Adam Burgess is a Master of Environmental Management student at the Yale School of the Environment specializing in community-based conservation, tropical agroforestry, and water–forest linkages. Originally from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, he grew up working in forestry and agriculture and holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. As a Peace Corps Agroforestry Volunteer in Eastern Zambia, he partnered with smallholder farmers to promote sustainable agriculture through reforestation, small-scale aquaculture, and improved water access for resilient livelihoods.
Most recently, Adam collaborated with USAID’s Farmer-to-Farmer program in the Dominican Republic to help coffee and livestock producers implement site-specific agroforestry and erosion-control strategies. He also co-founded NeuroPuffs, a circular-economy snack venture that repurposes agricultural byproducts, and led a U.S. State Department–funded initiative expanding market access for agroforestry products and solar-powered irrigation in rural Zambia.