Shelby Wilson is devoted to promoting food security and sustainability in Detroit. 

“It’s about the people,” she said.

As the volunteer coordinator for the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, Shelby has organized and engaged nearly 750 volunteers who perform numerous tasks, including weeding, planting and harvesting food in the north-end neighborhood of Detroit.

“Food security is a very salient issue in Detroit,” she said. “I am up for putting in the time and hard work to make even a small difference in some big issues.”

In addition to the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, Shelby also is involved with the Student Philanthropy Council, the Association of Students in Psychology and Psi Chi. 

“Shelby Wilson exemplifies exactly what I believe leadership is about—change,” said Amy Karaban Finley, assistant director for civic engagement.  “She’s not about titles or notoriety. In fact, one might argue that her work in incredibly undervalued and that the colleagues she works with get all of the credit.”

Shelby’s academic achievements include earning a spot on the Dean’s list every semester since Fall 2011 and receiving university honors for the Winter and Fall 2012. She was nominated to be a supplemental instruction leader in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and has received a certificate as a Distinguished Student in the Behavioral Sciences for her work as an SI leader. 

She also presented her research on Pathways to Stress in Emerging Adulthood at the CASL Undergraduate Research Showcase. 

Shelby is planning on pursuing a career as a clinical health psychologist and wants to to work with families of children with disabilities as well as continue to help people live healthy lives by increasing food security.

“My goal is to make a positive impact on the lives of these families, both directly through clinical work and indirectly by contributing to the scientific knowledge about their stresses as well as their resiliency,” she said.