Principal Investigator
Sera L. Young
Current Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University
Adjunct Curator, The Field Museum of Natural History
Education
Ph.D. Nutritional Anthropology, Cornell University
M.A. Medical Anthropology, University of Amsterdam
B.A. Anthropology, University of Michigan
Contact
Email: sera.young(at)northwestern.edu
Office: 1819 Hinman Ave, Room 105
PhD Students
Margaret Butler
Education
B.A. Anthropology, Ithaca College
Research Interests
Maggie is passionate about biocultural approaches to anthropological investigations of human health. She is interested in developing collaborative and interdisciplinary programs which provide support for low-income breastfeeding mothers in urban centers. Her research interests include: infant and child development; maternal-child nutrition; breastfeeding; human health disparities; inequities in resource distribution; and structural violence.
Contact
Email: margaretbutler2023(at)u.northwestern.edu
Office: 1819 Hinman Ave, Room 102
Elizabeth Koselka
Education
B.A. Anthropology & Spanish, University of Michigan
Research Interests
Elizabeth is a doctoral candidate in biological anthropology. Her research broadly investigates biosocial pathways that produce health disparities, with a focus on heterogenous eating practices in industrialized food systems. Elizabeth’s dissertation explores how social pressure to fit into society affects young immigrants’ eating practices and health in Spain. Before arriving at Northwestern, Elizabeth spent three years working to improve food security and community health in Illinois.
Contact
Email: lkoselka(at)northwestern.edu
Patrick Mbullo
Education
M.A. Social Anthropology, York University
B.A. Anthropology, Maseno University, Kenya
Research Interests
Patrick is a Graduate Student in Anthropology at Northwestern University and a Co-Founder of Pamoja Community Based Organization in Kenya. Patrick is an experienced anthropologist grounded in medical and development anthropology with sound ethnographic research skills. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in, community HIV programming, and sustainable livelihoods projects. Patrick’s research interests include politics of development in the global South, maternal and child health, mental health, information technology for development, and community participation in research.
Contact
Email: patrickowuor2021(at)u.northwestern.edu
Elijah Watson
Education
B.A. Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research Interests
Elijah is a graduate student in biological anthropology and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. His interests lie at the intersection of human biology, biocultural medical anthropology, and public health nutrition. His research aims to better understand how ecological, political-economic, and sociocultural factors shape maternal and child health in the first 1000 days of life, with a particular interest in the impacts of food and water insecurity.
Contact
Email: ewatson(at)u.northwestern.edu
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Hilary Bethancourt
Education
Ph.D. Biocultural Anthropology, University of Washington
M.P.H. Epidemiology, University of Washington
B.A. Anthropology and Spanish, University of New Mexico
Research Interests
Hilary is passionate about working toward comprehensive and integrative approaches to addressing the social inequities and modifiable diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors that negatively impact physiological, mental, and emotional well-being. She appreciates learning about the sources of biological, social, cultural, and ecological diversity that help shape each individual’s uniqueness and contribute to variable responses to a given diet, lifestyle, or stressor. She is always in pursuit of research projects that can help call attention to the need for public health and nutrition intervention programs that are adequately tailored to individuals’ and communities’ distinct needs, circumstances, and experiences.
Contact
Email: hjbethancourt(at)u.northwestern.edu
Vicky Santoso
Education
Ph.D. International Nutrition, Cornell University
M.S. Food Policy and Applied Nutrition, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University
B.S. Dietetics, University of Texas, Austin
Research Interests
Vicky’s dissertation research explores the role of intra-household gender equality, especially on household decision-making and task division, in ensuring optimum resource (both time and economic) allocation for child nutrition. This research is part of Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP), a participatory research project engaging farmers in Singida, Tanzania in sustainable agriculture practices (Agroecology), nutrition, and gender roles. Her hope is to have this work inform future impact evaluations of nutrition policies and programs.
Contact
Email: mvs(at)northwestern.edu
Vidya Venkataramanan
Education
Ph.D. Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, UNC Chapel Hill
M.P.H. International Health, Boston University School of Public Health
B.A. International Relations, Boston University College of Arts and Sciences
Research Interests
Vidya’s background is in international relations, global/public health, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH). Broadly, her research interests include a) implementation research, b) social and behavioral factors affecting public health and community development decisions, and c) environmental sustainability. Previously, she studied the implementation of rural, community-led total sanitation (CLTS) programs around Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. At Northwestern University, she is excited to use mixed methods to study community perceptions and impacts of “green” stormwater management interventions to prevent urban flooding in the South Side of Chicago, as well as household water insecurity experiences worldwide.
Contact
Email: vidyav(at)northwestern.edu
Current Undergraduate & MPH Students | Undergraduate and MPH Alums (in roughly chronological descending order) | PhD, Post-doc, & Study Coordinator Alums (in roughly chronological descending order) |
Samanvi Kanugula samanvikanugula2022(at)u.northwestern.edu | Hollyn Cetrone | Joshua Miller |
Benjamin Thomae benjaminthomae2021(at)u.northwestern.edu | Samuel Balka | Shalean Collins |
Faith Irvine faithirvine2021(at)u.northwestern.edu | Casey Benzaken | Roseanne Schuster |
Lily Settel lilysettel2022(at)u.northwestern.edu | Maxime Godart | Betty Samburu |
Francesca Rosen francescarosen2022(at)u.northwestern.edu | Tracy Guo | Elizabeth Fox |
Jack Hume johnhume2021(at)u.northwestern.edu | Hayley Platt | Sarah Dumas |
Halle Petrie hallepetrie2022(at)u.northwestern.edu | Anna Scarbrough | Natalie Krumdieck |
Lyra Johnson lyrajohnson2022(at)u.northwestern.edu | Mira Wang | Katie Fiorella |
Catherine Xu catherinexu2021(at)u.northwestern.edu | Drew Weisberg | Elizabeth Widen |
Julia Yeam | Angela Arbach | |
Virginia Nowakowski | Barnabas Natamba | |
Abigail Cottier | ||
Mariel Tang | ||
Denise Lopez | ||
David McCuskey | ||
Sophia Olmos | ||
Daniel Peters | ||
Ashleigh Maclean | ||
Kathleen Clark | ||
Amelia Beck | ||
Jo Ann Efobi | ||
Jordan Harris | ||
Cheryl Chen | ||
Priyanka Garigipati | ||
Brooke Hassan | ||
Amy Lin | ||
Emilie Umuhire | ||
Lauren Blacker | ||
Eleonore Baughan | ||
Josephine Hong | ||
Corrine Casal | ||
Pooja Desai | ||
Amy Zheng | ||
Melanie Graber | ||
Damarys Hernandez | ||
Jen Huang | ||
Hijab Khan | ||
Paige Killeala | ||
Joanie Kim | ||
Heather Larkin | ||
Ann Lei | ||
Janice Lin | ||
Phoebe Lo | ||
Rachel Lumish | ||
Abena Maranga | ||
Emily Martey | ||
Devon McMahon | ||
Chloe Michel | ||
Lusine Mehrabyan | ||
Sophie Mou | ||
Jacqueline Rivera | ||
Marion Robine | ||
Keith Ryan | ||
Evelyn Samuel | ||
Gretchen Seim | ||
Rie Seu | ||
Santana Silver | ||
Shanna Smith | ||
Christina Son | ||
Alexis Steinmetz | ||
Irene Tsai | ||
Kelechi Umoga | ||
Shiliu Wang | ||
Luisa Temple | ||
Tingting Wu | ||
Amy Zheng | ||
Cedric Ahn |