By Madelyn Ostendorf
When Gillian Anderson first received the email about the Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program to Rome, her first instinct was to think, “I couldn’t possibly be qualified for this,” and delete it. A few weeks later, while meeting with her advisor, Ramesh Balayar, Anderson mentioned wanting to study abroad. Her advisor pulled up the very same Rome program and said it would be perfect for her.
Anderson, a graduating senior in agricultural and rural policy studies and international agriculture from Charles City, Iowa, is the fall 2024 recipient of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council Academic Achievement Award. The award recognizes a senior with an outstanding academic record through grades, scholarships and honors received.
While on the study abroad trip to Rome, Anderson worked with a team of other Iowa State students to research genome editing, focusing on the social and political implications. That research will be published in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2027 State of Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
After returning, Anderson decided to continue experiencing global agriculture and attended the inaugural study abroad experience in Nepal.
“Going to Nepal was so incredible,” Anderson said. “Talking to some of the older farmers and getting to understand what issues they are facing compared to what American farmers are was eye-opening. Just seeing what life was like over there is really interesting.”
She rounded out her collegiate international experiences with a six-week summer trip to Uganda, teaching and working at a school three days a week and working on existing development projects the other two weekdays. Anderson helped with hygiene and water sanitation projects, giving menstrual talks to students and improving infrastructure for future classes.
These international experiences gave Anderson context and understanding of how global agriculture worked, which helped amplify what she learned in the classroom.
“Especially now that I've come back from these study abroads, a lot of my classes are getting more specific, and I can just pull from my experience,” Anderson said. “And there are specific classes I've taken in preparation for my study abroad. Before I went to Uganda, I took an economic development class to help understand what economic pressures and barriers are causing a country not to develop as it wants to. Learning all the economic jargon has helped me to know exactly what my other classes are talking about, and my experiences give me the examples of how they apply.”
Anderson also works in the lab of David Peters, professor of agricultural and rural policy studies, studying public perception of gene-edited foods. Though she isn’t sure exactly what her future holds, Anderson is interested in working in the international agricultural development field.
“Ms. Anderson is an avid learner and presents a keen interest in international development,” Bayalar and Peters wrote in their nomination letter. “She is highly deserving of this senior award based on her excellent contributions to the campus community through various leadership roles, maintaining exceptional educational achievements and community services.”
Anderson recommends that students don’t delete the emails advertising learning experiences. It doesn’t hurt to try, even if they think they aren't qualified.
“Take advantage of opportunities that present themselves, and don’t underestimate yourself,” Anderson said. “You're a lot more capable than you think you are. Have confidence in yourself to try to take hold of some of those opportunities.”