On August 2, Jennifer Jensen joined the Rural Policy Research Institute as a Research Analyst with the RUPRI Rural Futures Lab.  Prior to this position, Jennifer spent two years working with RUPRI as a graduate research assistant, while she completed her MPA in Public Policy from the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri-Columbia, with a duel concentration in regional development and public policy.  While at MU, she served as a Peace Corps Fellow, incorporating hands-on community development practices into her graduate studies.  Before starting in her new role with RUPRI, Jennifer traveled to Africa as a Market Engagement Fellow for CARE-USA.  There she conducted a case study on a food security project in western Kenya along Lake Victoria.

Jennifer will contribute to the development of the RUPRI Rural Futures Lab as it ramps up activities this fall, focusing on a number of key economic drivers, such as regional and local food systems, alternative energy, rural health systems, ecosystem services, and adaptation to climate change, examining these issues through the lens of regional collaboration, social equity, and innovation and entrepreneurship.  Jennifer will have her office based at Cornell University, as a Visiting Scholar affiliated with the Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI) in the Department of Developmental Sociology.