Cheyenne serves as the assistant director for the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance as of July 2023. Her role includes assisting with the day to day operations of the institute, supporting the new International Trade minor and student fellowship program, as well as aiding in research communication.
Cheyenne spent almost three years studying and working at Wageningen University and Research. Her master’s in Development and Rural Innovation was supported by a U.S. State Department Fulbright Study Grant. Her thesis, “Farmers’ Rights Rendered Restricted,” within the Department of the Sociology of Development and Change, evaluated and compared the ability of two policy discourses, farmers’ rights and seed sovereignty, to facilitate the relationship between smallholder farmers and seed in the international intellectual property arena. Her internship with CGIAR supported the internal publication, “Regulation of Southeast Asia’s seed commons: a local to global chronological analysis,” which involved tracing policies from the Greater Mekong Subregion. After completing her master’s, she worked as a research and student assistant, where she found she loved to teach. Cheyenne is incredibly grateful for her time in the little Dutch city, surrounded by a community of students from across the world, all dedicated to making the world a healthier, more sustainable place for future generations.
Prior to heading to the Netherlands, Cheyenne received her bachelor’s in Integrated Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She wrote the curriculum for her major with the assistance of many professors across many disciplines, including agricultural economics, One Health and journalism. She minored in Global Studies and Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship. Her involvement with Engler was the highlight of her years at UNL, starting a few small businesses, serving on the executive team and as a chair for the Women’s Initiative. While at UNL, she had the opportunity to intern with great organizations including the U.S. Grains Council in Washington D.C., the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Mbita, Kenya and the Rural Futures Institute in Norfolk, Nebraska. She studied and researched abroad in both Benin and South Africa as an undergraduate. She also served as a Nebraska FFA State Vice President and accredits much of her experiences, both domestic and international, to her time in 4-H and FFA as a young person.
Cheyenne grew up on a small pig farm near De Witt, Nebraska, and enjoys going home to help with her little brother’s cattle operation and her parents’ very industrious vegetable garden. Although she loved advocating for what much of the world views as a “flyover state” during her travels abroad, she’s ecstatic to be returning to Nebraska and the university she calls home.