Raturi, an assistant professor in agricultural and biological engineering who runs the Agricultural Informatics Lab, specializes in an area that was once slightly obscure – the junction of open access technology and food systems. But in recent years the area has gained more attention, with Raturi as a community steward. Her current work includes development of open source support tools for farmers, toolkits for local food systems, and landscape assessment methods for biodiversity projects. The award will help her continue her upward trajectory.