News

Catherine Swoboda and Emily Zimmerman will continue their adventure at Iowa State University on Jan. 1, 2017 as new lecturers in Global Resource Systems (GRS) – a college-wide major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Catherine Swoboda earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy in 2008 and master’s degree in crop production and physiology in 2010 from Iowa State University. Catherine views agriculture as a powerful means to serve others and has dedicated her professional career to international food security issues. After graduation, she completed a yearlong internship in the Agronomy, Crop and Soil Science Societies of America’s Science Policy Office in Washington, D.C. She returned to Iowa to work as the Director of Iowa Education Programs at the World Food Prize Foundation and established the Iowa Youth Institute, a model educational program which promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and global awareness among high school students and teachers. In 2014, Catherine was named Director of Planning at the World Food Prize, in which she was responsible for planning and implementing the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium. Catherine was appointed to the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council in 2011, was recognized with Iowa State University’s “Outstanding Young Alumna” award in 2013, and was a recipient of the Business Record’s “Forty Under 40” recognition in 2016.  Catherine is also an active volunteer with the refugee community in Des Moines. Her experiences and interests align with the goals of the Global Resource Systems program to prepare students to solve problems with strong technical and cross-cultural skills, and she is excited to join GRS and work with the next generation of leaders in agriculture.

Emily Zimmerman obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology and global resource systems from Iowa State University in 2011.She attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and received her master’s degree in natural resources and environment with a concentration in conservation ecology. During her graduate program, Emily worked with a team of faculty and graduate students to design and implement a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) curriculum for USAID educational programs in Liberia, West Africa. She also accumulated a variety of teaching assistant roles in the fields of biology, ecology, and sustainable agriculture. Emily returned to Iowa State to obtain her doctorate degree in sustainable agriculture and environmental science. Her dissertation topic is identifying ecological and economic opportunities for the co-production of supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services in Big Creek Watershed, Iowa. She possesses a strong background in environmental resources and its interdisciplinary connections. Emily received top awards for her teaching contributions at both University of Michigan and Iowa State University. She looks forward to the opportunity to teach and mentor undergraduate students in interdisciplinary fields of study.

Global Resource Systems warmly welcomes these two accomplished professionals to our team. We are excited about the experience and passion they will bring to the major and our students.