Lora Iannotti and Feng Jiao have been installed as the inaugural Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professors at WashU, becoming the first faculty members to hold professorships associated with the university’s Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM). A ceremony took place April 15.
The professorships were created through support from the Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation, whose philanthropy helped launch FARM in 2025. Housed within WashU Bursky Public Health, FARM aims to address global challenges at the intersection of agriculture, food systems and human health. The initiative brings together researchers from public health, engineering and other disciplines to develop practical, scalable solutions.
Although their work spans different fields, Iannotti and Jiao are united by a common goal: helping nourish a growing world. That challenge has become increasingly urgent as climate change, environmental degradation and rising demand place new strains on food production and distribution.