Growing Impact: J-WAFS Community Spotlights

Meet changemakers in water and food

Green banner with a circular picture on the right of three people sitting behind a table with microphones and a laptop and the words Community Spotlights on the left

J-WAFS is able to carry out its mission of securing safe water and food for all with the help of an extraordinary community of faculty, students, staff, industry collaborators, and others who are passionate about solving problems in water and food systems.

Get to know J-WAFS water and food luminaries in community spotlight pieces below. From social scientists studying water access in India to plant biologists researching climate-resilient crops to administrative staff who engage industry in sponsored research, J-WAFS community members are helping to create positive change in water and food globally.  

Check out the latest J-WAFS community spotlights!

A headshot of Susy Jones

Susy Jones

Susy Jones, a senior sustainability project manager in the MIT Office of Sustainability, aims to advance food and climate solutions both on and off campus. 
Jonathan Bessette standing in front of concrete pillars

Jonathan Bessette

As both a J-WAFS Fellow for Water Solutions and 2024 J-WAFS India grantee, Bessette aims to create low-cost, community-scale desalination and water treatment systems for the developing world. 
Akash Ball posed in front of a cement backdrop

Akash Ball

As a J-WAFS Fellow, Ball is currently working on the computational discovery of novel metal organic frameworks as membranes for selective separation, which has applications in desalination and water filtration. 
Scott Odell standing in front of a park with plants behind him.

Scott Odell

Scott Odell shares insights on his J-WAFS Seed Grant project on hydrosocial displacements, notably in mining regions impacted by climate change.
Headshot of Nadia Christidi

Nadia Christidi

Nadia Christidi integrates art and science in her J-WAFS-supported research on urban water management and climate resilience.
Arjav Shah standing in a park with plants behind him

Arjav Shah

As a member of J-WAFS Solutions Grant team, Arjav Shah innovates sustainable water purification solutions at MIT.
Gokul Sampath standing in a greenhouse with plants behind him

Gokul Sampath

As a J-WAFS Fellow and J-WAFS Travel Grant recipient, Sampath helps carry out the J-WAFS mission of securing clean, safe water for all  through his research on arsenic exposure in water supplies in India.
Jie Yun standing outside in front of a brick wall

Jie Yun

As a J-WAFS Fellow, Yun focuses on genotype-by-environment interaction (GxE), which is the observation that plant varieties respond to environmental changes like drought differently.