Kyle K
- Research Program Mentor

MPA at Cornell University

Expertise

Brand marketing, digital marketing, project management, environmental sustainability

Bio

I recently attained my Master of Public Administration degree with a focus in Agriculture and Environmental Policy from Cornell University. I graduated with a double major in History and Environmental Policy from Duke University in 2014. I enrolled at Cornell after seven years in brand marketing in the private sector, and I continue mentoring in this space to this day. My business experience has taught me the necessity of storytelling, strong business and financial acumen, and digital media capabilities. I currently design urban agriculture curriculum for federal policymakers. In addition to studying policy and business, I enjoy cooking, playing guitar, traveling, and running with my dog. I've lived in seven states in the United States and abroad in England and Denmark. I love talking about others' experiences and look forward to connecting with you!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Launching a Media Brand

Building a media brand is a great way to garner visibility around your ideas an passions. Creating podcasts, blogs, and videos is a fun and fulfilling way to dig deeper into your interests, gives structure to learning in a creative way, and builds a portfolio to easily communicate your passion with others (including future employers and university admissions). For this project, we'll begin by studying some excellent examples of educational digital media and discussing how and why they are successful. From there, you will build a proposal for a media project and actually launch on at least one platform.

Exploring Local Agricultural Systems

Let's research how food gets to your plate and the impact of global and local agricultural systems. This research slide deck will allow you to communicate food systems impacts to an audience of peers. To build this presentation, you'll explore research papers but also interview local food systems advocates in local government and from farms in your area. This is a great way to learn about something we encounter multiple times a day (food!) that has deep global impacts that are often not obvious. This is a great project for anyone interested in food, the environment, or policy.

Teaching experience

I have been a mentor with Polygence since 2021. I actively mentor students' Core Projects, support students with showcasing, and teach a 6-week Polygence Pod. Student projects have ranged from research papers published in peer-reviewed journals to creative projects like websites, podcasts, and even developing a unique brand! I have also mentored students who have participated in the Polygence Symposium of Rising Scholars.