Alumni Spotlight: Madelyn Smith

Madelyn Smith, Bachelor of Science, Natural Resource Ecology and Management

Education

Bachelor of Science, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 2019

Current Position

Ruckelshaus Fellow and Project Associate, Meridian Institute

Job Responsibilities:

I currently work at Meridian Institute supporting coalition-building and collaborative policy efforts to advance federal agriculture conservation policy, ocean policy, climate policy, and community resilience initiatives.

Favorite LSU Memory:

One of my favorite memories at LSU is giving a talk at the 2018 TEDxLSU event. I shared stories and reflections from a photography project I worked on with support of the Ogden Honors College to document coastal Louisiana communities on the front lines of wetland loss. TEDxLSU is an incredible event put on every year by the Communications Across the Curriculum program.

What advice do you have for current and prospective LSU Agriculture students?

I would advise current LSU Agriculture students to seek out mentors at LSU, whether they be professors, graduate students, or other staff, who you admire and feel connected to. Building a community of advisors and mentors who can give you candid advice, connect you to new opportunities, and introduce you to others in the fields you are interested in is an invaluable resource LSU has to offer.

Awards and Honors

Graduated Summa cum laude, 2019 Tiger Twelve, Udall Scholar (2017 and 2018),