Madisen Gittlin
Sustainability science; systems thinking; life cycle assessment; data science; geospatial analysis
Background & Expertise
Madisen Gittlin, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in sustainable food systems at the Institute on the Environment. Her research centers on bridging key knowledge gaps in U.S. food sustainability with a focus on understanding the role of food loss and waste in food system greenhouse gas emissions, supply chain circularity, and climate resilience. At IonE, her work involves assessing Minnesota’s food system landscape for opportunities to reduce the state’s carbon impacts through food recovery and waste reduction, integrating food waste into IonE’s Food System Supply-Chain Sustainability (FoodS³) model, and scoping out additional strategies to better incorporate food waste into IonE’s sustainable food systems research portfolio.
More broadly, Gittlin is an interdisciplinary scientist that applies systems thinking and life cycle approaches to address food, waste and climate challenges. From her work both within and outside academia, she is experienced in identifying research-supported methods and strategies for addressing food- and waste-related challenges and translating science into action through the development of educational programs and resources. She holds a PhD in bioproducts and biosystems science, engineering and management from the University of Minnesota and a BA in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
2023 Impact Goal Grants Award $1.1M to Support Interdisciplinary, Sustainability-Focused Project Teams
As increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses and environmental degradation threaten people and ecosystems around the world, sustainability issues have never been more pressing. At the same time, signals are emerging of pathways to a liveable future, including growth in clean energy, greater consideration of natural capital in decision-making, and advocacy for socio-economic equity.