2026-2028 Lucy Graduate Scholar
Biography
Jingjie Cao is a Ph.D. student in Sustainable Development at the University of Notre Dame. Her research uses data driven methods, environmental assessment, and policy analysis to study sustainable food system transformation and the role of emerging agricultural technologies such as Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Her work combines approaches including meta analysis, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) to evaluate environmental and economic trade offs across food systems.
Jingjie received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from China Agricultural University, where she conducted interdisciplinary research on agriculture, rural development, and sustainability. Before beginning her doctoral studies, she participated in field research projects in China and Ghana focused on climate smart agriculture, farmer participation, and food security. She also has experience leading collaborative research teams and working with local communities and industry partners. Her work bridges data driven analysis with practical applications for sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and public well being.
Contact:
jcao23@nd.edu
Advisor:
Paul Winters, associate dean for academic affairs; Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Sustainable Development