Congratulations to Izzie Edwards (Class of 2017) who has been chosen as this year’s winner of the Tormead Enrichment Award. This award is given to an alumna who has a talent in a particular field, and is looking for support with a new project or to further their professional or educational career. Izzie hopes to use the prize money to help fund her MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation (EPR) at the London School of Economics.

“Since leaving Tormead in 2017, I have had a highly rewarding academic and professional career. I had a brilliant time studying at the University of Oxford and worked hard to achieve first-class honours in BA History. During my undergraduate degree, I used my dissertation to explore the themes of property rights and the interdependencies between society and nature through a political discourse analysis of the countryside preservation movement in 20th century Britain. My initial interest in the historical dynamics within land-use grew into a broader interest in the science-policy-enterprise nexus, leading me to my first internship as a Regional Development Research Analyst for an ESG consultancy, working on mining projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on this experience, I was offered a place on Tesco’s Business Graduate Programme, working in their sustainability team. I was able to work on some fascinating projects, including undertaking my own research into sustainable practices in the wild-caught fisheries supplying into Tesco, and proposing clear recommendations that will influence future retailer commitments.

I am currently working as a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, gaining insight into the global food system crisis. 800 million people go to bed hungry; yet a third of all food is wasted. In 2050, food production will need to expand by 50% to feed ten billion people; yet agricultural expansion to-date is the primary driver of biodiversity loss. This is a critical time to address the world’s demand for food, whilst protecting nature and reducing agricultural emissions. The MSc in EPR will equip me with the skills to pursue this topic at a higher level and progress in my career – as a thought-leader, decision-maker, policy driver – to make a meaningful contribution to tackling the climate crisis. I have undertaken this MSc to bridge the gap between my undergraduate degree subject and my aspirational career path with a nuanced understanding of the theory and social science frameworks at play.”