Abram Bicksler ’02

Environmental Science

Biography

I am currently an Agricultural Officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) based in Rome. I work with the Agroecology and Ecosystem Services Team within the Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) on various initiatives related to the scaling-up of Agroecology, provision of ecosystem services, and also I am the focal point for pollinators within the division. I currently am a co-leader of the implementation of the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), backstop various agroecology projects globally, and am the focal point for FAO's facilitation of the International Pollinators Initiative 2018-2030 (IPI 2). Prior to joining FAO, I directed a regional NGO based in Thailand, which extended technical advisory services and sustainable agricultural information across Asia and beyond. Prior to living and working globally, I earned my master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) and researched sustainable cropping systems. At Taylor, I majored in environmental science, earned a minor in biblical literature, and had a blast studying abroad at Jerusalem University College, my first time out of the USA!

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

I loved the field natural history course, which re-kindled a love for the outdoors in my soul. I also was fortunate to study abroad at JUC and took a Lighthouse trip to South Africa. It was in these melting pots that I began to see how my major could be used for the building of the global Kingdom.

How did your classes or interactions with professors at Taylor impact your growth?

I loved taking a broad base of courses related to my major and general education classes. I also enjoyed getting to know professors as people. Take your professors to lunch, get to know them and their families. Remember that they were students once before as well!

How can Taylor graduates use their unique Taylor education and its liberal arts foundational core as an asset in your discipline?

At Taylor, I learned what it meant to be a missional Christian working and living in a secular professional world in order to glorify God by using my skills, gifts, and experiences coupled to my education. It was at Taylor that I first learned about the state of the world from an ecological and missional perspective. I learned what it meant to be a change agent for redemption of the Creation, of mankind to God and of mankind to one another. Eventually I pursued a career path, which led me into international sustainable agriculture development.

What advice or encouragement could you provide for Taylor students in your vocational discipline?

Make the most of every opportunity to get to know your professors, engage with academic content, and cultivate relationships while at Taylor. Study abroad!