Meet Our Team
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Kathy Wicks
Director of Sustainability Kathy oversees all sustainability initiatives for Auxiliary Enterprises. She focuses on including sustainability in everyday decision making for the division, aligning efforts with the campus wide sustainability priorities, and building diverse partnerships. Kathy has extensive experience in building multi-sector collaborations, leading community engagement strategies, and strategic planning for a variety of food systems initiatives. She has a Master of Public Health from UMass Amherst and a Bachelor Degree from Smith College as an Ada Comstock Scholar. Kathy enjoys gathering family and friends to cook together using local ingredients year round. She also enjoys practicing mindfulness meditation and supporting local music. kwicks@umass.edu |
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Daniel Bensonoff
Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens As the coordinator of the UMass Permaculture Initiative, Dan works to ensure that the gardens provide an exemplary space for eco-conscious gardening and sustainable living. Aside from working in the gardens, Dan teaches a practicum on permaculture gardening, coordinates the UMass Student Farmers' Market, and provides learning experiences for various visiting groups. Before coming to UMass, Dan worked on several suburban and urban organic farms. He helped start a food forest initiative in Boston that served as a new model for creating common spaces. He's also taught various sustainability-related courses including mushroom cultivation, fermentation, and garden design. When not gardening, Dan can be found playing with his son or foraging the fields and forests of the valley. dbensonoff@umass.edu |
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Adam Finke
Student Garden Coordinator As the student garden coordinator, Adam proudly represents the UMass Permaculture Initiative and its ability to cultivate community connections, grow sustainable food, and nourish people’s bodies and minds. His roles range from hosting tours, facilitating volunteer sessions, community outreach, and maintaining the campus gardens. His previous experience includes working with food reclamation initiatives in Melbourne, Australia and leading several student organizations. With a self-designed major in Sustainable Social Change, he focuses on regenerative food systems, positive social movements, history, psychology, spirituality, and education. After studying and gardening, you can find Adam going on barefoot walks in the forest, meditating, or cooking a delicious meal. |
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Jo Fuchs
Student Garden Coordinator Jo is a student coordinator of the permaculture gardens excited to contribute to the sustainable production of food and nourishing of communities through permaculture. She is a Sustainable Food and Farming major and helps out the garden in various ways, hosting tours, helping volunteers, maintaining the gardens, and doing her best to spread excitement about permaculture. Her studies will hopefully help her find ways to build resilient, joy-filled communities that bring together nature, food, and education in everyday life. She has spent several years as a teacher and is likely interacting with children, sewing, or creating art when not in the garden. joannefuchs@umass.edu |
Sustainability interns
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Samantha Curnyn
Sustainability Intern Samantha is expected to graduate from UMass in the Spring of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Resource Economics and a minor in Information Technology. She began working as a Sustainability intern for Auxiliary Enterprises in August 2021. Originally, she began working with other on creating a university tailored training program for the Carbon Literacy Project at UMass. Sam helped produce, distribute, and analyze a campus climate survey resulting in the implementation of our carbon footprint menu identifiers found in the dining commons. Her main interests in sustainability are renewable energy and carbon sequestration method. Some of her favorite things to do outside of this position include hiking, swimming, painting, going to museums, cooking, gardening, and traveling! |
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Hengie Isidore
Sustainability Intern Hengie is a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst majoring in Public Health Sciences and minoring in Business Administration. She appreciates the work of health care professionals and their dedication to provide safer and healthier lifestyle choices to all. She integrates this passion through her work as a Sustainability intern by connecting food to planetary health. Hengie enjoys spending her free time with friends or reading. |
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Ines Magdalena
Sustainability Intern Ines is a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst double majoring in Operations & Information Management and Hospitality & Tourism Management. She is interested in the social impact businesses have on the environment and people. The opportunity to intern within Auxiliary Services since Fall 2021 has allowed her to experience firsthand what businesses like UMass are doing to reduce their carbon footprint. In her spare time, Ines creates art and enjoys spending time with her friends. |
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Signe Owen
Sustainability Intern Signe is a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying Nutrition. She’s passionate about the policy side of nutrition and how big of a role sustainability plays in it, and she plans to focus on food sustainability when she graduates. She’s been an intern for Auxiliary Enterprises since August 2021 and has learned a lot about how large institutions work to lower their carbon footprint and improve sustainable initiatives. |