Role
Tara supports all stages of farmer education at New Entry, manages grant deliverables, and collaborates closely with colleagues to advance shared program goals.
Background & Education
A scientist, educator, and strategic thinker, she brings evidence-based approaches to farmer training, environmental stewardship, and community-centered program development. Tara enjoys teaching people of all ages, building meaningful connections, and working with others toward a shared purpose.
Raised in Ohio by entrepreneurial parents who owned and operated a restaurant, Tara has spent more than 20 years in the food industry. Her years teaching environmental and food science shaped her passion for food access and sustainable food systems. Teaching in rural Romania since 2018, she saw firsthand how conservation and food systems can work hand in hand—an experience that further deepened her commitment to local food production.
Before joining New Entry, Tara spent more than a decade as a Teaching Professor in Northeastern University’s Marine and Environmental Sciences Department, teaching courses such as Food Security and Sustainability and Science Communication. She also served as Associate Dean for Equity in the College of Science, helping cultivate an inclusive, supportive culture across the university.
Her professional experience spans research, applied science, outreach, and consulting. Tara also brings more than a decade of grant and technical writing experience, including work supporting food safety innovation, decarbonization, and sustainable resource development.
She holds a Ph.D. in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences from Stony Brook University and a B.S. in Environmental Biology from the University of Dayton.
Tara is committed to building communities where learners and colleagues of all backgrounds feel welcomed and supported. Her work centers on mentoring, community-engaged learning, curriculum innovation, and supporting first-generation, immigrant, and underserved community members.
More about Tara
Outside of work, Tara loves exploring the outdoors, reading, and pursuing creative hobbies—especially knitting. If given limitless resources, she’d grow seaweed and start a heliculture (snail!) farm to produce low carbon aquaculture and chicken feed.