Trevalyn Garner Gruber· Ph.D. Student
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Contact Information 403 East Hall (515) 294-8032 BA Speech Communication: Midwestern State University MA Sociology: Texas Woman's University
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Returning to graduate school after working in the real world gives me a true appreciation for the challenges of academia. My background includes teaching and communication experience in both the public and non-profit sectors as well as grantwriting success. After finishing my masters in Sociology at Texas Womans University, I developed an interest in cultural elements inherent in the impact of food systems on the environment. My thesis quantitatively explored the concept of sustainable consumption in the U.S. Although I considered other doctoral programs, ISU was my first choice for Ph.D. work. I was excited about their commitment to rural sociology and concentration of food, agricultural, and environmental systems. As a research assistant, I work with the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Polls. Since coming here, I have expanded my knowledge as I participate in various agricultural interest organizations, study the growth of interest in ethanol and other biofuels, and become acquainted with the challenges that technology poses society. My dissertation will focus on the socio-history of ethanol by examining how individual and collective social actors create, sustain, and change the public image of a commodity through public discourse.
