Jenny Ha

Jenny Ha is a junior undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park, studying Environmental Science & Policy with a concentration in land use. She currently serves as a Communications Intern for the Xylem Lab, where she applies her skills to bridge the gap between technical research and public understanding.

Ms. Ha's primary responsibility is to make the scientific research conducted at Xylem accessible to the general public, primarily by developing engaging content for platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn. She also contributes to the team's outreach efforts by assisting in conducting interviews and representing the Xylem Lab in public panels. Though initially unfamiliar with the complexity of food insecurity in Africa, she has developed a deep passion for the issue through summarizing and engaging with the various publications that emerge from the lab's work. She recognizes the lab's role as a vital connector, effectively bringing together smallholder farms, remote sensing technologies, and machine learning to drive solutions.

Looking ahead, Ms. Ha is committed to showcasing the team's extensive work to a global audience and is specifically interested in applying the lab's connective model to urban agriculture challenges in the United States. Her ultimate career aspiration is to help make cities more sustainable, including dedicating her efforts to solving the critical issue of food deserts. To further her research interests, she will complete an internship at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, focusing on comparing phytoplankton communities as part of her own research project. During the following school year, she will serve as a UMD Fellow and Environmental Intern with the UMD Office of Environmental Affairs, in addition to her continued contributions to the lab. She trusts that the lab's core values of community partnership, inclusion, and innovation will guide her well into her final year at UMD and throughout her professional career.