Sydney Mayes

Pronouns: she/her

Bio 
Sydney Mayes graduated from UC Berkeley in 2013 with a B.A. in cognitive science and concentrations in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Since then, she has held many positions across the food industry and in behavioral science research. At the Haas School of Business, she worked as a data analyst in judgment and decision-making research while moonlighting as a server at Alice Waters’ influential restaurant, Chez Panisse. Surrounded by a culture that emphasized education and supported farmers who were responsible stewards of the land, her interest in food systems grew. She began working on the main farm that supplies Chez Panisse with most of its produce and learned from farmers who had been practicing regenerative agriculture for decades. At Bren, Sydney plans to specialize in Conservation Planning to work on climate solutions in agriculture and food systems. She is interested in helping agricultural systems adopt agroecological practices that sequester carbon and also adapt to the inevitable environmental transformations of our climate crisis. She draws upon her past research experience and multidisciplinary background, believing that a better understanding of human behavior and collaboration with diverse groups is necessary for creating the most effective solutions to today’s environmental problems.