Research Statement
I'm a food systems data scientist with an interdisciplinary background in environmental science,
economics, and behavior. My strengths include quantitative analysis and modeling, with a
particular emphasis on open data and reproducible workflows. I contribute to the advancement of
scientific rigor and accessibility by developing and applying methods that enable data to be
shared, validated, and used across disciplines. Through this work, I help generate insights that
support more sustainable, transparent, and equitable social-ecological systems.
Education
M.S., Community Development and Applied Economics 2024
Department of Community Development and Applied Economics
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Graduate Certificate, Ecological Economics 2024
Department of Community Development and Applied Economics
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
B.S., Environmental Studies, Emphasis in Conservation Biology 2019
Prescott College
Prescott, Arizona
Work History
Food Systems Data Scientist September 2024 - Present
Food Systems Research Institute
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Graduate Research Assistant September 2022 - September 2024
Community Development and Applied Economics
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Rare Plant Survey Crew Leader April 2022 - August 2022
Institute for Applied Ecology
Boise, Idaho
Precision Restoration Technician April 2020 - April 2022
The Nature Conservancy
Lander, Wyoming
Environmental Services Intern November 2019 - March 2020
Ocotillo Wells SVRA
Ocotillo Wells, California
Seed Technician August 2019 - November 2019
Institute for Applied Ecology
Silver City, New Mexico
Botanical Field Technician May 2019 - August 2019
Great Basin Institute
Las Vegas, Nevada
Publications
Peer-Reviewed
Donovan, C., Eshleman, M., & Riginos, C. (2024). Delayed Seeding and Nutrient Amendment Seed Enhancement Technology: Potential to Improve Sagebrush Establishment? Restoration Ecology, 32(1), e14046. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.14046
Preprint
Donovan, C., Chain-Guadarrama, A., Martinez-Salinas, A., Aristizabal, N., & Ricketts, T. (2025). Bee Diversity in Costa Rica: A National Survey of Coffee Agroecosystems. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/a4uv6_v1
Donovan, C., & Shrum, T. (2025). Extreme Weather Events: Perception, Pro-Environmental Behavior, and the Tools to Measure Them. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/9zadu
Shrum, T., Donovan, C., Bloch, S., Cripps, E., & Boyson, C. (2024). The REBL Score: A Dynamic Measure of pro-Environmental Behavior. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/w92se
Conferences
Donovan, C., Lawler, T. (2026). Inventory and Evaluation of Metrics for a Sustainability Indicator Framwork in the Northeast U.S. Food System [Conference presentation]. Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, Burlington, Vermont.
Donovan, C. (2026). Bee Communities on Costa Rican Coffee Farms: A National Survey [Conference presentation]. Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, Burlington, Vermont.
Bekee, B., Donovan, C., Lawler, T., May, A., Taylor, J. (2025). Operationalizing economic sustainability: A regional food systems approach [Conference presentation]. Northeast Agriculture and Resource Economics Association, Burlington, Vermont.
Bekee, B., Donovan, C., Ritzenthaler, C., Taylor, J. (2025). Operationalizing sustainability: A regional food systems approach [Conference presentation]. Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, Corvallis, Oregon.
Software