OUR GROUP

OUR GROUP

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 StudentsUndergraduate 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.eduHollyn CetroneJoshua Miller 
Benjamin Thomae benjaminthomae2021(at)u.northwestern.eduSamuel BalkaShalean Collins
Faith Irvine faithirvine2021(at)u.northwestern.eduCasey BenzakenRoseanne Schuster
Lily Settel lilysettel2022(at)u.northwestern.eduMaxime GodartBetty Samburu
Francesca Rosen francescarosen2022(at)u.northwestern.eduTracy GuoElizabeth Fox
Jack Hume johnhume2021(at)u.northwestern.eduHayley PlattSarah Dumas
Halle Petrie hallepetrie2022(at)u.northwestern.eduAnna ScarbroughNatalie Krumdieck
Lyra Johnson lyrajohnson2022(at)u.northwestern.eduMira WangKatie Fiorella
Catherine Xu catherinexu2021(at)u.northwestern.eduDrew WeisbergElizabeth Widen
Julia YeamAngela 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