Ever since working as a volunteer for his campus composting crew, Emmanuel Cooper has been dedicated to improving food systems. He joined the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) as a science intern on the Bolstering Healthy Food Systems Team in June 2026.
In this role, Cooper supports convening and related activities through conducting literature reviews, supporting peer review synthesis and maintaining an outreach tracker of relevant contacts. His writing and reporting skills support FFAR’s mission to provide clear scientific communication to all stakeholders.
Prior to joining FFAR, Cooper led a team to survey clients from his local food pantry on their dietary preferences, and to evaluate if food waste was a serious issue in his community. His team unexpectedly discovered that people mostly use the food pantry as their only means of in-person socialization. Inspired by this connection between food and human health, Cooper went on to receive a training certificate in One Health and Toxicology from MSDT-One Health.
Cooper is completing a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Truman State University. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with family.