Meet affiliated faculty Jan Stanley

Read on for an interview with Jan Stanley, Affiliate Global Futures Scholar, Executive  Coordinator in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University, and Contributing Editor for the ASU Alumni Association. 

Read on for an interview with Steven Zuiker, Senior Global Futures Scholar and Associate Professor at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. 

Graduate students from the ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems got a taste of policy in action this spring as part of a weeklong immersive experience in Washington, D.C., focused on food policy.  Among the tools and tactics shared by experts, ranging from rulemaking to media and advocacy, a common theme shared throughout the week was the importance of networks and relationships.

During our Sustainable Food Systems graduate program food policy immersion experience in the spring of 2023, we had the opportunity to learn more about the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). We were joined by Ruth Saunders, Agriculture Branch Chief, and Nora Stein, Program Examiner, to learn of the critical role OMB plays in the United States government.

Recently, the Sustainable Food Systems graduate cohort from Arizona State University spent a week in Washington, DC, meeting with policy leaders and influencers in our nation’s capital. As part of this immersive experience, we had the opportunity to meet with leaders from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area.

Read on for an interview with Isaac Joslin, Senior Global Futures Scholar and Assistant Professor of French in the School of International Letters and Culture.

His passion for solving social-economic issues has driven Chad Maisel’s career through positions at the USDA, Senator Cory Booker’s office, and two positions at the White House. He is currently the Special Assistant to the President for Housing and Urban Policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council. My graduate cohort had the opportunity to meet with Chad on May 8th, 2023, the first day of our Applied Food Policy immersive class in Washington, DC.

Read on for an interview with Joanne Cacciatore, Senior Global Futures Scholar and Professor in the School of Social Work.

The food policy immersion week in Washington, D.C. affords students in ASU’s Sustainable Food Systems graduate programs an unparalleled experience. This year, the 2022 cohort had the distinct and fortuitous opportunity to meet with the Under Secretary of Rural Development, Xochitl Torres Small.

At the end of an intense week of learning, networking, and immersing ourselves in food policy work in Washington, D.C., my graduate cohort had the opportunity to hear from a panel of non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders who shared their valuable experiences in advocating for farm and food policy change.

Our cohort was extremely fortunate to spend a week in Washington D.C. to learn more about the intricacies and complexities of policy making. We met with many varied stakeholders working within the policy sphere to learn about the impacts one can have and the many paths that can lead you there. One such individual that I was especially ecstatic to meet was Kumar Chandran.

As part of USDA’s $100 Million Dollar Transition to Organic Partnerships Program (TOPP), the ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems will serve as the state lead to support farmers