GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Lacey Lingelbach, a 2021 environmental science graduate from the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), has been selected as one of six Farm Foundation® Cultivators for June 2021.
![](http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/cals/files/2021/05/Lingelbach-Lacey-for-blog.jpg)
Farm Foundation®, an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture, solicits nominations from leaders of agriculture programs at North American colleges and universities, and selects students from the pool. Selected Cultivators are invited to participate in the June 2021 Farm Foundation Round Table meeting, focused on “Envisioning the Future of Climate Smart Agriculture.”
During Lingelbach’s time as a CALS student, she took advantage of every chance to connect UF’s natural resources to the local community. She spent one summer as a UF/IFAS Extension intern, conducting a climate policy needs assessment for local governments to create resources encouraging climate policy action. Lingelbach also completed her undergraduate honors thesis research, which helped develop a public-facing toolkit to increase climate awareness and encourage local climate action for rural, inland communities throughout Florida.
“My career goal is to integrate science and environmental considerations into community policy decisions,” said Lingelbach. “My environmental science degree allowed me to view issues from social and natural perspectives. In my Extension internship, I developed climate education and action resources for local communities. Thus, I am empowered and skilled now to find solutions to the environmental issues of my generation.”
Before graduating, Lingelbach was also selected as an Outstanding Scholar by the UF Alumni Association and UF Honors Program.
As a Cultivator participant, Lingelbach will be connected with another Farm Foundation Round Table participant, who provides mentorship for the meeting. During the Farm Foundation Round Table, Lingelbach will present a poster showcasing her studies and their relevance to the discussion topic.
Learn more about the other five students selected as June 2021 Cultivators and the Farm Foundation Cultivator program.
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The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) administers the degree programs of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The mission of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is to deliver unsurpassed educational programs that prepare students to address the world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human wellbeing, natural resources and sustainable communities. The college has received more total (national and regional combined) USDA teaching awards than any other institution.