The Organic Center’s goal is to offer meaningful professional development opportunities for students and young professionals while generating high-quality resources that support the organic sector. Participants can gain skills in science communication, data interpretation, community engagement, storytelling, outreach strategy, and best practices in organic farming. Their work strengthens our collaborations with universities, nonprofits, growers, and community organizations, and extends the center’s capacity to make research accessible.
Meet the interns and fellows who have contributed their creativity, expertise, and passion to The Organic Center’s mission below!
Fall 2025 Cohort
The Organic Center 2025 Fall Internship was hosted with support from the Organic Career Network
Fall 2025 Intern — Erin Epel
Erin Epel led an ambitious effort to build a library of educational materials focused on organic agriculture. Drawing on her background in sustainability research, food systems, and instructional design, Erin developed a resource designed to support educators, students, and practitioners interested in creating organic agriculture curricula or deepening their understanding of organic food systems. By researching evidence-based design frameworks, Erin developed clear learning objectives and outcomes to guide users. The result is a centralized, one-stop-shop for organic agriculture education organized by topic and resource type.
The Organic Center 2025 Summer Science Fellowship was offered in partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
Nutrition & Recipes Fellow — Jamari Turner
Jamari Turner supported The Organic Center’s community engagement efforts by collecting recipes and personal stories from faith-based communities in Lexington, KY. Drawing on her experience in oral history and community storytelling, she worked directly with community members to document the cultural significance behind dishes. Jamari developed a community-centered recipe collection that blends cultural memory with organic science. Her booklet celebrates local food traditions while helping families understand the benefits of choosing organic ingredients.
Outreach & Marketing Fellow — Amelia Talluri
Amelia Talluri contributed to national communications efforts by developing multimedia content, translating complex scientific information into accessible, engaging messaging. She created social media posts, website content, and outreach materials that elevated The Organic Center’s research and educational initiatives. Amelia also helped shape a cohesive communication strategy to improve engagement across The Organic Center’s platforms and developed a compelling science backed myth-busting series addressing misconceptions surrounding organic agriculture and food.
Erika Everest advanced The Organic Center’s work by gathering and synthesizing science-backed resources for urban and community garden spaces. Using her training in soil and crop science, she compiled tools on organic gardening, integrated pest management practices, composting, urban agriculture, and value-added production into a single comprehensive resource guide. Erika also studied the well-being and ecological benefits of organic systems, helping to strengthen the science within The Organic Center’s databases that guide information sharing and support the broader adoption of organic agriculture.
Margaret Harris is a junior Bonner Scholar studying Sociology and Public Health at Spelman College. She is passionate about addressing health inequities for underrepresented communities such as women of color and combining her interests in data science and research. Since attending Spelman College, she has been able to gain over two years of experience in collegiate food insecurity research, health data science and research. She is ecstatic to join The Organic Center and learn how to combine her interests in technology and public health to reimagine health policy and resources. Margaret will lead the overall databasing efforts that will help faculty find one another to collaboratively develop interdisciplinary, organic research projects and apply for large pots of federal funding that are only available for multi-institutional research programs.
Ashlynn Freeman is a Senior at Tennessee State University majoring in Agricultural Science with a concentration on Agricultural Business. Her areas of interest include Agricultural Data Analysis, Organic Research, and Environmental Science. As a newcomer to organic agricultural organic she hope to gain the experience to connect many students like herself to the organic industry. Ashlynn will lead efforts to map out student programs and opportunities that will help connect faculty and students in organic research endeavors and increase student exposure to funding and experiential learning opportunities.
Elora Bevacqua is a senior at Arizona State University majoring in sustainability with a certificate in sustainable food systems. Growing up in Arizona, she has spent her life farming in rural and urban spaces and studying food systems. At ASU Elora has researched several elements of food systems including preventing food waste, urban agriculture, and school gardens. From this fellowship she is hoping to furt
The Organic Center’s community engagement efforts by collecting recipes and personal stories from faith-based communities in Lexington, KY. Drawing on her experience in oral history and community storytelling, she worked directly with community members to document the cultural significance behind dishes.
