Meet our phenomenal workshop leaders
Please visit the agenda page for workshop titles
Zandra Alford, MPH
Zandra Alford is the Foods and Nutrition Extension Associate at the Department of Youth, Family, and Community Sciences at North Carolina State University. In this role, she provides programmatic expertise for the intersection of food, nutrition, and health, with an emphasis on consumer food preparation. Her work involves providing program support and relevant training for extension staff and partners. In addition, Zandra serves as the Harnett and Lee Outreach Coordinator for Voices into Action: The Families, Food, and Health Project. Through her work with Voices into Action, Zandra collaborates with community partners including cooperative extension, local health departments, schools, and food pantries on projects focused on increasing access to healthy and affordable foods and physical activity in Harnett and Lee counties.
Zandra received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Women's Studies and French, and a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Zandra has worked in public health programming, research implementation, community outreach, and education. Her experiences include co-creating and facilitating a service-learning course examining the impact of migration on the health of migrants and communities in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States; working at a women’s behavioral health center as a Community Health Outreach Worker and Educator for an HIV prevention program; serving as a Health and Human Services Legislative Intern for the Arizona State House of Representatives; and teaching English for primary and secondary students in France.
Zandra Alford is the Foods and Nutrition Extension Associate at the Department of Youth, Family, and Community Sciences at North Carolina State University. In this role, she provides programmatic expertise for the intersection of food, nutrition, and health, with an emphasis on consumer food preparation. Her work involves providing program support and relevant training for extension staff and partners. In addition, Zandra serves as the Harnett and Lee Outreach Coordinator for Voices into Action: The Families, Food, and Health Project. Through her work with Voices into Action, Zandra collaborates with community partners including cooperative extension, local health departments, schools, and food pantries on projects focused on increasing access to healthy and affordable foods and physical activity in Harnett and Lee counties.
Zandra received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Women's Studies and French, and a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Zandra has worked in public health programming, research implementation, community outreach, and education. Her experiences include co-creating and facilitating a service-learning course examining the impact of migration on the health of migrants and communities in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States; working at a women’s behavioral health center as a Community Health Outreach Worker and Educator for an HIV prevention program; serving as a Health and Human Services Legislative Intern for the Arizona State House of Representatives; and teaching English for primary and secondary students in France.
Alice Ammerman, Ph.D.
Alice Ammerman’s research activities include design and testing of innovative clinical and community-based nutrition and physical activity intervention approaches for chronic disease risk reduction in primarily low income and minority populations. Her recent research interests focus on school nutrition policy associated with childhood obesity, sustainable agriculture as it relates to improved nutrition, and social entrepreneurship as a sustainable approach to addressing public health concerns. She is also interested in methods of research translation and dissemination and is currently the principal investigator of the Center of Excellence for Training and Research Translation, charged with identification, translation, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions for obesity and cardiovascular disease control and prevention.
Dr. Ammerman received her doctoral degree in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been Director of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention since 2004. In 2000, she received the Greenberg Award for excellence in public health research, service, and practice. The American Public Health Association awarded her with the Excellence in Dietary Guidance Award in 2006.
Dr. Ammerman has strong research and practice collaborations across the state addressing childhood obesity and was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor to serve on the Childhood Obesity Study Committee, charged with recommending legislative action around childhood obesity. She also serves on the Governor’s Task Force for Healthy Carolinians. Dr. Ammerman is the author of more than 75 scientific articles and book chapters.
Alice Ammerman’s research activities include design and testing of innovative clinical and community-based nutrition and physical activity intervention approaches for chronic disease risk reduction in primarily low income and minority populations. Her recent research interests focus on school nutrition policy associated with childhood obesity, sustainable agriculture as it relates to improved nutrition, and social entrepreneurship as a sustainable approach to addressing public health concerns. She is also interested in methods of research translation and dissemination and is currently the principal investigator of the Center of Excellence for Training and Research Translation, charged with identification, translation, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions for obesity and cardiovascular disease control and prevention.
Dr. Ammerman received her doctoral degree in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been Director of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention since 2004. In 2000, she received the Greenberg Award for excellence in public health research, service, and practice. The American Public Health Association awarded her with the Excellence in Dietary Guidance Award in 2006.
Dr. Ammerman has strong research and practice collaborations across the state addressing childhood obesity and was appointed by the Lieutenant Governor to serve on the Childhood Obesity Study Committee, charged with recommending legislative action around childhood obesity. She also serves on the Governor’s Task Force for Healthy Carolinians. Dr. Ammerman is the author of more than 75 scientific articles and book chapters.
Dara Bloom, Ph.D.
Dara Bloom is an Assistant Professor and Local Foods Extension Specialist at NC State University. Dara was inspired by her time doing community gardening on the US/Mexican border to learn about the structure and policies of the larger agri-food system, as well as how community-based projects can enhance local food security. Dara earned her degree in Rural Sociology at Penn State University, with a focus on the Sociology of Agriculture and Food Systems. Her previous research has revolved around the challenges and opportunities of “scaling up” local food systems, including the interactions between social, environmental, and economic values as alternative movements are incorporated into conventional systems. Her current work includes providing training to Cooperative Extension agents about developing community-based local food projects that integrate low-resource consumers. She is also involved with several research projects that explore how to strengthen immigrant/refugee communities’ capacity to participate in local food production and preparation; how to connect food pantries with local food sources; how to build relationships between local farmers and childcare centers; and how to understand farmer motivations for selling to low-resource consumers. See more here.
Dara Bloom is an Assistant Professor and Local Foods Extension Specialist at NC State University. Dara was inspired by her time doing community gardening on the US/Mexican border to learn about the structure and policies of the larger agri-food system, as well as how community-based projects can enhance local food security. Dara earned her degree in Rural Sociology at Penn State University, with a focus on the Sociology of Agriculture and Food Systems. Her previous research has revolved around the challenges and opportunities of “scaling up” local food systems, including the interactions between social, environmental, and economic values as alternative movements are incorporated into conventional systems. Her current work includes providing training to Cooperative Extension agents about developing community-based local food projects that integrate low-resource consumers. She is also involved with several research projects that explore how to strengthen immigrant/refugee communities’ capacity to participate in local food production and preparation; how to connect food pantries with local food sources; how to build relationships between local farmers and childcare centers; and how to understand farmer motivations for selling to low-resource consumers. See more here.
Sally Lawrence Bullock, MPH
Sally Lawrence Bullock has more than 10 years of experience in public health research, evaluation, data collection and analysis, and project management. She currently serves as a Research Assistant at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. In this position she is involved in a number of projects focused on obesity and chronic disease prevention. As an Associate at Samuels & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in public health evaluation, research, policy analysis, strategic planning and program development, she managed several projects evaluating nutrition and physical activity policies and programs at hospitals, schools, communities and other locations across the state of California. Ms. Bullock also served as a Program Specialist with the Maternal and Family Health Administration of the District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH), and in this position conducted research to inform program development in oral health, obesity prevention and youth violence. Ms. Bullock holds an MPH from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and is currently a PhD student at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Sally Lawrence Bullock has more than 10 years of experience in public health research, evaluation, data collection and analysis, and project management. She currently serves as a Research Assistant at the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. In this position she is involved in a number of projects focused on obesity and chronic disease prevention. As an Associate at Samuels & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in public health evaluation, research, policy analysis, strategic planning and program development, she managed several projects evaluating nutrition and physical activity policies and programs at hospitals, schools, communities and other locations across the state of California. Ms. Bullock also served as a Program Specialist with the Maternal and Family Health Administration of the District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH), and in this position conducted research to inform program development in oral health, obesity prevention and youth violence. Ms. Bullock holds an MPH from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and is currently a PhD student at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Dylan Fitz, Ph.D.
Dylan teaches courses in intermediate microeconomic theory, Latin American economics, and Latin American studies. Generally, his research analyzes the diverse causes of poverty, the potential impacts and limitations of anti-poverty programs, risk, learning, and technology adoption.
As an undergraduate, Dylan majored in politics while receiving certificates in Latin American studies and political economy. For his senior thesis, he traveled to Brazil to research the Zero Hunger Program and agrarian reforms. Following college, he worked at The Food Project, a Boston-based non-profit that works with young people in sustainable agriculture.
In graduate school, Dylan concentrated in development economics while also studying environmental economics and policy. His dissertation evaluates a recent land reform and a conditional cash transfer program in Brazil while focusing on the various causes of poverty. In addition, he works with a team that is utilizing experimental economics to evaluate the relationship between risk, ambiguity, learning, and the adoption of new technologies.
Dylan teaches courses in intermediate microeconomic theory, Latin American economics, and Latin American studies. Generally, his research analyzes the diverse causes of poverty, the potential impacts and limitations of anti-poverty programs, risk, learning, and technology adoption.
As an undergraduate, Dylan majored in politics while receiving certificates in Latin American studies and political economy. For his senior thesis, he traveled to Brazil to research the Zero Hunger Program and agrarian reforms. Following college, he worked at The Food Project, a Boston-based non-profit that works with young people in sustainable agriculture.
In graduate school, Dylan concentrated in development economics while also studying environmental economics and policy. His dissertation evaluates a recent land reform and a conditional cash transfer program in Brazil while focusing on the various causes of poverty. In addition, he works with a team that is utilizing experimental economics to evaluate the relationship between risk, ambiguity, learning, and the adoption of new technologies.
Julie Goff, J.D.
Julie graduated from Davidson College with an Economics degree and is a member of the North Carolina Bar. In law school, she focused a portion of her studies on farming policy and the impact of state and local agriculture regulations. She serves on the board of Sow Much Good (a urban farm serving underserved neighborhoods in Charlotte) and is an avid backyard gardener. Since June 2014, Julie has lead Davidson Next – a collaboration among Davidson College, the College Board and edX to build high-quality content aligned with Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Before returning to Davidson, Julie worked at Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C. for 8 years, serving in a variety of project management leadership roles, including financial literacy and online education initiatives.
Julie graduated from Davidson College with an Economics degree and is a member of the North Carolina Bar. In law school, she focused a portion of her studies on farming policy and the impact of state and local agriculture regulations. She serves on the board of Sow Much Good (a urban farm serving underserved neighborhoods in Charlotte) and is an avid backyard gardener. Since June 2014, Julie has lead Davidson Next – a collaboration among Davidson College, the College Board and edX to build high-quality content aligned with Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Before returning to Davidson, Julie worked at Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C. for 8 years, serving in a variety of project management leadership roles, including financial literacy and online education initiatives.
Brian Hollingsworth
Brian Hollingsworth is a native of Raleigh, NC, and is currently a second-year student at Wake Forest University's School of Divinity, where he is pursuing a concentration in the school's Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative. His interests include the intersection of food & faith, particularly the ways faith informs our relationship to the earth, the food we eat, and the ways we live in community with one another.
Brian Hollingsworth is a native of Raleigh, NC, and is currently a second-year student at Wake Forest University's School of Divinity, where he is pursuing a concentration in the school's Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative. His interests include the intersection of food & faith, particularly the ways faith informs our relationship to the earth, the food we eat, and the ways we live in community with one another.
Philip Oteinoburu, Ph.D.
Dr. Otienoburu is the coordinator of the Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainability (CRES) at Johnson C. Smith University. He is also the faculty lead for sustainability and Assistant Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Science and Mathematics. Since joining the university three years ago, Dr. Otienoburu has developed a university-wide sustainability program that has been recognized both regionally and nationally for its student-centric innovation approach in providing local solutions for global challenges. This work has twice been highlighted at the Clinton Global Initiative University meetings and has led to the development, through Johnson C. Smith University, of a sustainable agriculture program in Haiti. Dr. Otienoburu teaches Biology, Ecology and Sustainability and is faculty advisor for biology majors in the department. Through his role as faculty lead for sustainability, Dr. Otienoburu has worked with professors from all colleges in the university, has mentored students from non-STEM departments on cross-disciplinary sustainability projects and continues to champion inter-disciplinary collaborations among faculty in research. Prior to obtaining his PhD, Dr. Otienoburu worked at the United Nations secretariat in New York, and was attached to the Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In this role, Dr. Otienoburu developed gender sensitive humanitarian relief policy for actors in natural disasters and complex emergency settings. In his experience, Dr. Otienoburu has often found a disconnect between science and policy, since both sides find the other inaccessible, and has therefore tried to bridge that gap by making science more accessible to non-scientists through community outreach projects.
Dr. Otienoburu is the coordinator of the Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainability (CRES) at Johnson C. Smith University. He is also the faculty lead for sustainability and Assistant Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Science and Mathematics. Since joining the university three years ago, Dr. Otienoburu has developed a university-wide sustainability program that has been recognized both regionally and nationally for its student-centric innovation approach in providing local solutions for global challenges. This work has twice been highlighted at the Clinton Global Initiative University meetings and has led to the development, through Johnson C. Smith University, of a sustainable agriculture program in Haiti. Dr. Otienoburu teaches Biology, Ecology and Sustainability and is faculty advisor for biology majors in the department. Through his role as faculty lead for sustainability, Dr. Otienoburu has worked with professors from all colleges in the university, has mentored students from non-STEM departments on cross-disciplinary sustainability projects and continues to champion inter-disciplinary collaborations among faculty in research. Prior to obtaining his PhD, Dr. Otienoburu worked at the United Nations secretariat in New York, and was attached to the Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In this role, Dr. Otienoburu developed gender sensitive humanitarian relief policy for actors in natural disasters and complex emergency settings. In his experience, Dr. Otienoburu has often found a disconnect between science and policy, since both sides find the other inaccessible, and has therefore tried to bridge that gap by making science more accessible to non-scientists through community outreach projects.
Bill Zuehlke
Bill received his BA in Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science from Colby College and his MS in Biology, Ecology, and Field Science from Wesleyan University. He taught at the Kents Hill School from 1986-1989, the Taft School from 1989-1999, the Maine Coast Semester from 1999-2004, and Charlotte Latin from 2004-present. He has filled many roles, including Curriculum Coordinator, Science Department Chair, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator and Ultimate Frisbee Coach.
Bill received his BA in Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science from Colby College and his MS in Biology, Ecology, and Field Science from Wesleyan University. He taught at the Kents Hill School from 1986-1989, the Taft School from 1989-1999, the Maine Coast Semester from 1999-2004, and Charlotte Latin from 2004-present. He has filled many roles, including Curriculum Coordinator, Science Department Chair, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator and Ultimate Frisbee Coach.