illuminata – Details, episodes & analysis

Njeri Mwaniki, originally from Kenya, is a scientist, mother, sustainability advocate, and change agent with a deep-rooted passion for agriculture and innovation to sustain global food systems. Growing up on a farm inspired her career in science, where she now leads as the Field Agronomy Coastal Hub Lead in Field Solutions, R&D, based in St. Louis, USA. With 14 years of experience at Bayer and a Master's in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Florida, Njeri ensures the efficacy of crop protection solutions for horticultural markets. As the founder of Zaidi-STEM, Njeri empowers young African women to pursue STEM careers, breaking barriers and inspiring change. Zaidi-STEM promotes STEM in Sub-Saharan Africa, enriches local education systems, and creates mentorship opportunities with diverse professionals. Njeri’s mission is to inspire the next generation of women leaders in STEM, championing education and innovation for a sustainable future.

https://zaidistem.org/

Join us as Dr Elizabeth Chapman shares her journey from working at a research center in Denmark to adapting to rural life in Germany. Elizabeth discusses the challenges of relocating, balancing work-life in new environments, and making friends post-PhD. She offers valuable advice on recognizing "green flags" in job environments, aligning personal values with career goals, and spotting potential red flags like high turnover.

Elizabeth opens up about the importance of mentorship, the role of professional networks, and her evolving approach to career planning—focusing on fulfillment over rigid plans. Tune in for insights on building a career rooted in passion and well-being.

Liz Carlisle is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, where she teaches courses on food and farming. Born and raised in Montana, she got hooked on agriculture while working as an aide to organic farmer and U.S. Senator Jon Tester, which led to a decade of research and writing collaborations with farmers in her home state. She has written three books about regenerative farming and agroecology: Lentil Underground (2015), Grain by Grain (2019, with co-author Bob Quinn), and most recently, Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming (2022). She is also a frequent contributor to both academic journals and popular media outlets, focusing on food and farm policy, incentivizing soil health practices, and supporting new entry farmers. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography, from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Folklore and Mythology, from Harvard University. Prior to her career as a writer and academic, she spent several years touring rural America as a country singer.

https://www.lizcarlisle.com/

Alison Bentley is the director of Global Wheat Program at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). She leads and manages a team of 40 international scientists who use scientific approaches to develop improved wheat germplasm. 

Prior to joining CIMMYT in November 2020, she was working in the UK focused on translation of fundamental scientific breakthroughs into tangible impacts for the agri-food sector. Her research combines genetics and genomics to develop and deliver new tools and technology to improve plant breeding and crop production. She has a doctorate in Agricultural Science and PhD in Agriculture from The University of Sydney, Australia.

Alison was the 2023 Borlaug CAST Communication Award recipient This award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions by scientists, engineers, or other professionals in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors to the advancement of science through communication in public policy fields. Bentley has a passion for delivering practical applications from innovation to farmers, extensive reach through communicating and influencing, and mentoring and support of individuals and community efforts.

https://womenincropscience.org/

Mary Purdy is an Integrative Eco-Dietitian, Speaker, Writer and Adjunct Faculty Lecturer. She is passionate about our environment and sustainability.  Her goal is to help people, practitioners and organizations discover how a sustainable, resilient, healthy and equitable food system can support both people and planet.

While she is not currently in clinical practice, Mary has close to 15 years of experience seeing patients.  She is here to be an educator, adviser and/or consultant for your organization, company or students as it relates to the intersection of sustainably grown food, health, and climate change.

You can also take a look at her former youtube web series. Tune in regularly, join the conversation, boost your knowledge and your wellness while helping to support the health of the planet. She also has a podcast “The Nutrition Show” Podcast! (Formerly “Mary’s Nutrition Show,”). Backed by over 12 years of clinical nutrition experience, a passion for sustainability and a healthy sense of humor, she will inspire you to eat to support your health while making eco-friendly choices.

Check her website: https://marypurdy.co/

Cholani Weebadde is an Assistant Professor and the Plant Breeder for International Programs at Michigan State University (MSU). She works with MSU plant breeders to take their research beyond the borders of the United States. Cholani believes in the exchange of knowledge and information with others to build the next generation of leaders in genetics, plant breeding, and biotechnology. As a part of the global outreach program, Cholani has gained experience in conducting training, education, and needs assessments in several countries she  teaches a course called plant breeding to fight hunger.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/cholani_k_weebadde

Nele leads Bayer's global NextGen agricultural leaders’ engagement in agriculture- and food systems-related stakeholder and policy spheres. Prior to Bayer, Nele was a board member at a science communications consultancy focused on agriculture and plant sciences. She is a professional networker and holds degrees in Hispanic Studies, Philosophy, International Relations and an MBA. She steps forward to raise youth in ag voices to sustainably develop the sector and serves as NGIN-president.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/neleherrmannvalente/?originalSubdomain=de

The NextGen Ag Impact Network (NGIN): https://nginag.org/

What we discussed in the episode:

Personal questions:

2:00 Nele's intro

4:30  Nele's dreams/aspiration when she was a child?

6:30 look in the immediate surroundings for role models 

Core questions:

8:05 What is Ag youth summit?

12:17 How Nele become passionate about working with youth in Ag? How does this passion fit in with her career?

15:30 What means being a professional networker?

19:30 Why is it important to involve youth in Ag? 

27:33 Are female involved in Ag projects?

32:15 Most gratifying experience working with youth in Ag?

End questions:

34:09 Best and worst advice

36:48 Most important lesson learned over the career? 

37:45 Three books that Nele recommend to the audience and why? Not forgetting the whale by John Ironmonge; Guns, Germs, and Steel Book by Jared Diamond; Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness Book by Frédéric Laloux. Lost In Translation: Misadventures in English Abroad by Charlie Croker

Arohi Sharma advocates for policies that promote regenerative agriculture to mitigate climate change, protect soil health, conserve and reduce water use, and restore biodiversity. Before joining NRDC, Sharma was in graduate school, where she researched how to incentivize multi-stakeholder partnerships to help mitigate climate change and worked for the Ethiopian Government to help craft the nation’s first sustainable agricultural development strategy. Prior to graduate school, Sharma served as a legislative staffer on Capitol Hill for the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and Senator Cory Booker. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In 2020, Sharma was awarded the John E. Bryson fellowship for her work on water and agriculture. She is based in NRDC’s Santa Monica office.

What we discuss: 

0:00 Greeting Arohi + Charlotte and Cristina update

2:00 Arohi bio and childhood

5:30 Arohi roles models 

7:00 Arohi dreams and aspirations 

8:30 What is regenerative Ag?

10:00 What motivated Arohi to be an advocate in regenerative Ag (movie ref. Food, Inc. 2008)

17:00 Talking about the importance of networking 

18:30 What is a farm bill?

25:40 Which outcomes-based pilot efforts are important to help investment in regenerative Ag

28:00 Importance of giving back to the land and soil health

30:00 Discussing about how we can convince people that regenerative agriculture is far more profitable than industrial farming

38:00 Talking about the importance of farmers

39:30 How people can advocate to shape the food system for better

45 Best advices that Arohi received

46:30 Important lesson that Arohi learned during her career

48 Books that Arohi recommends

New year, New Member! 

Cristina Ocaña Gallegos is originally from Quito, Ecuador. She studied plant biotechnology at The University of Queensland and recently completed a master's degree in crop science at Washington State University. Her studies have focused on quinoa, in topics related to plant pathology, compatibility with speed-breeding and screening of preharvest sprouting resistance. Currently, Cristina works as an extension agent at WSU Skagit, where she provides technical assistance and facilitates conversation with the hispanic farmers of the region. She wishes to keep expanding her vision of how to practice sustainability, while working to improve our food systems at the social and ecological levels.

What we discuss:

3:00 Cristina’s life path

4:50 when we can call a new place home

6:00 child’s careers aspiration

10:00 spiritual role models - mentors

13:30 what inspired Cristina to pursue a career in science

15:00 talking about the disconnection between people in the city and rural area

16:00 quinoa chat

17:00 talking about the opportunity and transition to study in Australia

19:00 differences between living in Australia and USA

21:00 what is Cristina currently working on?

26:00 Cristina’s advice for the next generations

33:00 discussing about ARE YOU OK

After one year we are coming back with a new episode about our PhD journey and what we learnt during this marathon! We hope that you'll enjoy it! Cheers & glitters 

1:00 - Intro and life update

3:20 - How a PhD works in Australia

4:00 - PhD is a unique experience, including submission

6:00 - Take care of your mental health, Practice self-care and get support

15:00 - Focus on the things that you can control and always do your best

18:00 - The best thesis is a finished thesis,It’s all about the baby steps

24:40 - Feeling strange during the whole process is normal

27:00 - Submission can be a mix of emotions

33:00 - So what’s next after PhD? Post-PhD blues?