People: Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health

Dr. Abdel Razak Kadry 

Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health
University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges

Visiting Professor, Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health, University of Maryland
Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan

Rita R. Colwell, PhD

Distinguished University Professor, UMIACS
University of Maryland, College Park

Michael Grantham, PhD

Assistant Professor
Missouri State Western University 

Marccus Hendricks, PhD

Assistant Professor, Urban Studies & Planning Program
University of Maryland, College Park

Shirley Micallef, PhD

Associate Professor, Plant Science & Landscape Architecture
University of Maryland, College Park

Thurka Sangaramoorthy, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology
University of Maryland, College Park

Ibiyinka Amokeodo

• Advisor: Dr. Amy Sapkota
• Ibiyinka is a third-year PhD Student at the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health at the University of Maryland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in food science and Technology from her home country, Nigeria. She also has a Master of Science degree in Public Health from Western Illinois University. Her research interests include the evaluation of the microbial quality of food and vegetables, water quality in food production, and infectious diseases.

Jan-Michael Archer

• Advisor: Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges
• Jan-Michael Archer (he/him) is an Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellow, UMD Global STEWARDS National Science Foundation Research Trainee, and PhD candidate at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. His dissertation investigates how community-gathered air pollution data can be better utilized by environmental regulators for harm reduction and cumulative risk assessment. Having worked on environmental equity issues for nearly a decade, Jan is driven by a strong desire to hold institutions accountable to distributive justice, especially in oppressed communities. In addition to advocating for environmental justice in far off places--like his home state of Georgia--Jan works to secure safe, fair, and healthy working conditions here on campus by serving as an organizer in the newly formed UMD-UAW Graduate Labor Union (@UMD_GLU).

Kathryn Dixon

• Kathryn is a first-year PhD Student and Teaching Assistant with research interests in water quality, risk communication, and community engagement. She graduated with a Master of Science (ScM) degree in Environmental Health from the JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed certificate programs in Risk Sciences and Public Policy, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Climate and Health. She completed a BA in Environmental Biology and a minor in Chemistry from McDaniel College. In her free time she likes to play soccer, volleyball, and travel.

Blean Girma

• Blean Girma is a first-year PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences. She holds an MPH degree from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and BS in Biological Sciences from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. Ms. Girma has contributed to the pediatric environmental/climate health community for the past 5 years working as a research assistant at the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai and Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. Her research interests include extreme heat, urban heat islands, air quality, climate resilience, environmental justice, reproductive justice, health equity, and community-based participatory research.

Michele Morgado

• Advisor: Dr. Amy Sapkota

Rebecca Patterson

• Rebecca is a 2023 Tillman Scholar. 

Anna Pulley

• Anna is a first-year PhD Student in Environmental Health Sciences. She holds a MS in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University as well as a BS in Biomedical Sciences and BA in Psychology from the University of South Florida. She is a Graduate Assistant working in the Public Health and Aerobiology Lab with research interests in aerosol infectious disease transmission.

Nicole Sieck

• Advisor: Dr. Amir Sapkota
• Nicole is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Environmental Health Sciences. She received her undergraduate  in Speech and Hearing Science from Arizona State University and her Doctor of Audiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She is interested in climate change, air pollution, and chemical exposures. Her dissertation is on the impact of extreme heat on the risk of hospitalization and mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis treatment. She is a fellow of the UMD Global STEWARDS NSF National Research Traineeship program and holds the Wylie Dissertation Fellowship for 2023. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her 2 kids, being in nature, and reading.

Cameron Smith

• Cameron Smith is a first-year PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences. She received her BS in Environmental Science and Technology: Ecosystem Health, certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, and MS in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Maryland. Her research interests include agriculture, water quality and contaminants found in drinking water, and access to clean drinking water. She is a Graduate Assistant working in the Water Quality, Outreach and Wellness Lab. In her free time she enjoys dancing, running, and reading.

Hyeonjin Song

• Advisor: Dr. Amir Sapkota

Wesley Wiggins

• Wesley is a PhD student and Graduate Assistant interested in climate change and environmental justice. His research interests are climate adaptation, climate justice, and community resilience. He graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in Geosciences and a minor in Environmental Studies. Wesley spent the last two years as an ORISE Fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency working on strengthening climate resilience at drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities.

Nana Ama Ohene Kumi

• Nana Ama is a first year MPH student. She focused on Plant and Environmental Biology for her undergraduate studies. She held a research assistantship position at CSIR-Water Research Institute for a year. She also enjoys baking and reading mystery novels.

Caroline Morton

• Caroline is a first year graduate student pursuing a dual master's degree in Environmental Health Sciences and Community Planning. She attended Towson University for her undergrad and received a bachelor degree in Geography and Environmental Planning with a minor in Health Sciences. Outside of school she enjoys playing sports and traveling.

Aziz Hurtado Olson 

• Aziz is a first year MPH Environmental Health Sciences student. His research interests are in water quality and preventing waterborne parasitic infections. He received his B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Towson University and is particularly concerned about the social determinants of health among low-income communities preventing them access to safe drinking water.

Fatou Touray

• Fatou is a first year MPH student with a passion for environmental wellbeing. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University in Public Health. During her free time, she enjoys cooking, organizing, and spending quality time with family.

Jasmine Wilkins                                                                      

• Jasmine is a first year MPH student and graduate assistant with an interest in water, soil, and air quality. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences.  During her free time she enjoys hiking with her dog and reading.