Bio: Dr. Katie Trozzo is a Food Systems Network and Outreach Specialist in the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education and serves as Assistant Director of Outreach and Engagement with the Virginia Tech Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation. She also acts as the Virginia Tech-based State Coordinator for the Virginia SARE (Southern Agriculture and Research Education) Program. In these roles, she leads and/or supports several partnership projects that contribute to farm viability, land and water stewardship, and resilient food systems. She draws upon her skillsets in cultural and participatory development, facilitation, network weaving, evaluation, event coordination, and curriculum and training development to help drive these changes. At the Center, Katie facilitates and supports in-person and virtual programming and serves as the coordinator of the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition, one of the Center’s signature programs. She also serves as co-lead of the Farming and Food Production Working Group of the Roanoke Foodshed Network.  Over the last 14 years, Katie’s research, extension, and teaching has also made contributions to advancing agroforestry, a suite of land management practices that merge conservation and production.  In her free time, Katie sings with multiple improv ensembles and co-leads Star City Circlesinging. She also serves as an Artist in Residence in Roanoke supporting artists and arts organization through facilitation.

Approaches: Cultural and participatory community development; facilitation; network weaving; action research; evaluation; event planning; and curriculum and training development.

Areas of Emphasis: Agroforestry; farmer viability; land and water stewardship; and resilient regional food systems.

Education
B.S. Environmental Technology, NC State
M.S. Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech
Ph.D. Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech