Conserving Aquatic Biodiversity Amid Food System Transformation

Spring 2026 Harry ’51 and Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development Seminar Series

About the speaker

Katie Fiorella

I am an environmental scientist and epidemiologist, and my research aims to understand the interactions among environmental change and livelihood, food, and nutrition security. My work is focused on global fisheries and the households that are reliant on the environment to access food and income. I use interdisciplinary methods and my work aims to foster a deeper understanding of how ecological and social systems interact, the ways communities and households adapt to and mitigate environmental change, and the links between human well being and ecological sustainability.

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University, and I lead the Food Systems and Health Concentration area of the Master of Public Health Program. I am the faculty director of the Migrations Program in the Einaudi Center; a Faculty Fellow of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health, Cornell Atkinson Center and the Center for Health Equity; and a core faculty member of the Southeast Asia Program. I hold a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy & Management and a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, and an AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University.

About the seminar series

The Harry ’51 & Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development Seminar Series showcases innovative approaches to development with experts from around the globe. Each year, the series attracts online registrants from over 45 countries and more than 350 organizations. 

Seminars are held Wednesdays from 12:20-1:10 p.m. Eastern time during the semester in 175 Warren Hall. Students, faculty and the general public are welcome to attend in-person or via Zoom.

The series is co-sponsored by the Sections of Global Development and Natural Resources and the Environment and the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management as part of courses GDEV 4961, AEM 4961, NTRES 4961, GDEV 6960, AEM 6960, and NTRES 6960.