An advocate for an equitable food system
Olivia Haley is a member of Food Security Scholars’ second cohort. She is a graduate student studying Horticulture and Natural Resources at the Kansas State University Olathe campus.
Olivia has dedicated her academic journey to ensuring that food safety is a top priority for both farmers and consumers alike. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina. During the latter of her undergraduate years, she spent time researching plant molecular genomics under Dr. Beth Krizek, earning a poster presentation award for her work.
Olivia continued her journey as a researcher at McGill University in Canada, receiving a Master of Science in Plant Sciences. She was a graduate student researcher studying how herbicide application affects a plant’s metabolism, its growth and development, and its yield.
Today, Olivia serves as lab manager for the Bhullar Lab at K-State’s Olathe campus. Pursuing her Ph.D., she is studying the effects of ultraviolet light on disease-causing germs on fresh produce and in water sources. In her recent studies, Olivia has tested new UV light devices to determine their efficacy in killing harmful microorganisms. She hopes to use this data to create an algorithm for produce farmers that they can use in their operations to ensure safe products. In her long-term goals, Olivia hopes to improve communication and connections between growers and consumers, strengthening the knowledge of the public regarding food safety, and nutrition education. She has done just that by creating an animated video aimed at informing consumers about irradiation and how it can be used to kill disease-causing germs as well as extend the shelf-life of foods.
At her core, Olivia has a passion for creating an equitable food system. An avid gardener, she provides our world with research that will ensure everyone has access to healthy and nutritious food. We are honored to have her as a member of Food Security Scholars.
To learn more about Food Security Scholars, visit the website, follow @fss_ksu on Instagram, or email foodsecurityscholars@ksu.edu.
