Cultivating a love for both plants and people
Luke LeBar is a first-year student at Kansas State University studying agronomy. He is a member of the second cohort of Food Security Scholars.
If there is anyone with a reverence for the relationship between human civilization and the natural world, it would be Luke. Born and raised in Shawnee, Kansas, with his younger brother, Luke developed a strong land ethic at an early age. Taking from his father and his devout Catholic faith, he feels deeply for the inherent value of our natural resources, and our subsequent use of them. Here at K-State, Luke chose to study agronomy. Captured by the powerful role agriculture plays in human society, Luke seeks an experience rooted in the understanding of the biological and environmental facets necessary to creating a sustainable food system.
Luke does not sit around and wait for opportunities to come to him; he attacks his interests head on. In high school, Luke submitted a research paper over the causes of Haitian soil infertility, along with a few proposed solutions to the Kansas Youth Institute. Upon review of his work, he was selected to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute conference, giving him the opportunity to connect with other students from around the world who are passionate about food security. This experience motivated a drive in Luke like no other. It was at that moment he knew he would dedicate his academic and professional career to using science to feed people – and he is doing just that.
Luke has made great impacts in Food Security Scholars. As a scientist, he has worked to understand both the psychological and sociological impacts of what it means to be food insecure. Drawing from his love for people and the planet, he has run with the value of FSS by working toward creating a more food secure world. Currently, Luke is involved in research with the Department of Agronomy. He works in the Crop Ecophysiology Laboratory here at K-State, where they are working with the Department of Computer Science to create an app for producers that can predict sorghum yield. Next year, he plans to work with the USDA Hard Red Winter Wheat Breeding Unit, hoping to better understand the effects of heat and drought stress on an ancestor of wheat, wild emmer. In the future, Luke hopes to continue the work he is doing now as an agronomy researcher. Coupled with his passion for food insecurity, he plans to continue developing sustainable processes to feed the world, ensuring an equitable food system that serves everyone.
Food Security Scholars is honored to have Luke as a member of the second cohort and look forward to the impact he will make on those around him during his time at K-State.
