Building off a 3-episode series in Season 1, LaKisha Odom returns to Open Rivers Navigator to discuss diversity in science and agriculture. She explains how she sets boundaries, navigates the discomfort and how she finds joy in times of radical transformation.

Read the episode transcript.

Meet the guest

Dr. LaKisha Odom is an agricultural professional for over 15 years. As the Soil Health Scientific Program Director at the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, she pursues her commitment to promoting the use of innovative science, collective impact, and the development of public private partnerships to tackle today’s complex challenges in food and agriculture by working in research funding in the nonprofit space. She is also extremely committed to cultivating increased diversity in a new generation of food and agriculture scientists.

Prior to joining FFAR, LaKisha was an American Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology Policy Fellow and spent time as an Environmental Specialist with the Environmental Protection Agency. LaKisha has a BS in Environmental Science and a PhD in Integrative Biosciences from Tuskegee University as well as an MA in Environmental Resource Policy from The George Washington University. Dr. Odom is joining us to follow up on a three-part series from Season 1 discussing racism and diversity in the agriculture industry.

Connect with LaKisha on LinkedIn.