Membership in the IFNH is open to the faculty, staff, and students of Rutgers University who subscribe to the vision, mission, and core values of the institute.
![James Simon, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Simon-James.jpg)
James Simon, PHD
Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
jimsimon@rutgers.edu
848-932-6239
Affiliation: Director, IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE); IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Research
Research Interests: Agricultural food ecosystems, plant breeding, natural products chemistry, linking horticulture with nutrition, health & medicine, bioanalysis and bioavailability of foods
![Hassana Alidou, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Alidou-Hassana.jpg)
Hassana Alidou, PHD
Visiting Professor
hassanatou2@gmail.com
202-699-2196
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Education Policy, Multilingualism/Multiculturalism, Diplomacy, Gender and International Development/Women leadership and public policy
![Ousseina Alidou, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Alidou-Ousseina.jpg)
Ousseina Alidou, PHD
Professor, African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures
School of Arts and Sciences
oalidou@amesall.rutgers.edu
848-445-4301
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Linguistics, comparative cultural studies, literacy, women's and gender studies; African Muslim societies
![Arend-Jan Both, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Both-Arend-Jan.jpg)
Arend-Jan Both, PHD
Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
both@envsci.rutgers.edu
848-932-5730
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Controlled environment agriculture, horticultural engineering, plant lighting, agricultural energy systems
![Cara Cuite, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Cuite-Cara.jpg)
Cara Cuite, PHD
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Ecology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
cuite@rutgers.edu
848-932-4544
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Research; IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Community food security, risk communication and public perceptions of food-related issues, including food safety and genetically engineered foods
![Shauna Downs, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Downs-Shauna.jpg)
Shauna Downs, PHD
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Systems & Policy
School of Public Health
sd1801@spg.rutgers.edu
848-932-8055
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Research; IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Food system interventions to improve diets, characterizing food environments in low- and middle-income countries, climate and nutrition
![Ramu Govindasamy, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Govindasamy-Ramu.jpg)
Ramu Govindasamy, PHD
Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
govind@sebs.rutgers.edu
848-932-9192
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Agribusiness and agricultural, ethnic produce, value-added products, organic and local produce, agritourism, food hubs, value chain analysis
![Daniel Hoffman, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Hoffman-Daniel.jpg)
Daniel Hoffman, PHD
Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
dhoffman@sebs.rutgers.edu
848-932-0272
Affiliation: Director, IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Research; IFNH Center for Human Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism; IFNH Center for Nutrition, Microbiome, and Health; IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Energy metabolism and body composition, human growth, international nutrition, and economic development
![Thomas Leustek, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Leustek-Thomas.jpg)
Thomas Leustek, PHD
Dean of Academic Programs
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
leustek@sebs.rutgers.edu
908-451-3266
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Plant sulfur and intermediary metabolism, mineral nutrition, nutrient sensing, and metabolic engineering
![Nolan Lewin headshot.](/images/personnel/Lewin-Nolan.jpg)
Nolan Lewin
Director, Food Innovation Center
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
nl95@njaes.rutgers.edu
732-445-6130
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Food and beverage business development in the state and the surrounding region - domestic and international companies
![Kevin Lyons, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Lyons-Kevin.jpg)
Kevin Lyons, PHD
Associate Professor, Rutgers Business School
klyons@business.rutgers.edu
973-353-3347
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Developing and integrating global environmental, social, economic, ethical criteria and data into supply chain/procurement systems and processes; supply chain archeology
![Emily Merchant headshot.](/images/personnel/Merchant-Emily.jpg)
Emily Merchant
Program Coordinator, Department of Plant Biology
evr.merchant@rutgers.edu
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Addressing barriers households face to consume healthy foods
![Joshua Miller, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Miller-Joshua.jpg)
Joshua Miller, PHD
Professor, Chair-Department of Nutritional Sciences
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
joshua.miller@rutgers.edu
848-932-5428
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Nutrition, Microbiome, and Health; One Nutrition Program; IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: B vitamins (folate, B12, B6, B2), homocysteine, and one-carbon metabolism; vitamin D; cognitive function in older adults; microbiome
![Xenia Morin, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Morin-Xenia.jpg)
Xenia Morin, PHD
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
xenia.morin@rutgers.edu
848-932-3502
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Indoor cultivation, food waste, food systems and education
![Peggy Policastro, PHD, RDN headshot.](/images/personnel/Policastro-Peggy.jpg)
Peggy Policastro, PHD, RDN
Nutritionist, Rutgers Dining Services
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
peggyp@rutgers.edu
848-932-5447
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Nutrition, Microbiome, and Health; Culinary Health Program; IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Food literacy in school aged children, dietary patterns of college students, and in behavioral economics
![Victoria Ramenzoni, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Ramenzoni-Victoria.jpg)
Victoria Ramenzoni, PHD
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Ecology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
victoria.ramenzoni@rutgers.edu
706-621-8452
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Research, IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Assessing the energetic and nutritional trade-offs of rural fishing households and their ecological determinants
![Ilya Raskin, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Raskin-Ilya.jpg)
Ilya Raskin, PHD
Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
raskin@rutgers.edu
732-794-5600
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Nutrition, Microbiome, and Health; IFNH Center for Human Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism; IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Effects of natural products on human health, metabolism and microbiome
![Mark Robson, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Robson-Mark.jpg)
Mark Robson, PHD
Professor, Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
mark.robson@rutgers.edu
848-932-6276
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Health risks associated with global food production; risk assessment associated with agricultural chemicals; global food security
![Oscar Schofield, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Schofield-Oscar.jpg)
Oscar Schofield, PHD
Distinguished Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
oscar@marine.rutgers.edu
732-586-3077
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Collaborating on unifying food messaging between marine and terrestrial food systems
![Ethan Schoolman, PHD headshot.](/images/personnel/Schoolman-Ethan.jpg)
Ethan Schoolman, PHD
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Ecology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
ethan.schoolman@rutgers.edu
848-932-9232
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Local and alternative food systems; climate-smart agriculture; environmental justice; environmental sociology; ethical consumption
![Dena Seidel, MA headshot.](/images/personnel/Seidel-Dena.jpg)
Dena Seidel, MA
Visiting Scholar, Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
denaseidel@gmail.com
908-421-6245
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Science Communication, Ethnographic and Documentary Filmmaking, Anthropology of Pacific Islands, Indigenous Knowledge, Pride Based Pro-Environmental Behavior Change, Sustainable Development Goals
![Marissa Staffen headshot.](/images/personnel/Staffen-Marissa.jpg)
Marissa Staffen
County Agent, Department of 4-H Youth Development
Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
marissa.staffen@rutgers.edu
415-218-7403
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Childhood Nutrition Research, IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: How to empower youth to be change agents in their communities (environment and food)
![Meredith Taylor, MA, MPH headshot.](/images/personnel/Taylor-Meredith.jpg)
Meredith Taylor, MA, MPH
Research Associate, Landscape Architecture
meredith.taylor@rutgers.edu
848-932-9337
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Urban agriculture and community-based food systems; environmental justice and social-determinants of health
![Claudia Urdanivia, MA headshot.](/images/personnel/Urdanivia-Claudia.jpg)
Claudia Urdanivia, MA
4-H Sr. Program Coordinator, Department of 4-H Youth Development
Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
cru1@njaes.rutgers.edu
862-571-1159
Affiliation: IFNH Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems (RUCAFE)
Research Interests: Nutrition-sensitive local and global interventions on increasing crop diversity and improving food security.