Herman headshot

Emerson Fellow

Amber Herman

14th Class, 2007-2008

An Iowa native, Amber was a Harry S. Truman Scholar and a 2006 graduate of Iowa State University where she studied public service and administration in agriculture.  Amber represented Oxfam America at the G8 Summit in Scotland and at the 2005 United Nations Youth Assembly, served as a keynote speaker on the North American Take Action Tour, and spoke to 24,000 students about international poverty and youth leadership.  She has also volunteered in rural Kenya and conducted research in Uganda about youth farmers.

Field placement: Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Amber built partnerships with schools, farmers, state agencies, and non-profit organizations to identify opportunities for providing fresh, regionally grown fruits and vegetables to school cafeterias.  She coordinated a Farm to School Health Week for a Tucson school with community partners, media, politicians, and parents.  Amber also assisted in developing grant opportunities to continue the Tucson Farm to School Program.

Policy placement: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Alexandria, Virginia

Amber worked with the Office of Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships, and Outreach (OSIPO) to evaluate existing FNS partnerships and identify new collaboration opportunities, especially with organizations serving seniors and Latino communities.  She also created methods to monitor and evaluate future partnerships.

Publications