Emerson Fellow
Theo Gibbs
18th Class, 2011-2012
Born in Argentina and raised in Arizona, Theo Gibbs graduated with a degree in anthropology from Stanford University in 2011. Theo served as president of Students for a Sustainable Stanford, and worked on multiple campus initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, including the creation of a two acre educational organic production farm on campus. Her previous experiences include developing sustainable production practices with small-scale citrus growers in Belize and a quantitative study of the cultural values of ecosystem services and forest restoration strategies in Hawai'i.
Field placement: Hunger Task Force
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Theo conducted an assessment of food affordability and healthy food access in SNAP-authorized food retail stores by surveying the food available in 128 different stores. Using GIS and SPSS, she identified the nutritional quality disparities in the city that fall primarily along racial and socioeconomic lines. She also interviewed SNAP recipients to better understand what barriers individuals face in their daily food acquisition decisions.
Policy placement: Center for Community Change
Washington, D.C.
Theo worked with the policy team to develop innovative economic growth strategies to address structural unemployment and underemployment in several low-income communities that CCC’s partner organizations work in across the country. She also worked on a campaign to expand and improve Social Security for low-income Americans, particularly low-income women, and provided quantitative data support to grassroots partner organizations in New York looking to target corporate tax evaders.