Naomi Roberts

What are your main responsibilities or activities in your current position?

My main responsibilities are: coordinating research and extension programs/projects to advance regional food systems within communities in BC, communicating and liaising with municipal planners, producing academic and community-focused reports, and grant writing.

How did you obtain your current position?

I found out about the ISFS opportunity through my graduate program’s academic coordinator. My graduate studies and previous position provided considerable relevant experience.

What do you like and what do you find challenging about your current position?

I value the practical applications and community focus of the projects and programs at the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems. Creating practical tools and resources for professionals and community members, and working with such a diverse range of partners is both rewarding and challenging.

How does this job relate to your MLWS degree?

The knowledge I acquired about agricultural systems throughout my graduate degree has proven essential to my current position. At UBC, I gained an understanding of both the physical and political agricultural landscape in Southwest BC; a diverse and fascinating sector that I continue to learn about every day. The experience that I gained at UBC is an important foundation for my current work.

What is your best piece of advice for current graduate students preparing for their future careers?

Take every opportunity possible to learn about organizations/ industries that might be of interest to you in your future careers. Talk to other professionals, ask about their positions, what they find challenging and rewarding in their jobs, and how they got into their field.

What motivated you to apply for the Master of Land and Water Systems?

I was excited by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems’ interdisciplinary graduate programs and faculty. I found it unique that the varied subjects that makeup ‘food systems’ could be grouped in a single faculty–it was this interdisciplinary approach to studying food and environment that drew me to UBC. The Master of Land and Water Systems’ professional focus also appealed to me… as well as the opportunity to discover Canada’s west coast!