Email: grace.wesson@oregonstate.edu
Title: Air Quality and Food Systems Coordinator
Organization: Oregon State University Extension Service
Community: Wasco County
Population: 25,300
County Served: Wasco County

Meet Grace Wesson (she/her):

Grace was raised in Southern California, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Animal Science and a minor in Biology. While earning her undergraduate degree, Grace focused on tutoring and laboratory research. Her research examined reproductive biology in livestock species, and her capstone project explored labor issues in the dairy industry. Grace’s first term of service with Oregon State University Extension Service involved work on a public health campaign around smoke readiness and establishing a new community garden at a housing site for agricultural workers.

Community and Organization:

The Columbia River Gorge has been inhabited for millennia. It is home to beautiful scenery, including views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams, and widely renowned outdoor activities like wind sports, water sports, and hiking. Agriculture is central to the economy of Wasco and Hood River counties. The region’s two largest towns, Hood River and The Dalles, are surrounded by approximately 15,000 acres of apple, pear, and cherry orchards.
Oregon State University Extension Service seeks to bring research-based knowledge to the public in the form of educational programs and outreach. Within OSU Extension and the College of Health, the Family and Community Health program supports community needs by creating partnerships and promoting healthy choices.

Projects:

During her second year as Air Quality and Food Systems Coordinator for OSU Extension, Grace will be working on multiple public health projects. First, Grace’s work on the Smoke Ready Gorge initiative will include finishing the installation of air quality monitors at local K-12 schools and designing training and educational materials about air quality literacy and children’s environmental health. Grace will continue to develop the local response to smoke events at both the community and household level. Grace’s second year will bring another new community garden and a regular cadence of nutrition and gardening education at existing sites. Finally, Grace hopes to implement last year’s planning for the Columbia Gorge Food Security Assessment.