Sydney Zuckerman is an urban and regional planning graduate student in the UB School of Architecture and Planning. Specializing in community health and food systems, Sydney’s interests lie in strengthening food systems for economic, environmental, and social sustainability of communities through planning and political avenues. She currently works as a communications assistant at UB Sustainability and as a graduate assistant for the UB Urban and Regional Planning Department. Prior to studying urban planning, Sydney graduated from Syracuse University, studying political science and International Relations at the Maxwell School. In her undergraduate career, she worked to communicate about food systems and climate action for student sustainability organizations and a regional food magazine. Culminating both academic and extracurricular work, Sydney wrote a thesis on the effects of public opinion on climate change solutions through an agricultural frame. After graduation, she worked on various organic farms to learn about the intricacies of sustainable agricultural businesses, which has fueled her interest in using planning tools to create environments where organizations that strengthen food systems can thrive.