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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.