Charla M. Burnett is a distinguished scientist and research methodologist with over a decade of experience in international development and impact evaluation.​ She has managed and supported global projects focused on migration, climate change, health, and humanitarian mapping. Charla is a German Marshall Fund Diversity and Equity Inclusion Fellow, and a two-time Community Leadership Award recipient from the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she received a PhD in Global Governance and Human Security.​ Currently Charla is a data scientist at Michigan State University, where she facilitates international business development through data science and artificial intelligence. Her interdisciplinary research encompasses human security, gender development, and participatory mapping, emphasizing inclusive approaches for underrepresented peoples. Charla has authored numerous publications, including the 2023 volume "Evaluating Participatory Mapping Software.​

Brigid Cakouros approaches her work from a curiosity driven, systems thinking perspective. Always questioning and exploring the “big picture”, she works best when navigating complex healthcare access issues with an interdisciplinary team. Brigid centers her work on resilient and sustainable interventions, and while she’s trained in qualitative and evaluative methodologies, she prefers to also include mixed methods and strategic foresight to better inform a decision-making process.​ Brigid began her public health career by building models of vaccine cold chains with a team of engineers, computer scientists, and public health professionals. This work sparked her interest in complex systems. She has since worked on a range of systems-focused projects, from studying the impact of long-term asbestos exposure on a community in Pennsylvania to the accessibility of PrEP among women near two clinics in Zimbabwe. Brigid explored health systems resilience as a postdoctoral fellow under Professor Lucy Gilson at the University of Cape Town, and she continued as a postdoctoral associate at Yale University on the BRIDGE-U: Liberia project supporting health system strengthening activities at the University of Liberia and studying equity within international partnerships. She recently consulted with the Centre for Sustainability Transitions at the University of Stellenbosch by assisting with the application of strategic foresight methodologies to better understand points of leverage to shape the future of research for development. ​ Brigid attended the University of Pittsburgh for both her BA (nonfiction writing, 2009) and her MPH (Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, 2012), and attended the University of California, Berkeley for her DrPH (2020.) Outside of work, Brigid enjoys spending time exploring on her bike, testing new recipes, and joyfully refining her ceramics hobby. Although she’s lived in a few different states, Brigid remains a dedicated Philadelphia sports fan.​

Adriana Campos is an Ecuadorian-American epidemiologist and public heath practitioner. She earned her PhD in Public Health, specializing in Epidemiology at the University of South Florida. ​ Additionally, she has an MPH in Epidemiology and Global Health Practice and is a certified Public Health Practitioner (CPH). Adriana is passionate about multiple aspects of epidemiology and global health practice, ranging from infectious diseases to program development and implementation. ​ She has worked in multiple disciplines spanning from health services research, pharmacoepidemiology, global health practice, and traditional academic research. Adriana currently works for her alma mater as an instructor, and as a consultant to the World Health Organization’s Africa Regional Office.

Dr. Fiona Coleman is an applied global nutrition scientist with over 8 years of experience implementing, evaluating, and informing international development programs. Dr. Coleman earned her Ph.D. in International Nutrition from Cornell University, where she was an NIH trainee in Translational Nutrition Science. Her doctoral research was based in Bangladesh and Madagascar, where she focused on multi-sectoral approaches for addressing malnutrition and its underlying causes. Her interest in this work is rooted in her experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, where she lived in a rural village for two years and worked on projects related to food security, health, and conservation agriculture. Dr. Coleman is looking forward to her SDF placement in USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

Chelsea Ducille is a global public health researcher with a focus on maternal and child health. She has an MSPH in Population, Family, and Reproductive Health from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in Maternal and Child Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ​ Chelsea’s research focuses on access to healthcare, maternal autonomy and reproductive health education, and the effects of international social and financial networks on family health and care seeking behavior. This extends to her dissertation, where Chelsea examined the impacts of remittances on household healthcare, specifically the use of skilled delivery at birth and child health and growth.

Stéphie-Anne C. Dulièpre is a clinical veterinarian in Maryland, covering a variety of specialties including critical care and surgery. ​ For two years Stéphie-Anne served as a supervisory public health veterinary officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Pennsylvania, where she oversaw nearly 20 percent of the state, while in charge of monitoring for foreign animal diseases, appropriate antimicrobial use in food animals, and enforcement of regulations in the food animal sector. Following her time at the USDA, Stéphie-Anne moved to Baltimore, MD where she served as one of two lead veterinarians for the Maryland SPCA prior to beginning her MPH studies. In addition, she has worked with the Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda, Conservation Through Public Health, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. ​ Stéphie-Anne also serves in numerous leadership roles in professional organizations, such as the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA), and the American Public Health Association (APHA). She is passionate about anything involving justice, health equity, policy, and conservation. Stéphie-Anne holds a BA triple degree in Biology, Math & Statistics, and Dance from CUNY Hunter College in NYC. She received her DVM from the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, and an MPH with a concentration in Global Environmental Sustainability and Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.​ She is a proud Haitian-American, and spent her childhood living in Port-au-Prince, Haiti prior to coming to New York. Baltimore now also has her heart. In her free time, Stéphie-Anne can be found in a museum, dancing/choreographing, walking along the harbor, or listening to an audiobook.​he has worked in multiple disciplines spanning from health services research, pharmacoepidemiology, global health practice, and traditional academic research. Adriana currently works for her alma mater as an instructor, and as a consultant to the World Health Organization’s Africa Regional Office.

Sarah Dumas has expertise in epidemiology, One Health, maternal and early child nutrition, veterinary medicine, livestock and poultry production, and food security, with more than 12 years of experience in project management, team leadership, and interdisciplinary collaborations. She holds a DVM and a PhD in Epidemiology and International Nutrition from Cornell University and received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Pomona College. ​ Sarah has conducted research in Zambia and Kenya, collaborating with NGOs to study the roles that livestock, particularly poultry, play in the resilience of rural communities. She also has experience as a livestock veterinarian in Illinois. Sarah later focused on domestic public health during her six years with the NYC Department of Health as an epidemiologist, developing and conducting large-scale surveys, managing data analysis, and implementing research communication to policymakers and the public. ​ Currently she works for the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School leading survey research projects in health and social services. Sarah lives with her family in Washington, DC. ​

Korie Grayson is a chemist, biomedical engineer, STEM diversity advocate, and an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow placed in the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate at the National Science Foundation. ​ She is passionate about workforce development to support innovation ecosystems, capacity building, and experiential learning opportunities. Korie advocates for increasing the number of underrepresented groups in STEM by illustrating that #representationmatters through storytelling, public speaking, and social media. She is a part of numerous STEM initiatives focused on empowering young adults traditionally underrepresented in STEM to launch and build successful STEM careers. ​ Korie is a first-generation college student and proud alumna of the HBCU Norfolk State University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Chemistry. Korie obtained her MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University, where she studied cancer drug resistance in 2D and 3D prostate cancer cell culture environments. As a postdoctoral research fellow in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan, Korie addressed evaluation of novel nano- and microparticles for therapy in inflammatory diseases and colorectal cancer.

Betty Bugusu Kanani is a food scientist and a research management professional with more than 15 years of experience leading complex research projects in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and the US. She acquired this experience through years of demonstrated research and leadership capacity in multidisciplinary, cross-functional, and cross-cultural environments.​ Her research expertise is in food processing and formulation, food fortification, food safety, food nanoscience, food packaging, and food policy. In her work, Betty researches and implements food innovations to improve food and nutrition access and availability. ​ Betty is currently the Technical Director for LASER PULSE (Long-term Assistance and Services for Research Partners for University-Led Solutions Engine), a consortium-based program funded by USAID and led by the Purdue Applied Research Institute. She provides technical and research translation leadership to a multimillion-dollar research operation of 50 research projects in 20 countries aimed at strengthening the role of research in shaping international development policy and practice globally. ​ Before LASER PULSE, she was the inaugural managing director for the International Food Technology Center at Purdue. Betty also served as the director of the Feed the Future Food Processing and Postharvest Handling Innovation Lab, which was funded by USAID. She worked with fellow researchers to develop, adapt, and introduce novel food processing technologies to enhance food security, economic growth, and gender empowerment in the program's focus countries.

Alex Kong is an interdisciplinary scientist with training cutting across the public health, clinical, and laboratory sciences. He recently completed his PhD in International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where his research focused on new and emerging approaches and technologies to conducting integrated serological surveillance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). ​ Serological surveillance can be used to identify infectious disease outbreaks and to estimate a community’s level of immunity or exposure to certain diseases to help guide public health interventions and decision-making. Before his PhD, Alex was an R&D Researcher for the Access to Medicine Foundation in Amsterdam, contributing to the assessment and ranking of pharmaceutical companies’ efforts to expand access to health technologies in LMICs. ​ He holds a PharmD and BS from the University of Kansas, where he also worked in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Alex supplemented his laboratory training through research characterizing different forms of antibiotic resistance as an Amgen Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis, and as a Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge, where he earned an MPhil in Biological Sciences through the Department of Pharmacology.

Rachael Lau specializes in geophysical disaster modeling, risk, and resiliency – combining classic physics-driven models with remote sensing. With a passion for disaster mitigation, water resources engineering, and promoting equitable infrastructure tools for vulnerable populations, Rachael works at the crossroads of engineering and policy, contributing to informed decision-making at both technical and governance levels. ​Her graduate academic journey included a 2022 Fulbright Research Award in Nepal and a Rhodes Graduate Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Research. Rachael’s commitment to addressing global challenges is evident in previous roles as a co-founder of the National Academy of Engineering's Call to Action on the COVID-19 Crisis, which she launched in 2020. She co-founded and managed the Kathmandu Geo Lab, an international research cohort on geohazard risk and resiliency between Duke University and Tribhuvan University in Nepal, in addition to coordinating initiatives for Engineers Without Borders USA at the state, regional, and national levels. ​Rachael is a 2024 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund grantee, building multi-lingual disaster literacy programs directed at earthquake response for vulnerable populations in southern Kazakhstan. In addition to her interest in disaster research, she is trained in Rapid Seismic Damage Assessment and Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue. Rachael’s professional interests extend beyond engineering, encompassing education access, women's and children's rights, and grassroots technology.

Colleen O’Brien is an environmental engineer focused on helping cities adapt to climate change. Colleen received her MS in Water Resources Engineering from Tufts University, and her PhD in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University.​ Her research focused on using nature-based solutions to help cities become more resilient to flooding. Colleen has experience working internationally on water and sanitation in Southeast Asia and on water diplomacy in the Middle East.​ Prior to her PhD, she also worked in engineering consulting, helping cities and towns in New England develop climate adaptation and stormwater management plans.

Annie Patrick is an interdisciplinary researcher and scholar in applied science and technology studies. Her career spans several disciplines and professions connected through her passion for learning, investigating the world around her, and deeply engaging in her surrounding communities for improved outcomes. ​ Annie’s research integrates her experience and knowledge in technology and innovation, care work, community engagement, engineering studies, healthcare, and social justice within STEM contexts. She has implemented best practices from engineering education and the social sciences in a series of recent projects on identity, recognition, and cross-disciplinary collaborations within STEM. Most recently she served as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Studio for Transforming Engineering Learning and Research (STELAR) Lab at Georgia Tech’s Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. ​ She obtained her PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Virginia Tech. In addition, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Mississippi College, and an associate’s degree in Nursing from Holmes Community College. After a nursing career working in a variety of specialties, Annie became interested in technology while studying Library and Information Science and completed a Master of Science in Network Technology and Cybersecurity at East Carolina University. ​

Monica Trigg completed her Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) in 2023. She investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's agency (empowerment) in Latin America and the Caribbean. Employing a systems thinking approach, her research explored how women navigated gendered disparities in economic and health autonomy, looking in particular at household/caregiving expectations, exposure to violence, and reduced access to contraception. ​ She applied a systems thinking approach to the socio-ecological model, examining an amplification effect across government, community, and household strata. Finally, Monica's research examined the role of global development organizations in mitigating these challenges and fostering agency among women in response to current and future contexts.​ Prior, and in parallel, to pursuing her doctorate, Monica has enjoyed a rewarding career in public health with experience across governmental, non-governmental, and academic sectors, both domestically and internationally. She holds a master's degree in Public Health and a bachelor's degree in Anthropology.

Aisha Udochi-Amolo is a third-generation economist, and received her PhD from Howard University, concentrating in growth and development theory. ​ She is the founder of Dao Fei Consults LLC, a business development and research consultancy firm. Aisha is a Non-Resident Fellow for the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa. And she is a Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellow, where her research centers on advancing financial inclusion by improving data quality and leveraging insights derived from transforming big datasets into dependable macroeconomic statistics. ​ Recognized for her work on indigenous microenterprises, Aisha served as Special Advisor to the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Commissioner for Abia State in 2020, where she led a redesign of the state's industrialization strategy. Her findings were recently published in The Palgrave Handbook of Africa’s Economic Sectors. ​ ​Aisha holds two master’s degrees, in Chinese Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and in International Relations from Harvard University. She earned her undergraduate degree in International Business and Business Economics from New York University's Stern School of Business. ​ Aisha has lived and worked in New York, Abuja, London, Beijing, and Boston. Currently, she is based in Washington D.C. Aisha speaks Mandarin and is a devout yoga practitioner.

Liya Weldegebriel is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University. Her research broadly links ecohydrology and ecosystem services. Her PhD addressed technical challenges of adopting and upscaling soil and water conservation practices by developing low-cost performance evaluation methods and synthesizing field investigations in hydrological models to predict effective interventions in the Ethiopian Highlands. Liya’s current research projects include using remotely sensed satellite imagery and statistical tools to assess the impact of armed conflict on agricultural food production and to monitor efficiency of conservation practices in Ethiopia. She grew up and attended high school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Liya received her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering with a water resources concentration from North Carolina State University, where she graduated summa cum laude. As an undergrad she served as University Honors Program Ambassador and was an active member of Women in Science and Engineering. After graduation Liya joined a design firm as an associate hydraulic design engineer before beginning her PhD program in Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on Development Engineering. At UC Berkeley, Liya was granted an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and she won an outstanding student presentation award from the American Geophysical Union. She served as the president and a board member for the Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students at UC Berkeley. Liya participated in COP28 as a delegate representing Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability.

Liz Sefton is a geneticist and developmental biologist with over a decade of experience in research, grant writing, and science communication. She holds a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah, where her research focused on uncovering the genetic and environmental factors underlying congenital disorders. Her academic work has been recognized with awards and fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the Gates Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Transitioning into the biotech sector, Liz applied her expertise to developing innovative solutions in discovering new medicines, integrating genetically diverse datasets into machine learning platforms to advance the identification of novel therapeutics. Her multidisciplinary experience in pediatric disease, program management, and translational research positions her to support the Bureau for Global Health at USAID. Outside of her professional pursuits, Liz enjoys exploring nature with her dog, playing pickleball, and experimenting with new baking recipes.