As a senior associate at Sharp Insight, Lydia brings over two decades of evaluation and research experience, with a focus on food access and food systems. Lydia has expertise in data collection, both qualitative and quantitative, including designing and implementing surveys and interviews, managing data, and data analysis. She also brings considerable experience as both an editor and writer, communicating the results of research and evaluation to all types of audiences, from funders to the general public.

In addition to her role at Sharp Insight, Lydia serves as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, a Cambridge University Press peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary journal which focuses on the science that underpins economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable approaches to agriculture and food production. Prior to joining the team, she was a senior researcher at The Pennsylvania State University. Over the past decade, she has also worked collaboratively with dozens of national and local non-governmental organizations across the country to design and implement both organization-wide and project-related evaluations. Lydia has extensively published in peer-reviewed journals, through USDA’s Economic Research Service, and through reports for multiple non-governmental organizations. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Outside “the office”

Lydia spends her “home” time with her family, including three boys, and her dog. In her free time, she enjoys walking, gardening, and sitting on the back porch appreciating the local wildlife. In an effort to make a change in her community, she volunteers with multiple organizations in the region, many related to food access issues.