2024 – CIMMYT

About our twelfth speaker, Cynthia Rosenzweig

Cynthia is a senior research scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the co-located Columbia University Climate School’s Center for Climate Systems Research. At NASA GISS, she heads the Climate Impacts Group whose mission is to investigate the interactions of climate (both variability and change) on systems and sectors important to human well-being, including agriculture, cities, and conservation.

Cynthia is the co-founder and member of the Executive Committee of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP). In 2022, she received the World Food Prize, considered as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture.”

Come back soon for the session recap!

About our thirteenth speaker, Saharah Moon Chapotin

Saharah Moon Chapotin leads the foundation in support of its vision – a world in which pioneering, collaborative science provides every person access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms. Chapotin is a plant scientist passionate about the role of agriculture and research in solving today’s challenges. She is committed to building partnerships in support of this vital science. Chapotin offers decades of experience bringing the best of global science on issues ranging from climate change to food security, nutrition and agricultural productivity to her leadership at FFAR.

Prior to joining FFAR in August 2022, Chapotin held roles across the U.S. government, including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Botanic Garden–where she served as executive director – and the U.S. Agency for International Development–where she served as a deputy assistant administrator and worked to advance the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future.

Earlier in her career, Chapotin completed fellowships at Iowa State University, the National Academies and the American Association for the Advancement of Science working on issues of scientific communication, national security and agricultural biotechnology. She further conducted research on forest ecology and canopy biology throughout the U.S., Madagascar and Costa Rica. Chapotin holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford University and a doctorate in plant physiology from Harvard University.

Learn more about Saharah: A Champion of Science as a Social Enterprise, Diversity & Inclusion

About our fourteenth speaker, Anastasia Bodnar

Anastasia Bodnar is a senior agricultural advisor for the UN National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB). She has 20 years of US military and federal experience in science policy and science communication, including biotechnology regulation, risk management, and public health. At NSCEB, she leads the Commission’s work on biotechnology product regulation and advises on agriculture. Before this role, she was the biotechnology coordinator for the United States Department of Agriculture where she led cross-agency efforts to advance biotechnology policy across research, regulation, and trade. Anastasia holds a PhD in plant genetics with a minor in sustainable agriculture from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Learn more about Anastasia: Building connections and trust through science communications

About our fifteenth speaker, Mashal Husain

Mashal Husain has a diverse and extensive work experience in various leadership positions. She has recently served as the Chief Operating Officer at the World Food Prize Foundation shaping the Foundation’s growth and strategic direction. Since joining the World Food Prize Foundation in 2008, Mashal has helped strengthen the Foundation’s financial integrity, expand donor relationships, increase its programs, and deepen its engagement within the global food security community. Mashal also has experience working in the healthcare industry and an overall track record of strategic planning, operations management, and leadership in the nonprofit and healthcare sectors.

Raised in Pakistan, Tanzania, Thailand, and the Philippines, Mashal has an international background. She holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Cornell University where she earned the Sloan Faculty Award for outstanding achievement, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Texas.

Alongside her career, Mashal has been passionate about remaining involved in the local Des Moines community and many philanthropic endeavors. She serves on the Board of Directors for United Way of Central Iowa and Habitat for Humanity.

Learn more about Mashal: Connecting Global Communities through Food Security

About the sixteenth speaker, Heidi Kühn

Heidi Kühn is a visionary leader and founder of Roots of Peace, a humanitarian organization dedicated to transforming war-torn landscapes into thriving agricultural communities. A former journalist who reported on glasnost and perestroika for major global networks, Heidi turned her battle with cancer into a mission to heal the “cancer of the earth”—landmines. Since 1997, her “Mines to Vines” initiative has cleared over 100,000 landmines and planted more than 7 million fruit trees, restoring livelihoods to over 1 million people in ten countries. Her leadership notably helped increase Afghanistan’s agricultural exports from $250 million to over $1.5 billion. A UC Berkeley graduate and proud Daughter of the American Revolution, Heidi continues her legacy of peacebuilding and stewardship as Chairperson for the Smithsonian’s 250th Anniversary of America, living in San Rafael, California, with her husband, Gary.

Learn more about Heidi: Peace through agriculture is possible – that’s my battle cry

About our seventeenth speaker, Megan Wilkerson

Megan Wilkerson is chief scientist at the Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) in the United States Federal Government. An entomologist by training, she specializes in international agriculture, social and environmental assessment, strategic planning, and program design and evaluation. Megan has lived in developing countries and worked alongside youth, farmers, and government agencies to evaluate international agricultural programs and provide analytical support and assessments. In addition to international capacity building, she offers one-on-one coaching and mentorship to support science scholars on their academic journey. She is also passionate about being a role model to children who love science.