I’m a rural sociologist who’s passionate about making the world a better place through food. To contribute to achieving this goal, I seek to join scholars, policymakers and citizens in discussing the positive and negative implications of food system changes for farmers, rural communities, the environment and our population’s health. My scholarship focuses on three areas. First, I research food system structure and food industry consolidation and concentration. Second, I study alternatives for farmers, consumers and communities to sustainably participate in the food system. Third, my international work has centered on understanding how food system organization and technology affect smallholder farms.As a teacher, I try to facilitate and guide learning wherever and however it occurs. My teaching philosophy focuses on helping students and Missouri and Midwest communities develop the knowledge and wisdom they need to decide the kind of food and agriculture system in which they want to participate.