Emily Ryan is the Director of The Commons at the University of Kansas. At KU, she is a Staff Associate for the Center for Service Learning; a member of the Research Communications Council; a student mentor through Jayhawk Connections; and a member of the Community Engagement Consortium. She is a market gardener and food justice advocate, and the Vice-Chair/Treasurer for the Paper Plains Literary Festival. Her work centers on building connections and developing opportunities for collaborative research across disciplines and beyond the academy. She is invested in expanding access to food education and breaking down barriers to local food production.