Avery Sirwatka

Avery Sirwatka

Food Systems & Global Change Graduate Research Assistant

About

Avery is a first-year Master of Public Health student at Cornell University, concentrating in Food Systems and Health. Originally from rural Western New York, Avery's background is in agriculture, horticulture, and food distribution. He brought these experiences to his undergraduate studies at the University at Buffalo, where he began conducting research at the nexus of food systems, urban planning, and policy. During this time, Avery utilized qualitative research methodologies at both the domestic and international scales, including working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on smallholder farmer viability in the face of urbanization, globalization, and climate change. Avery is an interdisciplinary social scientist by training, and graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2021 with a dual degree in Public Policy and Psychology with minors in Environmental Design and Public Health.

Avery continues to study and research food systems in his graduate coursework, and is particularly interested in utilizing mixed research methodologies, including the use of geospatial software and policy analysis, to develop equitable and resilient food systems through work at both the policy and programmatic levels. As a member of Food Systems and Global Change, Avery is currently conducting research on informal food environments in low- and middle-income countries, including the development of metrics that can assist academics and practitioners' understanding of environmental changes. Avery plans to continue pursuing similar interests this summer, where he will serve as a Public Health Law Fellow with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After graduation, Avery hopes to enter a joint JD/PhD program and later work at a research university.