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 |