women and as President of Future Is Now mentoring program which is a service organization empowering girls from Durham.
Spring Cohort
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- Rachel Radvany is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in Environmental Policy and minoring in Cultural Anthropology. She was drawn to this class because she is very passionate about environmental justice, and she knows there are a lot of these types of issues in the North Carolina area. She thought this class would be the perfect outlet for that interest, as well as combining her environmental interests with anthropology. She was looking for a way to become more involved in Durham, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Rachel reflects further on what she learned through this project here.
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- Daniel Song is a junior studying computer science and biology. He decided to work with Sowers and Reapers in order to further his knowledge of environmental justice and climate change, and see how these affect the gardeners of Durham. He was excited to engage with the community in a new way, and explore more outside of the “Duke Bubble.” Learn more about Daniel’s experience here.
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- Elena McNiece is a sophomore at Duke studying Environmental Science & Education. She is interested in the intersection of environmental justice, climate change, and social justice. This project helps manifest these massive issues into a more digestible, local scale.
Fall Cohort
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- James Robinson is a junior studying Environmental Science and Policy. He is currently working on a documentary project called We See The Change, which seeks to share stories of a changing climate through the eyes of those on the frontlines (weseethechange.org). He is taking this class in order to explore environmental justice through the lens of the garden. Read what James learned from gardener Paul Lyon here.
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- Rachel Radvany is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in Environmental Policy and minoring in Cultural Anthropology. She was drawn to this class because she is very passionate about environmental justice, and she knows there are a lot of these types of issues in the North Carolina area. She thought this class would be the perfect outlet for that interest, as well as combining her environmental interests with anthropology. She was looking for a way to become more involved in Durham, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Rachel reflects further on what she learned through this project here.
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- Surafel Adere is a senior at Duke majoring in Public Policy with a minor in Environmental Science & Policy. He enrolled in this class to explore the ways in which human rights – particularly, equality, accessibility, justice and ethical practice – are reflected through the context and history of gardening in our local Durham environment.
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- Caroline Kealoha is a senior majoring in history and minoring in Spanish and environmental science and policy. She became interested in this class after developing a passion for growing food and facing problems that have to do with land rights. This project seemed like a perfect fit, and she is especially excited about the opportunity to connect with people in Durham. Learn more about how Caroline’s understanding of the significance of gardening has changed here.