Dahlia Isabella Bolt

Global Challenge: Clean water and sustainable crops

 

I am not conventional; I am a divergent southerner who dreams of changing the way we use plants for food, medicine, and so much more.

Bio:

I was raised in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, and spent my pre-college life working to redefine farming in the area by crossing the most productive and adaptable plant species to produce better crops. I spent much of my time identifying what makes plants work for us and how to safely use genetically engineered plants for human improving health. From this, I found that there is an intersection between global politics and plant sciences!

Now, I am majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering, but I see myself more as a botanical engineer. I am a student director at NYU’s Urban Food Lab and continue to research public policy and its relation to plants by attending global conferences on genetic engineering laws and crop science research. and attending farm advocacy events in Brooklyn. I spent a semester in Australia studying farming global food systems and learning how to work within the confines of farming law. I also spent time in Germany learning about other parts of our food system: logistics and transport. For my research, I have received recognitions, awards, and grants, and I am still reaching out to do more around the world. I intend to go into academic research once I graduate from Tandon.

In addition to my plant science and political passions, I speak French, bake, and write science fiction/fantasy. Also, needless to say, I spent a lot of time outside!