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Fellows at Large

Fellows at Large

Meet past Small Planet interns who have continued on to tackle big questions about democracy, food, hunger and the environment. We are thrilled to hear about and report on their accomplishments, as we continue to expand our network of resources.

Nicole Crescimanno

Nicole joined the Small Planet Institute in early 2009 as a research intern to assist Frances on Liberation Ecology and Getting a Grip 2: Clarity, Creativity and Courage for the World We Really Want. She also collected information to be used in Small Planet outreach material, such as speeches and articles. Some of her favorite topics include sustainability in Gussing, Austria and the Green Revolution in India. She credits her internship at Small Planet as the experience where she gained a better perspective of the root causes of some of the ills that plague our world as well as how she discovered new hope, energy and insight on how best to address them.

Nicole holds a BA from Stonehill College, and a Master’s degree in Climate and Society through Columbia University's Earth and Environmental Science Department. During her Master's candidacy, she held a new internship at The Earth Institute's Tropical Agriculture Program, where she reviewed and developed sustainability and resilience metrics for a global agricultural and food systems network. Currently she is Environmental Development Associate at BrightFarms, a start-up that finances, builds, and operates hydroponic greenhouses on top of supermarkets, in order to grow ultra-local and sustainable food.

Katy McDonald

Katy joined the Small Planet team as a research intern in 2009. For the past three summers, she has assisted Frances with research for EcoMind and articles in The Huffington Post, The Nation, and other publications. Katy has also engaged in academic outreach and participated in several Small Planet events.

Currently, Katy is a senior at Colgate University, where she majors in English and Environmental Studies. Her experience at Small Planet has inspired her to pursue a career in food security or environmental policy.

Alexandra Tung

Alexandra joined the Small Planet Institute in the May 2009 as a research intern to assist Frances on Liberation Ecology and Getting a Grip 2: Clarity, Creativity and Courage for the World We Really Want. She also maintained the Small Planet website and created outreach materials on the connection between agriculture and climate change. Originally from Hong Kong, she credits the rural setting of Ithaca, NY, where she completed her undergraduate degree, for sparking her interest in agriculture and environmental justice. In the summer of 2010, she started collaborating with authors from around the globe on a guidance document on Food Policy and Sustainability which was presented at Terra Madre 2010 in Turin, Italy, and also writing a chapter for the Worldwatch Institute's Vital Signs 2011.

Alexandra holds a BS in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University, and is currently finishing her M.S. in Agriculture, Food and Environment program at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Bryson Cowan

Bryson joined the Small Planet institute in June 2011 as a research and outreach intern, and worked with Frances on publicity and outreach for EcoMind and research projects such as the “40 Years of the Food Movement”.

Bryson is currently a senior at Connecticut College, where she is pursuing degrees in Government and Applied Economic and Environmental Analysis. Drawing largely on her experience at Small Planet, this year she is undertaking a research project to explore globalized markets and food security issues among fishing communities in Tanzania.