Hunger and Food Insecurity Professors and Supervisors | ApplySharif

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Jon SingletaryView profile

Professor

Baylor UniversityUnited States

Jon Singletary serves as Dean and holds the Diana R. Garland Endowed Chair of Child and Family Studies at Baylor University's Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. He joined Baylor in 2003 after earning his PhD in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), alongside an MSW from VCU and MDiv from Baptist Theological Seminary. His career includes prior roles as Associate Dean (2010–2015) before becoming Dean in 2015. Before academia, Singletary worked as a pastor, community organizer, and social service administrator. His research focuses on strengthening congregational ministries, community development, and advocacy for vulnerable populations. Notable projects include launching the Texas Hunger Initiative and directing the Strengthening Congregational Community Ministries Project. He co-founded the Faith and Service Technical Education Network (FASTENnetwork.org) to bridge faith-based organizations and social service sectors. His publications explore spirituality's role in social work, faith-based program development, and community organizing strategies. Recent work examines career resilience among professionals in aging care and leadership development through Enneagram frameworks. Earlier research addressed child food security, orphan care in Kenya, and rural community capacity building. Singletary's leadership emphasizes integrating faith and practice, evidenced by his edited volumes on Christianity and social work, and his advocacy for competency-based education models. He holds leadership roles in national organizations like the North American Association of Christians in Social Work and has advised global initiatives in Africa.

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Catherine L. MahView profile

Professor

Dalhousie UniversityCanada

Dr. Catherine L. Mah is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Promoting Healthy Populations at Dalhousie University , where she leads nutrition and food policy research through the Food Policy Lab. Her work bridges public health, nutritional epidemiology, and social theory , focusing on food environments, health equity, and policy design. PhD in Health Policy, University of Toronto MD, University of Calgary FRCPC in Paediatrics, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Her research explores how food affordability, pricing systems , and institutional governance shape population diets and health disparities. Recent projects include the PRICES study (2023-2028), examining workplace food pricing in Nova Scotia, and foundational work on the digital National Nutritious Food Basket for measuring food costs. Dr. Mah’s publications reveal interdisciplinary trends, combining public health, epidemiology, and political economy to address food insecurity, regulatory frameworks, and pragmatic trials. Her awards include the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for public service, and she has supervised trainees like Laura Kennedy, Nathan Taylor, Gabriella Luongo , and Olukorede Esan in studies on retail interventions and dietary equity. Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022) Her grants include CIHR Project Grant (2023-2028) and NHMRC ID 1138629 . She has served on Health Canada’s Nutrition Science Advisory Committee (2020-2023) and the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council (2020-2022), advocating for stronger social protections in food systems.

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Andrea M. BrownView profile

Associate Professor

Wilfrid Laurier UniversityCanada

Dr. Andrea M. Brown is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University's Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on urban food security, governance in East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania), migration dynamics, and co-productive governance models. She examines how policy frameworks address urban poverty, women's political inclusion, and informal settlement challenges in African cities. Her work emphasizes participatory governance approaches and their implications for marginalized urban populations. Notable projects include analyses of Uganda's urban policies, refugee food security in Kampala, and women's rights in African urban contexts. Dr. Brown’s research bridges political theory, development studies, and urban sociology to address pressing challenges in African urbanization. She teaches courses on African politics, urban governance, and development studies. Her office is located in DAWB 4-128, with weekly office hours on Mondays 1:30-2:30pm. She speaks English professionally and is actively involved in mentoring students exploring urban development and African governance topics.

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Christos Alexandros PsomasView profile

Assistant Professor

Purdue UniversityUnited States

Christos Alexandros Psomas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University, affiliated with the College of Science. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley (2017) and previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie Mellon University and a Visiting Researcher at Google Research. His research focuses on algorithmic economics, fair division, and AI for social good, with notable collaborations with organizations like the Indy Hunger Network. Education: PhD in Computer Science, UC Berkeley (2017) MSc in Logic, Algorithms & Computation, University of Athens (2012) BSc in Computer Science, Athens University of Economics and Business (2011) Research Interests: His work bridges computer science and economics, emphasizing fair resource allocation, dynamic mechanisms, and applications of AI to societal challenges like food insecurity. Recent projects include automating food distribution systems using algorithms that balance fairness and efficiency. Awards: NSF CAREER Award, Google AI for Social Good Award, and Best Student Paper at EAAMO 2024. His research is funded by grants from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Algorand Foundation, and others. Grants & Advising: Leads projects funded by NSF, Google, and Algorand. Advises on AI-driven solutions for non-profits. Active in teaching, including courses on algorithmic governance and discrete mathematics. Labs & Teams: Collaborates with the Indy Hunger Network on FoodDrop automation and contributes to interdisciplinary AI initiatives at Purdue through the DSAI (Data Science and AI) facility.

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Matias E. MargulisView profile

Associate Professor

University of British ColumbiaCanada

Matias E. Margulis is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed between the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. His research explores the intersection of global governance, food security, and international trade, with a focus on regime complexity and power dynamics in multilateral institutions. Ph.D. in International Relations, McMaster University (2012) M.A. in Public Policy and Politics, University of Toronto (2003) B.A. (Honours) in Economics and Political Science, University of Toronto (2000) Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute (2012-2013) His academic work investigates how food insecurity stems from human-made social, economic, and political systems, analyzing the role of international organizations like the WTO, UN, and EU in shaping trade and food policy. Recent publications examine regime entanglements, human rights in trade negotiations, and climate crisis impacts on food governance. Matias has received multiple accolades, including the Distinguished Academic Award (Early in Career, 2014) and the Cadieux-Léger Fellowship (2010-2011). He previously held academic positions at the University of Edinburgh, University of Stirling, and Max Planck Institute, and served as a Canadian representative to the WTO, OECD, and FAO. His expertise extends to advising the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and consulting for NGOs and the Brookings Institution.

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Olga ShemyakinaView profile

Associate Professor

Georgia Institute of TechnologyUnited States

Dr. Olga Shemyakina is an Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Programs at the School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the microeconomic impacts of armed conflict and natural disasters on individual and household decisions regarding education, healthcare, migration, and labor markets. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Southern California (2007) and has been a Senior Affiliate with the Households in Conflict Network (HiCN) since 2007 and an IZA Research Fellow since 2014. Education: Ph.D., Economics, University of Southern California (2007) M.A., Economics, University of Massachusetts - Amherst M.A., Economics, Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP) B.A., Economics, Kazakh State Academy of Management Research Interests: Applied microeconomics, development economics, labor economics Armed conflict's impact on health, education, gender disparities, and migration Policy design for post-conflict resilience and gender equity Recent Articles: Her work analyzes topics such as childhood exposure to conflict, gender-differential effects of terrorism, and food insecurity in conflict zones. Key themes include long-term societal impacts of violence and the role of education in mitigating conflict consequences. Awards and Affiliations: IZA Research Fellow (2014), Senior Affiliate at HiCN (2007). She has advised the World Bank on conflict-education linkages. Labs/Teams: Active contributor to the Households in Conflict Network and collaborator on World Bank research projects.

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Virginia GrayView profile

Professor

California State University, Long BeachUnited States

Dr. Virginia Gray serves as Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at California State University, Long Beach's College of Health & Human Services. Her leadership spans academic administration, research, and community engagement with a focus on nutrition equity and policy. Education: Ph.D. in Nutrition, Mississippi State University M.S. in Nutrition with Minor in Sociology, Mississippi State University B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition with Minor in Spanish, University of Florida Dr. Gray's research examines community nutrition through policy analysis, school-based interventions, and global food systems. She investigates social determinants of dietary behavior, particularly among vulnerable populations including college students, children, and SNAP participants. Her work integrates cultural competency into nutrition education frameworks and develops curricula addressing food insecurity in educational settings. Recent publications reveal consistent focus on food security among college populations and CalFresh Healthy Living program implementation. Her scholarship bridges sports nutrition (especially adolescent female athletes) and community interventions, with strong emphasis on qualitative evaluation methods and policy translation. Key trends include interdisciplinary collaboration across health professions and institutional support systems for basic needs. Awards: CSULB President’s Award for Team Achievement, Basic Needs Team (2023) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, Society of Nutrition Education (2022) As Department Chair, Dr. Gray directs research teams addressing campus food insecurity through CSULB's Basic Needs Initiative. She mentors faculty in grant development for USDA-funded nutrition programs and collaborates with the Center for Latino Community Health on culturally tailored interventions. Her leadership secured institutional support for student food pantries and SNAP outreach services. Dr. Gray co-leads the Basic Needs Team and partners with the Center for Successful Aging on nutrition programs for older adults. She directs the department's CalFresh Healthy Living implementation across university sites and advises the College of Health & Human Services on community-engaged research frameworks.

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Rebecca M RyanView profile

Professor

Georgetown UniversityUnited States

Rebecca M Ryan is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Georgetown University, holding a primary appointment in the College. Her research bridges developmental psychology and public policy, focusing on the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on children’s environments and well-being. She co-developed interventions like Connect to Baby and evaluates programs such as the Power Packs food assistance initiative. Her work emphasizes parent-child interactions and economic disparities affecting family dynamics. Educations: Columbia University – Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology (2006) Harvard University – M.Ed. (Year unspecified) Princeton University – B.A. (Year unspecified) Research Interests: Socioeconomic disadvantage and child development Parenting practices in at-risk contexts Food insecurity and public policy Intergenerational inequality Her lab, the Context, Development & Social Policy Lab, aims to identify strategies supporting equitable child development through research, practice, and policy. Grants & Funding: Continuously supported by NIH, NSF, Russell Sage Foundation, and W.T. Grant Foundation. Recent work explores interventions addressing poverty, education, and family well-being. Labs & Teams: Leads the Context, Development & Social Policy Lab, focused on equity-driven research to improve outcomes for marginalized youth. Current projects include mixed-methods evaluations of food assistance programs and parenting interventions.

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Kurt HagerView profile

Assistant Professor

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolUnited States

Kurt Hager is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School. He holds a BA in Sociology from St. Olaf College, an MS in Food Policy from Tufts University, and a PhD in Public Health. His research focuses on structural determinants of health, food insecurity, and government nutrition programs. He evaluates programs like the Flexible Services Program addressing food/housing insecurity under Medicaid's Section 1115 Waiver. His work includes quasi-experimental studies, policy modeling, and economic evaluations. Dr. Hager's policy engagement includes roles at Harvard Law School’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, the Aspen Institute's Food is Medicine Research Action Plan, and the Task Force on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. He currently chairs the National Produce Prescription Collaborative and serves on the American Heart Association's Food Cost Effectiveness Task Force. His research highlights the impact of nutritional interventions on chronic diseases, with recent studies on produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals. Publications analyze Medicaid policy impacts, emergency department referrals, and legal barriers to food security programs. He collaborates with institutions like the American Heart Association and the National Produce Prescription Collaborative to translate science into evidence-based policy.

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Paul BreretonView profile

Professor

Queen’s University BelfastUnited Kingdom

Professor Paul Brereton is Director of Strategic Alliances at the School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, and leads the Institute for Global Food Security. He has coordinated major EU projects including €20M TRACE and €12M FOODINTEGRITY, and currently directs QUB's contributions to the UKRI Sus-Health programme and €11M TITAN Horizon Europe project. Active in food safety, authenticity, and sustainability Co-Director of UKRI Integrating Finance and Biodiversity Programme Chairs European Commission PRIMA Foundation evaluation panel His research spans food chemistry, risk assessment, and policy development, with recent focus on financial instruments for ecological restoration and combined nutritional-environmental metrics. Key projects address antimicrobial resistance, dietary sustainability, and blockchain applications in food traceability. Scientific honors include Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and international awards from AOAC and OIV. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Health), and 12 (Responsible Consumption).

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Montserrat Garcia OlivaView profile

Professor

University Ramon LlullSpain

Montserrat Garcia Oliva is a Professor in the Department of Social Education and Social Work at the Faculty of Social Education and Social Work (Pere Tarrés). She is affiliated with the Innovation Research and Social Analysis Group (GIAS) and has contributed extensively to research on food insecurity, gender dynamics, and social policy in Spain. Her work spans interdisciplinary domains including social sciences, gender studies, and digital media analysis. Recent research focuses on intersections between precarization, food insecurity, and gender, with projects like "Vegetables for better aging" and "Economic crisis impacts in Catalonia." She leads collaborations with institutions such as AGAUR and Fundació Louis Boundelle, emphasizing community-based solutions and policy development. Her scientific production includes 26 publications since 1995, with recent articles addressing elderly care, digital media representations of hunger, and prison system reforms. Despite no explicitly listed awards, her leadership in funded projects and high citation rates underscores her influence in social policy and applied research.

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Stephen J. ScanlanView profile

Professor

Ohio UniversityUnited States

Stephen J. Scanlan is a Professor, Interim Chair, and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences. He is based in the Bentley Annex and can be reached via email at scanlans@ohio.edu or by phone at 740-593-1384. Education: Ph.D., The Ohio State University, 2000 Dr. Scanlan's research centers on environmental sociology, food insecurity, global inequality, and social movements. His work critically examines the political economy of hunger, environmental justice in Appalachia, and the role of gender in development. He has published extensively on topics such as greenwashing, agribusiness, and the social impacts of globalization, with a strong emphasis on justice-oriented community initiatives. His recent publications reflect a deep engagement with interdisciplinary themes including sustainability, environmental communication, and the structural roots of poverty. The works span journals and handbooks in sociology, environmental studies, and development, showcasing a consistent focus on inequality, advocacy, and systemic change. Scientific Awards and Honors: Fulbright Scholar Award (2013) Ohio Magazine Excellence in Education Honoree (2018) Outstanding Faculty Mentor, Ohio University Honors Tutorial College (2019) Dr. Eric A. Wagner Professor of Sociology (2019–2022) Dr. Scanlan has actively advised graduate students and led seminars in poverty, globalization, and environmental sociology. He has contributed to significant scholarly conversations through collaborative research and mentorship. His teaching includes core courses such as SOC 2300 (Social Inequalities), SOC 4810 (Environmental Sociology), and SOC 4950 (Capstone in Environmental Justice). He is involved in research teams focused on food justice and environmental movements, particularly in Appalachia. His work often bridges academic scholarship with community-based action, advocating for policy changes and sustainable development.

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Chiara AltareView profile

Researcher

Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States

Chiara Altare, PhD, MSPH, MA, is an Associate Scientist in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a key member of the Center for Humanitarian Health. Her work focuses on public health in humanitarian emergencies, particularly in conflict, displacement, and epidemic settings. She holds a PhD and MSPH from the University of Louvain and an MA from the University of Turin. PhD, University of Louvain, 2016 MSPH, University of Louvain, 2012 MA, University of Turin, 2005 Dr. Altare’s research spans four main areas: (1) operational monitoring and measurement methods in humanitarian settings, including work with WHO on regional emergency frameworks; (2) infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, cholera, and COVID-19 in crises; (3) health service delivery in conflict zones like the DRC and South Sudan; and (4) the interplay between climate change, displacement, conflict, and health. She leads case studies on the indirect effects of pandemics and investigates rapid response strategies for cholera. Her recent publications (2020–2025) reflect a strong trend in evaluating health service utilization during pandemics, outbreak response effectiveness (especially cholera), and innovative data collection methods in unstable environments. Her work frequently involves refugee populations and uses mixed-methods and cohort study designs across regions including Bangladesh, Jordan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She received the 2023 Excellence in International Public Health Practice Award from Johns Hopkins for her work on infectious disease outbreaks in fragile settings, conducted in partnership with WHO, UNHCR, and NGOs. Dr. Altare has advised major global health initiatives, including serving as Scientific Coordinator for the CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Forced Displacement and Conflict. She previously held research roles at Action Against Hunger and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). She has over 15 years of field experience across Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Eastern Mediterranean. She is actively involved in teaching, offering courses such as 'Health Interventions in Humanitarian Emergencies' and 'Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian Emergencies' at the Bloomberg School. Her research is highly collaborative, involving institutions and agencies worldwide, and she continues to publish actively through 2025.

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Wayne WobckeView profile

Associate Professor

University of New South WalesAustralia

Associate Professor Wayne Wobcke is a faculty member in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he has been employed since 2002. His academic career includes previous positions at the University of Sydney until 1998, British Telecom Labs in the UK for three years, and the University of Melbourne for one year. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Essex (1989), an MSc from the University of Queensland (1985), and a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics/Computer Science from the University of Queensland (1984). Dr. Wobcke's research spans both theoretical and practical aspects of artificial intelligence and data science. His work encompasses intelligent agents, data mining, agent-based modeling, dialogue management, personal assistants, recommender systems, and computational social science. He has collaborated extensively with industry through three Cooperative Research Centres (Smart Internet Technology CRC, Smart Services CRC, and Data to Decisions CRC), where he served as a Programme Manager and Project Leader for over 10 years. Notable achievements include developing a voice-controlled mobile application for email and calendar interaction (a precursor to Apple's Siri) and deploying a people-to-people recommender system for online dating on one of Australia's largest dating sites. His recent research focuses on data science in humanitarian contexts and machine learning applications in official statistics, conducted in collaboration with BPS (Statistics Indonesia) and STIS (Politeknik Statistika, Indonesia). His publication record shows a consistent trajectory of impactful research, with recent work concentrating on poverty targeting, domain adaptation, natural language processing for recommender systems, and political opinion mining. Scientific Awards: Best Paper Nomination, 11th Workshop on Argument Mining (2024) UNSW Arc Postgraduate Research Supervisor Award (2017, 2018) AAAI Deployed AI Application Award, Twenty-Sixth Annual Conference on Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence (2014) Best application paper runner up, 17th Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (2013) Dr. Wobcke has successfully supervised numerous research students, with Irwan Rahadi currently working on 'Causal Modelling and Machine Learning for Official Statistics'. His grant portfolio includes significant funding from the Australian Research Council and various Cooperative Research Centres, totaling over $3.7 million since 2003. He teaches COMP9414 Artificial Intelligence and COMP9727 Recommender Systems at UNSW.

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Karen Maria EmmonsView profile

Professor

Harvard UniversityUnited States

Karen Maria Emmons is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She serves as Interim Co-Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Faculty Director of Harvard's Clinical Translational Science Award Community Engagement Program. A member of the National Academy of Medicine and Past-President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, her work spans Implementation science Community-based cancer prevention Health disparities reduction Tobacco control Nutrition and physical activity promotion Her recent research focuses on implementation science in community health settings, particularly examining Health equity in Massachusetts community health centers Equitable mentorship networks in implementation research Effectiveness of digital communication in public health Patient-centered healthcare innovations Dr. Emmons has received the NIH mid-career K award for dissemination and implementation research. Current funding includes R01CA293501 : Mobile messaging to increase CRC screening U48DP006873 : Massachusetts Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network U19CA291431 : Mass Partnership for Cancer Control Equity Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact, with recent publications addressing topics from rural health disparities to ethical frameworks for Federally Qualified Health Centers during public health crises.

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